All of a sudden , the internet is important for distant education!!
Online !!!
Students without reliable in-home internet are already at an educational deficit, and many of the remote learning tools the pandemic has ushered in are here to stay. Experts and advocates worry that unconnected students could permanently fall behind their more wired peers if they don’t get assistance now.
Schools scrambling to ensure that students can get online at home have tapped public and private resources to connect an estimated 3 million kids since the pandemic began, according to a tally from EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit focused on school connectivity.
But another 12 million kids still don’t have the connections they need for distance learning, according to a January report from Common Sense Media and the Boston Consulting Group. And that analysis found that 75% of pandemic-related efforts to close the digital divide will expire in three years. What could help:
Money.
Internet access isn’t just an option, it’s a necessity!!!
The Common Sense Census 2020
The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight 2020 highlights the trends in young kids’ media and technology consumption.
It’s indisputable that broadband Internet is an essential tool for participation in our society, our economy, and our culture. Many job applications and government services are only available online. 70% of teachers assign homework that must be submitted online. Numerous TV shows and movies are exclusively online.
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Broadband Internet access has fundamentally changed the nature of commerce, education, and healthcare. It enables unprecedented flexibility for Americans to choose where they live, how they work, and how they care for their families.
However, 141 million people in the U.S. don’t have fixed home Internet at the FCC’s outdated 25 down, 3 up broadband definition. That’s nearly 43% of Americans. What’s more alarming is that home broadband adoption rates aren’t increasing: they’ve remained stable for the past 3 years. That makes this hearing even more important.
The digital divide affects every region of our country, although communities of color and low-income Americans are far more likely not to have broadband. A recent study by the Pew Research Center showed 79% of white U.S. adults have home broadband, while the same is true of only 66% of black adults and 61% of Hispanics. The study showed that 92% of Americans making $75,000 or more annually have home broadband, while only 56% making less than $30,000 do.
The racial component of the digital divide is a by-product not only of income inequality, but of structural inequality like discriminatory housing and lending practices. This divide persists because of the high cost of broadband and computers in the U.S. Study after study shows this.
Current research suggests that low-income people can only afford to pay about $10 monthly for broadband. Anything more competes with other utility bills and the cost of food. Meeting the goal of universal connectivity and providing fixed broadband at about $10 per month requires a multi-pronged strategy - what my Benton colleague Jonathan Sallet calls an “Affordability Agenda.” It includes:
Price Transparency: Carriers should be required to submit non-promotional pricing information including equipment and other fees to the FCC, which should make that information public. The FCC or Congress should also restore the Fixed Broadband Consumer Disclosure Label. Both will help consumers make informed choices about the price, quality, and value of their broadband service.
More Competition:More competition means lower broadband prices. Even under the FCC’s overly optimistic data, nearly 30% of the country has access to no more than 2 providers at 25/3 speeds, and 95% has access to no more than 2 at speeds of 100/10. Congress should prohibit states from blocking communities that wish to build their own broadband networks and also give a bidding preference to “open access networks” when allocating deployment subsidies. These networks allow any broadband provider to provide last-mile service. An open-access network in Utah gives residents of 15 cities a choice of 10 ISPs. Most Americans can’t fathom that.
A Strong Lifeline Program: Congress should strengthen Lifeline and make it easier for the most vulnerable in society to access the program. It should make clear that Lifeline can support broadband service; restore the Lifeline Broadband Provider designation to bring new competition to the program; and give USAC the resources it needs to expedite the hard launch of the National Eligibility Verifier, which will make eligibility determinations automatic for many applicants. Policymakers should also consider providing an additional subsidy so Lifeline recipients can purchase fixed broadband. The $9.25 subsidy doesn’t go very far for the broadband needed to do research papers, apply for jobs and access telehealth services.
Low-Cost Broadband for Federally Subsidized Networks. The FCC disburses billions of dollars annually to mobile and fixed providers to build out their networks. It should require those carriers to provide a $10 a month high-speed broadband plan to low-income Americans.
Support for Access “To and Through” Community Anchor Institutions
Some community anchor institutions have adopted programs that extend learning beyond their walls. Libraries have been experimenting with mobile wireless hotspot programs, which allow people to “check-out” broadband hotspots for home use. Schools have been providing buses equipped with Wi-Fi for students to use after hours. Congress or the FCC should clarify that these programs are eligible for E-Rate funds.
