learning technologies which further the goals of environmental education anna switzer university of...
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Learning Technologies which further the goals
of Environmental Education
Anna SwitzerUniversity of Michigan
Pre-candidate in Science Education
My backgroundMy background B.A. in Physics Taught high school
Physics and Math Instructed Outward Bound
courses in NC Mountains, FL Everglades, and Mexico
M.S. in Marine Science Taught on board
oceanography school-ship program
Taught 6th graders in museum program focused on water quality
Taught college-level Earth Science
B.A. in Physics Taught high school
Physics and Math Instructed Outward Bound
courses in NC Mountains, FL Everglades, and Mexico
M.S. in Marine Science Taught on board
oceanography school-ship program
Taught 6th graders in museum program focused on water quality
Taught college-level Earth Science
My goalMy goal
To see EE more mainstreamed in schools
However, ‘no tragedies before the 6th grade’…. (Sobel, 1995)right lessons at the right times:
age 3-7: develop empathyage 7-11: explorationage 11-up: social action
To see EE more mainstreamed in schools
However, ‘no tragedies before the 6th grade’…. (Sobel, 1995)right lessons at the right times:
age 3-7: develop empathyage 7-11: explorationage 11-up: social action
EE in Schools is critical EE in Schools is critical
Ideally, children will be exposed early and often to the natural world
However, with less time spent outside (e.g. Nature Deficit Disorder), we need to take advantage of other learning opportunities
Schools are one place where kids pick up on important aspects of the ‘culture’
Ideally, children will be exposed early and often to the natural world
However, with less time spent outside (e.g. Nature Deficit Disorder), we need to take advantage of other learning opportunities
Schools are one place where kids pick up on important aspects of the ‘culture’
Introducing :Introducing :
Project FLOW (Fisheries Learning on the Web)
Model-It (as part of curricula from hi-ce, UofM)
Worldwatcher (as part of curriculum from Northwestern)
Making Thinking Visible (might exist someday)
Project FLOW (Fisheries Learning on the Web)
Model-It (as part of curricula from hi-ce, UofM)
Worldwatcher (as part of curriculum from Northwestern)
Making Thinking Visible (might exist someday)
Project FLOWProject FLOW
Designed by Michigan Sea Grant College Program
15 lessons on wwwFor 4th-8th gradeFocused on Great Lakes Each lesson aligned with state and
national standards/benchmarksAssessment suggestions provided
Designed by Michigan Sea Grant College Program
15 lessons on wwwFor 4th-8th gradeFocused on Great Lakes Each lesson aligned with state and
national standards/benchmarksAssessment suggestions provided
What do classroom teachers need to be successful in bringing environmental education into the classroom?
Lessons can be used independently, but build upon each other if used in sequence.
Enhance existing content (inquiry-based lessons -) rather than creating new materials
Concept Development :Concept Development :
Three primary units -
covering 3 of 12 critical areas of need as identified
by the Great Lakes
Fisheries Trust:
Three primary units -
covering 3 of 12 critical areas of need as identified
by the Great Lakes
Fisheries Trust:
Introduced species (Food Web)
Fisheries and Sustainability (Water)
Fisheries and Stewardship (Fish)
Standards and Benchmarks
Standards and Benchmarks
Relevant sections from educational publications were combed for applicable science and social studies content standards, benchmarks and guidelines, including: Michigan Curriculum Framework National Science Education
Standards American Association for the
Advancement of Science North American Association of
Environmental Education National Council for the Social
Studies
Standards and Benchmarks Example
Standards and Benchmarks Example
C4 - 1, from NSES
(National Science Education Standards)A population consists of all individuals of a species that occur together at a given place and time. All populations living together and the physical factors with which they interact compose an ecosystem.
Suggestions for Assessment provided
Suggestions for Assessment provided
We recommend more points for questions which require thinking
higher on the pyramid
(Bloom’s taxonomy)
Learning Objective. Example: describe the difference
between herbivores, carnivores, and producers.
Student Performance. Example: Define herbivore, carnivore and producer.Recommended Points. Example: 1 point for each
definition above (herbivore, carnivore and producer).
FLOW SummaryFLOW Summary
Expected Outcomes and Impacts:
More teachers will have access to high-quality Great Lakes educational materials for use with their students.
By aligning these materials with national and state standards teachers will be able to more easily incorporate aquatic science material into their existing science curriculum.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts:
More teachers will have access to high-quality Great Lakes educational materials for use with their students.
By aligning these materials with national and state standards teachers will be able to more easily incorporate aquatic science material into their existing science curriculum.