Finally, Congress and the FCC should assist local communities’ digital inclusion efforts. Local advocates are doing the hard work of educating residents about low-cost broadband options, providing digital literacy and job skills training, and distributing low-cost computers. Congress should pass the Digital Equity Act of 2019, which establishes grant programs to support state and local digital equity efforts. These funds will incentivize more states and localities to develop digital inclusion plans and will provide sorely needed funds to the small nonprofits doing the hard work of connecting their communities.
Gigi Sohn
https://www.benton.org/blog/digital-equity-and-broadband-adoption
A framework to organize, communicate, and understand the science of our world..do you know it?
A geographic information system (GIS) is a framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data. … It analyzes spatial location and organizes layers of information into visualizations using maps and 3D scenes.
Science On a Sphere® is a unique and captivating educational tool that is used in science museums, visitor centers, zoos, aquariums, laboratories, and schools around the world. The Science On a Sphere® team and the SOS Users Collaborative Network are continually looking for ways to expand the educational capabilities of SOS. The educational material created to support SOS is available here, including scripts, lessons plans, and evaluations
What is Science On a Sphere®?
Science On a Sphere® (SOS) is a room sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display planetary data onto a six foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. Researchers at NOAA developed Science On a Sphere® as an educational tool to help illustrate Earth System science to people of all ages. Animated images of atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperature can be shown on the sphere, which is used to explain what are sometimes complex environmental processes, in a way that is simultaneously intuitive and captivating.
Science On a Sphere® extends NOAA’s educational program goals, which are designed to increase public understanding of the environment. Using NOAA’s collective experience and knowledge of the Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere, NOAA uses Science On a Sphere® as an instrument to enhance informal educational programs in science centers, universities, and museums across the country. Science On a Sphere® is available to any institution and is currently in operation at a number of facilities in the US.
What is SOS Explorer?
SOS Explorer™ (SOSx) is a flat screen version of the widely popular Science On a Sphere®(SOS). The revolutionary software takes SOS datasets, usually only seen on a 6-foot sphere in large museum spaces, and makes them more accessible. The visualizations show information provided by satellites, ground observations and computer models.
There are two versions available. SOS Explorer is an exhibit-quality version and SOS Explorer Mobile is a free introductory version. Learn more about SOSx here!
Esri’s Disaster Response Program (DRP) assists with disasters worldwide as part of corporate citizenship. They support response and relief efforts with GIS technology and expertise when your capacity is exceeded.
When you need help quickly, Esri can provide data, software, configurable applications, and technical support for your emergency GIS operations. Use GIS to rapidly access and visualize mission-critical information about the specific locations affected by a disaster. Get the information you need fast, in a way that’s easy to understand, to make better decisions during a crisis.
If you just think of the National Botanical Gardens place as a place to see orchids , and the annual Christmas show you need to re-think and connect with incredible learning resources.
There were so many things to share , I had to think about how to tell you . Some of the resources are national so I start with the National Geographic.
National Geographic’s free online courses for educators equip teachers with powerful tools to transform their classrooms. Through these courses, educators build their own skills and knowledge so they can foster the mindset of a National Geographic Explorer in their students. National Geographic online professional learning courses vary in their lengths and schedules so that busy educators can find a program that fits their needs.
The National Botanical Gardens were born of an expedition. I think most people do not know the Wilkes Expedition.It should be a movie. It is a fascinating tale .
You can learn about and explore it here. I call it the master map.
Here is a place of history. It is a pleasant side trip on the way to Saint Michael’s or,Oxford, Maryland. You can go for the history or buy some fresh ground grains as people did long ago. I will include some recipes.
The Mill was important during George Washington’s time.
One of the oldest continuously operating water Powered Mill in the United States
The Old Wye Grist Mill is located in the town of Wye Mills, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It is the oldest continuously operated water powered grist mill in the U.S. and the oldest commercial structure in continuous use in the State of Maryland. Founded in 1682, the has a long and fascinating history and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the Revolutionary War, the Mill was called upon to provide flour for George Washington’s troops.
Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a gristmill. Its etymology derives from the verb grind.
Grist can be ground into meal or flour, depending on how coarsely it is ground. Maize made into grist is called grits when it is coarse, and corn meal when it is finely ground. Wheat, oats, barley, and buckwheat are also ground and sifted into flour and farina. Grist is also used in brewing and distillation to make a mash.
Recently, en route to Saint Michael’s and Oxford, we made a stop at the “Old Wye Mill” in Wye Mills. We arrived just as this historic mill was closed but Vic talked his way in and we were able to purchase holiday offerings and the week’s run of corn meal, grits or flour. We grinned all the way to our destination. We were thinking of cornbread.
Back in the 1620s, corn was a lifesaving grain. Early settlers learned to plant and harvest corn, and then use it in stew dishes such as succotash, in puddings, and in various baked and fried breads. Nowadays, modern recipes will give you a fluffy texture and sweet tasting bread. Here are three recipes to taste and explore! Use the Three Kinds of Colonial Cornbread activity to learn how to make corn pone, johnnycakes, and spoon bread. Download free activity.
I couldn’t resist sharing a classic, easy side dish recipe for old-fashioned Virginia Spoon Bread! The Delmarva area and many other parts of the South were called the hot bread zone, recipes interchangeable. Spoon Bread is a special kind of moist, custard-like cornbread that you can scoop with a spoon.
HoeCake?
The modern johnnycake is found in the cuisine of New England,[3] and often claimed as originating in Rhode Island.[4] A modern johnnycake is fried cornmealgruel, which is made from yellow or white cornmeal mixed with salt and hot water or milk, and sometimes sweetened. In the Southern United States, the term used is hoecake, although this can also refer to cornbread fried in a pan .
One of the better byproducts of the nationwide fascination with Southern food is that Southern ingredients—grits, cane syrup, sorghum, and, most especially, good cornmeal—are getting easier to find outside the South. What this means for non-Southern cooks is that you can quit diluting your cornbread with tons of flour and sweetener, and start making cornbread with some bones.
You can, in other words, make hoecakes.
The first challenge with hoecakes is getting across what they actually are. Though they look something like pancakes, they are not pancakes, which are made pliable and fluffy with leavening, milk, eggs, and flour. Hoecakes could also, at first sight, pass as corn tortillas or arepas, both made with meal from pre-treated corn. But looks are deceiving.
A hoecake is cornbread made minimalist—a thin, unleavened round made from the simplest batter (cornmeal, water, and salt), crisp at the edges, glistening on both sides from the fat it was fried in, golden in patches. Inside, it’s dense but creamy, a foil for its best partners—creamed corn, silky braised greens, honey. A hoecake should be sturdy enough to work as a shovel for whatever is on the plate, but delicate enough to be appealing on its own.
Hoecakes got their name from the slave practice of cooking them on field hoes in the fireplace before going out into the fields in the morning. My family often cooks them as a part of a meal with local fish.
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Hoecakes didn’t come about because someone thought a bread made of cornmeal, fat, and water, sounded like a riot in the pan (although if you’re doing it right, it is). The most primitive family of cornbreads—generally called pone, of which hoecakes are just one example—probably wouldn’t have persisted in early American cooking had there been much more for cooks to work with. As colonists saw it, corn was just a crude, ill-behaved substitute for the wheat flour they were accustomed to. Its dough was unwieldy and stubborn, unwilling to respond to yeast or other leavening agents, and it produced dense, earthy-tasting breads beloved by few. In The Story of Corn, Betty Fussell recounts the colonial cook’s perception of cornmeal batter as “the sad paste of despair.”
But over time that sad paste of despair became a point of regional pride. And while there are now innumerable variations on corn-based bread, hoecakes show how far some of those variations (most notably, ahem, those north of Virginia) have strayed from their origins, becoming light, fluffy, and sweetened. They are often more cake than bread, and less about the corn than the ingredients accompanying it. Hoecakes celebrate the flavor of corn without fanfare. Once you get the hang of making them, they are a tasty, no-nonsense response to hunger, as they always have been.
To ensure your hoecakes make it out of the pan intact, it’s essential to use boiling water in the cornmeal mixture. Not only does it encourage greater release of flavor from the cornmeal, it ensures the cornmeal will soak up the water properly; otherwise you’ll be dealing with a loose slop that’s prone to break apart in the pan.
It’s also crucial not to add too much water—hoecakes should have a little heft, so you’re aiming for something like a wet dough (or a thick batter). Linton Hopkins, who occasionally serves hoecakes at Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta, advised me on this point. “Once you get something like a pancake batter, that’s when you get in trouble,” Hopkins says. He also advises letting the dough rest for a bit after combining.
Start small at first. My granddad makes one giant ½-inch hoecake in a 12-inch aluminum skillet, but this is quite a feat, as far as I can tell. Easier to manage is using a nonstick or cast-iron skillet to prevent sticking, and making fewer, smaller, hoecakes—I’ve found 6 inches is a good target diameter. Make them as small as you want; you’ll get more crisp crust the smaller you go.
Finally, use good cornmeal. Please. There are so few ingredients here that it is a waste of effort to use anything that’s been sitting around staling away, ready to lend your hoecakes all the flavor of sawdust. Freshness is paramount, and if you can get your hands on stone-ground, cold-milled grain, even better. White cornmeal is traditional, but yellow cornmeal works just as well.