Model-ItModel-It
Designed by education researchers/specialists at U of Michigan
Comes in several flavors to match middle-school science curricula
Helps students construct understandingDesigned specifically for learners who
are unfamiliar with dynamic modeling and lack mathematical or symbol manipulation skills
Designed by education researchers/specialists at U of Michigan
Comes in several flavors to match middle-school science curricula
Helps students construct understandingDesigned specifically for learners who
are unfamiliar with dynamic modeling and lack mathematical or symbol manipulation skills
Generally, students have unrelated tid-bits of
knowledge
Generally, students have unrelated tid-bits of
knowledge
watershed
fish
pollution
Water in the faucet
health
Deep and useful understanding requires that
ideas are linked together
Deep and useful understanding requires that
ideas are linked together
Watershed
pollutionfish
water in the faucet
cities
farms
plants
wetlands
rivers
lakes
people
health
With Model-It With Model-It
Students Build Dynamic Qualitative Models to help answer the driving questions:What is the Quality of Water in Our
River?What Affects the Quality of Air in My
Community? How Can Good Friends Make You Sick?
Students Build Dynamic Qualitative Models to help answer the driving questions:What is the Quality of Water in Our
River?What Affects the Quality of Air in My
Community? How Can Good Friends Make You Sick?
Value of Building Dynamic Models
Value of Building Dynamic Models
Cognitive toolOpportunities for students to engage in
authentic scientific practicesAllows students to build models of scientific
phenomena – a common tool of the tradeActive Construction of Understanding
Externalization of their thinkingShow ComplexityMake explanations, predictions, tests and
refinementsMake links between relationships
Cognitive toolOpportunities for students to engage in
authentic scientific practicesAllows students to build models of scientific
phenomena – a common tool of the tradeActive Construction of Understanding
Externalization of their thinkingShow ComplexityMake explanations, predictions, tests and
refinementsMake links between relationships
Models consist of:Models consist of:
-objects - “things” in the system being modeled,
-variables - measurable attributes of objects, and
-relationships between variables.
-objects - “things” in the system being modeled,
-variables - measurable attributes of objects, and
-relationships between variables.
Analysis:Analysis:
Does the model work as you thought it would?
Does the relationship you observed make sense?
How do the parts of a watershed affect one another?
Does the model help you answer the driving question?
Does the model work as you thought it would?
Does the relationship you observed make sense?
How do the parts of a watershed affect one another?
Does the model help you answer the driving question?
WorldwatcherWorldwatcher Developed at Northwestern University
Part of Investigations in Environmental Science: A Case-Based Approach to the Study of Environmental Systems (year long for high school)
Cases all based on the conflict between growing human population and decreasing natural resources
Based on Learning for Use Model Motivate Construct orgranize
Developed at Northwestern University
Part of Investigations in Environmental Science: A Case-Based Approach to the Study of Environmental Systems (year long for high school)
Cases all based on the conflict between growing human population and decreasing natural resources
Based on Learning for Use Model Motivate Construct orgranize
Scope and Sequence:Scope and Sequence:
Three major unitsLand-Use (8 weeks)Energy Generation (12 weeks)Water Resources (12 weeks)
One open-ended unitInvestigating the Local Environment
(4 weeks interspersed)
Three major unitsLand-Use (8 weeks)Energy Generation (12 weeks)Water Resources (12 weeks)
One open-ended unitInvestigating the Local Environment
(4 weeks interspersed)
Role of TechnologyRole of TechnologyVisualize and
Analyze Real-world Data (Arcview – GIS)
Visualize and Analyze Real-world Data (Arcview – GIS)
Environmental Decision Making
Environmental Decision Making
Help students understand the role of scientific evidence in decision-making and systematically integrate evidence and values in environmental decisions.
The process:1.Identify constraints 2.Identify considerations3.Map consequences 4.Identify stakeholders and effects5.Weighting (values)/Trade-offs
Help students understand the role of scientific evidence in decision-making and systematically integrate evidence and values in environmental decisions.
The process:1.Identify constraints 2.Identify considerations3.Map consequences 4.Identify stakeholders and effects5.Weighting (values)/Trade-offs
Strengths of IESStrengths of IES
Ambitious cross-disciplinary contentCase-based context that engages
studentsData analysisTechnologyDecision-making Support for teacher learning and
development
Ambitious cross-disciplinary contentCase-based context that engages
studentsData analysisTechnologyDecision-making Support for teacher learning and
development
Making Thinking VisibleMaking Thinking Visible
Doesn’t actually existCombines technology andConcept mappingSo that students thinking about
complex issues will be made visible to the students and to the teachers in a timely manner
Doesn’t actually existCombines technology andConcept mappingSo that students thinking about
complex issues will be made visible to the students and to the teachers in a timely manner
Complex Mixture of Domains (Science, Economics, Politics, Values)
No ‘right’ answer
It would be powerful to understand how students bring these domains together
Complex Mixture of Domains (Science, Economics, Politics, Values)
No ‘right’ answer
It would be powerful to understand how students bring these domains together
Environmental Decision Making
Environmental Decision Making
Can do so using Conceptual Cognitive Concept
Mapping (3CM) (Kearney and Kaplan, 1997)
Can do so using Conceptual Cognitive Concept
Mapping (3CM) (Kearney and Kaplan, 1997)
Assumed to both model external environments and provide the foundation for much of human thought (Kearney, 1997)
Allows for exploration of a topic in the process of externalizing one’s perspective
But, very time intensive process….