Hoecakes are best at their warmest and crispiest, but leftovers can be re-warmed in the oven. They make for fine dessert drizzled with cane syrup or crumbled into buttermilk.
Hoecakes Yield: Two 6-inch cakes (2 to 3 servings) Time: About 1 hour, partially unattended
1 cup fine-ground white or yellow cornmeal Scant ¼ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons peanut oil
1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Put the cornmeal and salt in a large bowl, and whisk in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the boiling water. Let rest about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. The mixture should be just pourable, but thick enough that you’ll need to use a spoon or spatula to help spread it out once it’s in the pan. If it seems too thick, add another tablespoon or two of hot water.
3. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in an 8- to 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, spoon in about half of the cornmeal mixture, and, using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread it into a round about 6 inches in diameter. Cook until the hoecake is golden around the edges and looks set throughout, about 10 minutes, then begin to loosen the edges with a spatula. When you’ve fully released the hoecake from the pan, gently flip it. Cook another 8 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining cornmeal mixture. Serve warm.
A family member made a Hoecake for me, telling me that it or grits used to be a country breakfast in the history of the family since slavery time.
Sometimes the grits were with butter and bacon.
Grits is a food made from a dish of boiled cornmeal. Hominy grits are a type of grits made from hominy – corn that has been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization with the pericarp removed. Grits are often served with other flavorings as a breakfast dish.
Grits were part of the daily fabric of my breakfast before they were a part of special cuisines. Grits may be yellow or white, fine or course ground.
Southern breakfasts usually consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits, and a pot of grits. Sometimes the biscuits were replaced with toast or hoe cakes.
You may want to schedule your visit to see a Grinding.
Grindings: Grindings are the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.
Recipe:Spoon Bread ( Maryland’s Way) 1 Cup water-ground cornmeal
2 Cups cold water
2 tb butter
1 Teaspoon scant salt
1 Cup half & half
3 eggs
Put corn meal and water over low heat and stir until quite stiff. Melt butter into hot meal then add salt and milk or cream. Beat eggs until very light. When batter is slightly cooled, beat in the eggs. Bake in a well greased baking dish in 350° oven for 45 minutes or until firm.
This is buckwheat.It was popular.A little earthy, a little nutty, a little bitter: The flavor of buckwheat can be intense. But roast buckwheat seeds, or mix buckwheat flour with other flours, and the taste is tamed. It’s a taste more of us are getting to know.Besides being gluten-free, buckwheat is a nutritional powerhouse; it helps lower cholesterol; it can fight adult-onset diabetes: “That’s a claim that has been scientifically backed,” he says. It grows well in poor soil and doesn’t need fertilizer, herbicides for weed control or insecticides for pest control. “Very often it’s grown organically.At the grocery store, it comes in several forms. Buckwheat groats are the plant’s hulled seeds. Kasha is groats that have been roasted. Groats and kasha are sold in different grinds, from fine to coarse. Buckwheat flour, the finely milled seeds, can be dark or light, depending on how much of the strongly flavored hull is included.Buckwheat came to America with early European colonists and was most commonly grown in the northeast and northwest of the country. At its peak of production in 1886, buckwheat was most commonly used for flour and animal feed. Major agricultural advances of the 20th century, such as nitrogen fertilizer, increased the productivity of major staple crops like wheat and corn to such a degree that the production of minor rotational crops, such as buckwheat, declined steadily. In was not until the 1970s that buckwheat enjoyed a boost in popularity, and it continues to be a popular gluten free flour option for bakers. According to the UN, in 2016 Russia lead the world in buckwheat production, followed by China and Ukraine (FAOSTAT data, chart courtesy of Wikipedia)
Buckwheat forms the backbone of many traditional dishes across Asia and Europe. Soba noodles are enjoyed both hot and cold in Japan, and in Korea buckwheat flour and potato or sweet potato starch are used to make the traditional noodle dish naeng myun. Italy’s Lombardy region produces pizzoccheri, a type of short, flat ribbon pasta made with buckwheat and wheat flour. Elsewhere in Europe buckwheat flour is used to make galettes, a famed crepe from the Brittany region of France, and in Eastern Europe buckwheat plays a leading role in the pancake like blinis and blintz’s. For many countries in Eastern Europe buckwheat is most commonly used in its whole form, roasted and made into a traditional porridge called kasha – one of the national dishes of Russia.
Heat up the griddle! Here’s another delicious recipe to make at your next family breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
Buckwheat Flapjacks
Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or as needed
Sift together buckwheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract together in another bowl. Pour flour mixture into buttermilk mixture; whisk until batter is thick and smooth. Let batter rest for 5 minutes until bubbles form and batter relaxes.
Melt butter on a griddle over medium heat. Drop batter by large spoonful onto the griddle and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.
Wye Mills has its own cookbook.
Since the area is also a culinary seafood area, you may want to find the spices , and products that enhance the seafood of the area in
Since the early 1980s with the appearance of desktop computers in schools, questions about their presence in classrooms have been debated. Access to, use of, and results from new technologies have been central issues for a motley coalition of high-tech vendors, technophile educators, and policymakers eager to satisfy parents and voters who want schools to be technologically up-to-date with other institutions. And this coalition has surely been successful in increasing teacher and student access to desktop computers, then laptops, and now tablets and smartphones.
First, a quick run through the initial goals and current ones in putting new technologies into the hands of teachers and students. Then a crisp look at access, use, and results of the cornucopia of devices in schools.
By the mid-1980s, there were clear goals and a strong rationale for investing in buying loads of hardware and software and wiring buildings . Those goals were straightforward…
I have been learning about computers and technology for about 30 years or more. NASA, National Geographic, NEA, NSTA and the National Center for SuperComputing. Conferences, workshops, and meetings. It is a moving target. This blog is inspired by ex-students and CIrcl.
There is always more to learn, share and explore. Here is what might be of interest to you.
Here is some of the future of learning in a connected world.
Is your local school up to the challenge?Are you providing the real professional development for teachers?
SuperComputing and Computational Thinking (What do you know about it?)
In education, computational thinking (CT) is a set of problem-solving methods that involve expressing problems and their solutions in ways that a computer could execute..
Sounds and looks complicated? It is not. Digital Promise simplifies it like this.
But how do “code,” “computer science,” and, “computational thinking,” fit together? What is motivating their introduction into schools, and how might they change education?( read this report)
In a computational world, what is important to know and know how to do? Please download and read the report and share it.
Digital Promise says:
What is computational thinking?
Computational thinking skills are versatile approaches to problem solving that include:
Gathering and organizing data to investigate questions and communicate findings
Expressing procedures as algorithms (that is, a series of logical, precise, repeatable steps that delivers an expected result) to reliably create and analyze processes
Creating computational models that use data and algorithms to simulate complex systems
Using and comparing computational models to develop new insights about a subject
We see these practices of computational thinking ,benefitting cutting-edge research and everyday life.
For example, when a hurricane is approaching, a meteorologist on TV may use a computational model to demonstrate the various paths that the storm may take as any number of interdependent variables change.
An astrophysicist may similarly use computational thinking practices to develop simulations and new theories about the collisions of black holes.
Digital Promise shows us great images to understand the methodology.
There are great online resources, that are free that demonstrate how these skills are used.
The Science of Where
The Science of Where – Unlock Data’s Full Potential
Will.i.am Sparks Mapping with GIS in L.A. Magnet Academy
What is Science On a Sphere®?
Science On a Sphere® (SOS) displays global data the way it should be viewed – on a sphere! It is a room sized, global display system that uses custom software, computers, and video projectors to display planetary visualizations (and much more!) onto a large sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe.
In education, the acronym STEM stands for the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM education, then, is the learning of these STEMsubjects through an integrated approach; one that offers hands-on and relevant learning experiences.
Students and robots intermingle at the Hirshhorn ARTLAB+
ArtLab is giving young people opportunities to explore science, technology, and art with help from innovative artificial intelligence (AI) robots.
Sometimes , the beginning of this learning path is coding!!!
We can find many ways to lean to do coding. Code.org has programs in many languages.
Code.org® is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. Our vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra. Code.org provides the leading curriculum for K-12 computer science in the largest school districts in the United States and Code.org also organizes the annual Hour of Code campaign which has engaged 15% of all students in the world. Code.org is supported by generous donors including Amazon, Facebook, Google, the Infosys Foundation, Microsoft, and many more.
I am glad I am mentoring teachers for technology use with a solution for their technology problems. The online course that I decided to take after reading posts on the ECTC Journal was a wrong turn that I took recently. I went in unprepared to be found wanting.
ETC Journal
A journal for educational technology & change has great articles and so I was convinced I needed to make sure my technology was up to date.
Because I am not currently taking a course and did not go to ISTE, I decided to re-up my skills by taking the Certification Course for the National Geographic. It’s new, it’s different and I have been working with the National Geographic for a long time. Who could have predicted that I would be found wanting? But let me explain. There is a new technical divide and I could not qualify.