Assumed to both model external environments and provide the foundation for much of human thought (Kearney, 1997)
Allows for exploration of a topic in the process of externalizing one’s perspective
But, very time intensive process….
farms
cities
fish
health
lakes
mountains
plants
rivers
wetlands
pollution
recreation
people
waterfaucet
Run-off
cars
animals
WORD MENU
This is the active space for creating concept maps about a topic.
WORD MENU
This person has begun to group the terms by ‘clicking’ and dragging them into the active space
farms
citiesfish
health
lakes
mountains
plants
rivers
wetlands
pollution
recreation
people
waterfaucet
Run-off
cars
animals
WORD MENU
Grouping of all terms is now complete – though a person does not have to use all terms provided
farms
cities
fish
health
lakes
mountains
plants
rivers
wetlands
pollution
recreation
people
waterfaucet
Run-off
cars
animals
WORD MENU
Labeling of the groups
cities
fish
health
plants
pollution
recreation
people
waterfaucet
Run-off
cars
animals
lakes rivers
mountains
wetlands
farms
Other Living ThingsParts of watershed
Human concerns
Problems
WORD MENUNow the groups are placed in relation to one another and the strength of the relationship indicated by the width of the connector
Human Concerns
Watershed
Other Living Things Problems
Term Term # #001 #002 #003 #004 #005 #006 #007 #008 #009 #010
access 1 1 8 2 2 4 3 5 6 3 adapt 2 1 4 4 4 6 anonymous 3 1 5 7 argument 4 5 1 4 1 7 1 7 assessment 5 4 1 2 3 5 7 2,5 6 calculator 6 6 6 3 2 2 collaboration 7 2,7 1 1 1 5 1,7 4 6 communication 8 1 7 1 3 1 5 7 7 computer 9 6 6 3 3 2 3 1 2 constraints 10 9 2 4 4 4 crutch 11 2 5 3 4 3 7 curriculum 12 4 2 2 2 4 6 4 6 data analysis 13 5 1 4 1 5 7 1 7
Behind the scenes, an excel file is being created to compile everyone’s data.
Behind the scenes, an excel file is being created to compile everyone’s data.
From everyone’s data, a correlation matrix is calculated From everyone’s data, a correlation matrix is calculated 0.82
0.00 0.55
0.00 0.00 0.36
0.00 0.09 0.18 0.64
0.18 0.18 0.00 0.09 1.00
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.45
0.00 0.09 0.18 0.27 0.27 0.00 0.91
0.09 0.09 0.27 0.36 0.36 0.00 0.45 1.09
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.45 0.00 0.00 0.73
0.09 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.45
0.09 0.09 0.18 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.09 0.55
0.27 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.36 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.82
0.00 0.09 0.18 0.64 0.18 0.00 0.36 0.45 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.73
0.00 0.00 0.18 0.55 0.27 0.00 0.36 0.55 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.64 0.73
0.18 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.27 0.00 0.00 0.73
0.64 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.18 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.73
0.00 0.09 0.09 0.36 0.18 0.00 0.27 0.36 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.45 0.45 0.18 0.00 0.73
0.00 0.00 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.00 0.09 0.64
0.00 0.00 0.09 0.09 0.18 0.00 0.09 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.18 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.27 0.09 0.45
0.82
0.00 0.55
0.00 0.00 0.36
0.00 0.09 0.18 0.64
0.18 0.18 0.00 0.09 1.00
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.45
0.00 0.09 0.18 0.27 0.27 0.00 0.91
0.09 0.09 0.27 0.36 0.36 0.00 0.45 1.09
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.45 0.00 0.00 0.73
0.09 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.45
0.09 0.09 0.18 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.09 0.55
0.27 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.36 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.82
0.00 0.09 0.18 0.64 0.18 0.00 0.36 0.45 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.73
0.00 0.00 0.18 0.55 0.27 0.00 0.36 0.55 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.64 0.73
0.18 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.27 0.00 0.00 0.73
0.64 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.18 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.73
0.00 0.09 0.09 0.36 0.18 0.00 0.27 0.36 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.45 0.45 0.18 0.00 0.73
0.00 0.00 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.00 0.09 0.64
0.00 0.00 0.09 0.09 0.18 0.00 0.09 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.18 0.18 0.00 0.00 0.27 0.09 0.45
Tight Loose
mountainsrivers
wetlands
animals
cars
pollutionRun-off
farmscities
lakes
fishplants
health
waterfaucetrecreation
people
Using this correlation matrix, SPSS can be used to do Hierarchical Cluster Analysis. One presentation of HCA is a ‘dendrogram’.
Why go ‘techno?Why go ‘techno?
“learning technologies expand the range of questions that can be investigated, the types of information that can be displayed, and the products that students can create to demonstrate their understandings” (Krajcik, et al, 2000)
Contact InformationContact Information
www.miseagrant.umich.edu/flow/index.html
www.goknow.com
http://www.worldwatcher.northwestern.edu/
www.miseagrant.umich.edu/flow/index.html
www.goknow.com
http://www.worldwatcher.northwestern.edu/