Here is the course National Geographic Educator Certification and it is a good one. You meet international people and explorers and you have a group of people who support you in your work. I am working in a community based organization with nothing but my laptop and tools and my intent was to start new technologies and inspire kids with all of the resources that National Geographic has to offer. I ran into a technical divide.
Who knew that some of the course was misleading?I do videos of field trips on the way back from the field trips. I used Google Glass to make a video for a school in Russia when I was working in exchange. So listening to the cohorts and viewing the expectations, I surely did not worry. They passed off the video as a minor kind of thing. But what they referenced as tools to work with . ouch!!!
Here is what they said…
Bringing it All Together: Teaching About the World
“At National Geographic, we believe that a well-rounded education provides young people with the knowledge of how the human and natural worlds work at local, regional, and global scales. This type of education also teaches young people to use different perspectives to understand the world.”
So I jumped at it. The course was beautiful until I got to the Capstone part. If there had been a real person or a time when you were face to face with a mentor I would not have failed. I believed them when they said that creating a video was not a big deal. It was a big deal. It was a painful learning process which I learned. Relearned , relearned, relearned..until I got tired.
They said “ We know that for many of you this will be your first experience creating, editing, and sharing your work in video format. Not to worry: most certified educators made their first movie in this course! We want the certification experience to challenge and push you, and the capstone video is a compelling way to tell your story. At National Geographic we have a long history of storytelling through a variety of media, and we are excited to welcome you into the National Geographic family through this valued tradition. Just like you ask your students every day to learn something new and take risks, we hope this helps you go further in your own work as an educator, storyteller, learner, change maker, and explorer. They estimated nine hours of work/ I don’t think so.
Nowhere did it say that the tools that they suggested would cost if you published them. I worked on a Powtoon for my submission ( Free)well free until you wanted to download it. A matter of money. And the tool was not thoroughly vetted . On one browser it had voice over, on another different qualities for color , and there was always the subtle suggestion that for a fiver, they would do it for you. IMovie is excellent except it kept going dark. Why? I did not have time to find out.
When you have spent hours learning to do something and you have to pay to use it and you did not expect to.. that’s a bummer. I spent about a hundred dollars trying to make a Powtoon video. I actually made a pretty good one but I could not regulate the sound and the instructor complained.
I did not expect that. I expected a guiding question to help me know what was wrong.
So I chose another one that was suggested. Many programs, after you create have , had a paywall. ARRGH!! $210.00 and we have a Movavi Video.
Here is what I said…
I was pretty sure of my use of technology before this course. With the video I was a basket case. I had gotten used to making animated sharings and small movies on Google pictures. I struggled with the video. Why? I guess I did not know the components of what. The instructions were clear, but inside some of the offered programs were paywalls and valuable time was wasted. The video I submitted was probably not my best. I had a beautiful one on Powtoon but the sound was so loud I could not share it. I had no way , except to pay some more to get that adjusted. I used every program they listed in the course to find one that was comfortable. I did not have IT support. I wanted it to be me based, or teacher based like we often are across the digital divide. That did not work.
I stumbled through several programs and really liked a few, but paused when the paywall came up and I knew that it would be published since it was “free” One of my baby steps in creating a video is sadly available.
Things I did not do that would have made it better. I should have changed to the PC when I could not right click instead of asking what was wrong. I should have upgraded my browsers and I did. I loved the IMovie. It was awesome. But since I have toys, IPad, Mac, IPhone before this course, I used them very separately for the most part. I learned the value of integrating them into a system. I actually completed a video using IMovie, but I kept getting a dark screen from time to time. Technology mistakes gave me and everyone around me a headache. I had a friend who is the ultimate in tech support but I felt that I should be able to do it without cheating.
There were ideas offered but I saw those before I went down the video trail. MP4? I think I suggested a boot camp for video but as in education, each person has their own store and set of tools, and know how and individualized learning even with stumbles was invaluable. The journey to completion or acceptance of a certain system is personal. It helps a lot if an IT professional is in person.
I have never so believed in ISTE or GenYES.
My students did outstanding work from understanding what our sources of water are our watershed, to understanding what an estuary was , to creating a watershed runoff model, to understanding global water needs and how to be a citizen scientist.
Not bad for a community activist trying to make a difference. Amount of technology where I work? Zero. At the aquarium,in ecosystems and exhibits.
How do I know they understand run off? We made a model city and polluted it and collected the water for evaluation. See above.
We learned about the Global Impact of Water. We loved this book and the online video.
The Water Princess – YouTube
How do I know that they understand shorelines and estuary?
Where did I learn my teaching techniques, well working for the National Geographic KidsNetwork.
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center was outstanding .
Here is what we did…
This program was adapted for a range of ages. It focused on science as narrative, and a collection of facts, procedures, and observations that lead to understanding the world. The guiding question of the trip was, “How do scientists tell the story of clean water, and how do people fit into that story.” We focused on science as fact based, though hands-on inquiry at each station.
Plankton/ Microscopes Students began with a short introduction about the difference between clean water, dirty water, and treated water. They then discovered how plankton plays a role in clean and dirty water, specifically related to humans. Students were given a plankton sample and filamentous algae from the Bay, and then were asked to sort phytoplankton and zooplankton.
Oysters and Model Oyster Reef Sorting Students began by exploring the different types of bivalves that live in the Bay, and then learned about how oysters live together and their biological function. They then attempted to build a model oyster reef to determine its habitat structure and then sort through a model reef that has been colonized by fish and invertebrates from the Bay. They sorted the organisms and learned about the role that oysters play in clean water and Bay habitat.
Seining Students began by discussing how researchers might study nearshore organisms, and learn how SERC researchers use seining nets to catch fish and invertebrates. They will discuss the term “biodiversity” and how biodiversity might be an indicator of water’s health.
They then collected data by donning waders and use seining nets to sample the populations. Students concluded with a short discussion about their findings and what they might mean.
Watersheds Students explored how a watershed works through narrative and a 3D watershed model. They then demonstrated how material gets into and is carried through a watershed. After this they discussed how the properties of water can be described, and then demonstrated by using a secchi disc and sounding lead as well as a hydrometer.
Blue Crabs At this station students were introduced to the anatomy and biology of blue crabs. They learned about their natural history, from what they eat to when and where they migrate. Students then visited with a live blue crab and studied its anatomy and movement up close. They then finished with a short discussion about blue crab research here at SERC and look at crab pots with excluders. I had cooked crabs on ice for them to take home to eat.Eat a crab lab if you will.
Science should be inclusive, not exclusive.
I believe in the seven E’s .There are seven stages which include elicit, engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate and extend.
I signed up for a two day Hand on Plants Workshop at the National Botanical Gardens. What a great experience it was!! I am grateful for having been a part of it. The workshop was sponsored by the Friends of the U.S. Botanical Gardens.
Outdoors in the Botanical Gardens
The history is fascinating , the HOPS lessons awesome in scope and sequence.
HISTORY
I am late posting about it because I have been reading about , the U.S. Exploring Expedition(also known as the Ex. Ex. or the Wilkes Expedition) would explore and map the Pacific, Antarctica, and the northwest coast of the United States. A tremendous feat of navigation, the expedition broadened knowledge of uncharted areas of the world and helped expand American commerce, industry, and scientific knowledge. I am late posting about it because I have been reading all of the books I can about this voyage.
Some of the plants in the National Botanical Garden are in the collection. I wondered why there is no movie or much of a mention to this voyage which rivals Captain Cook’s voyage. As I read I guess there was strife, and some unhappy headlines. But, it is a part of history.
You need to know about it. I am still reading about it.
I was fascinated by the huge map and the resources. What an encyclopedic story map it could be,
by Nathaniel Philbrick
They called it the U.S. Ex. Ex., or simply the Ex. Ex., shorthand for the United States South Seas Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842. It was an unprecedented naval operation, especially for a nation with a navy that was less than half the size of Great Britian’s. For the young republic of the United States, it was a bold, some said foolhardy undertaking, consisting of six sailing vessels and 346 men, including a team of nine scientists and artists, making it one of the largest voyages of discovery in the history of Western exploration. Here is the map.
Some scholars have talked to me about literary references that profile this journey. I would love to create lesson plans for it, ESRI style, I love the geography of this voyage.
With the U.S. Ex. Ex., America hoped to plant its flag in the world. Literally broadening the nation’s horizons, the Expedition’s ships would cover the Pacific Ocean from top to bottom and bring the United States international renown for its scientific endeavors as well as its bravado. European expeditions-most notably the three voyages of the legendary navigator James Cook in the eighteenth century-had served both the cause of science and empire, providing new lands with which to augment their countries’ already far-flung possessions around the world.
The United States, on the other hand, had more than enough unexplored territory within its own borders. Commerce, not colonies, was what the U.S. was after. Besides establishing a stronger diplomatic presence throughout the Pacific, the Expedition sought to provide much-needed charts to American whalers, sealers, and China traders. Decades before America surveyed and mapped its own interior, this government-sponsored voyage of discovery would enable a new, determined nation to take its first tentative steps toward becoming an economic world power.
But there was yet another reason for America to launch an expedition. Although most of the oceans of the world had already been thoroughly explored, there remained a region that had so far resisted scientific inquiry: the ice-studded mystery at the bottom of the world. Cook had ventured below the Antarctic Circle and found nothing but snow and ice. Given the dangerous conditions and the slender prospect of significant results, further exploration hardly seemed warranted. But by 1838 there was renewed interest in the high southern latitudes. What had once been regarded as a forbidding wasteland was now one of the few places left where a discovery of Cook-like proportions might still be possible. With the U.S. Ex. Ex., America belatedly joined an international rivalry to discover and explore the last unknown portions of the planet.
The Expedition was to attempt two forays south-one from Cape Horn, the other from Sydney, Australia, during the relatively warm months of January, February, and March. The time in between was to be spent surveying the islands of the South Pacific-particularly the little-known Fiji Group. The Expedition’s other priority was the Pacific Northwest. In the years since Lewis and Clark had ventured to the mouth of the Columbia River, the British and their Hudson’s Bay Company had come to dominate what was known as the Oregon territory. In hopes of laying the basis for the government’s future claim to the region, the Ex. Ex. was to complete the first American survey of the Columbia and would continue down the coast to California’s San Francisco Bay, then still a part of Mexico. By the conclusion of the voyage-after stops at Manila, Singapore, and the Cape of Good Hope-the Expedition would become the last all-sail naval squadron to circumnavigate the world.
It deserves its own movie. There were deaths.
Indeed, the ethnographic collection of the U.S. Ex. Ex.-including war clubs from Fiji, feathered baskets from California, exquisitely carved rattles from Oregon, fishhooks from Samoa, and flax baskets from New Zealand-is now thought to be, according to Smithsonian anthropologist Adrienne Kaeppler, the largest ever made by a single sailing expedition.
I learned about it at the National Botanical Gardens, but wait, there is more.
“Andes near Alparmarca, Peru: Sketched from an Elevation of 16,000 Feet”. The Wilkes Expedition played a major role in the development of 19th-century science, particularly in the growth of the American scientific establishment. Many of the species and other items found by the expedition helped form the basis of collections at the new Smithsonian Institution. [28] With the help of the expedition’s scientists, derisively called “clam diggers” and “bug catchers” by navy crew members, 280 islands, mostly in the Pacific, were explored, and over 800 miles of Oregonwere mapped. Of no less importance, over 60,000 plant and bird specimens were collected. A staggering amount of data and specimens were collected during the expedition, including the seeds of 648 species, which were later traded, planted, and sent throughout the country. Dried specimens were sent to the National Herbarium, now a part of the Smithsonian Institution. There were also 254 live plants, which mostly came from the home stretch of the journey, that were placed in a newly constructed greenhouse in 1850, which later became the United States Botanic Garden.
The National Botanical Gardens are the legacy piece of the exploration.
We teachers were treated to lessons and resources.
I will feature some of the workshop photos….
This was a life changing experience. I know about plants, I thought. Also funny, I generally go to the Botanical Gardens in DC well, at Christmas or when there is an orchid show. But I was curious about the program as it was advertised for a summer professional development event. I thought I knew a lot. SIGH .
Well, it’s ok to find out that there is much more to learn. I was taking this course to be able to knowledgeably guide students through my favorite place in DC. I found that I did not even know the grounds. I knew the inside of the building well and the various collections but hang on and I will share what I learned after I introduce it to you. I just wanted to be able to guide students passively through it for field trips and anchor learning.
The gorgeous U.S. Botanic Garden conservatory presents botanical variety, from the desert to the tropics, along a series of calm and gently meandering paths. A particular waterfall and garden display the flora of the dinosaur age. Seasonal displays include Christmas greens and poinsettias in December and January, chrysanthemums in autumn and blooming flowers at Easter. A part of the United States Botanic Garden (USBG), the National Garden, was opened in October 2006 and includes the carefully-designed Butterfly Garden.
2019 HOPS Teacher Institute
Fifteen teachers were selected to attend the 2019 HOPS Teacher Institute. Teachers immersed ourselves themselves in the National Garden and experienced the study of 16 modules over the course of two days.
All of us, we teachers successfully completed the Institute ,and received a HOPS box which contains the equipment to carry out these hands-on experiments back in our classrooms 14 professional learning units.
The training occured outdoors.
Outdoors?At the National Botanical Gardens. I had never done anything outdoors there,nor had I any idea that there was a network of gardens to learn in and to observe.It was a treat to see the outdoor part of the garden.
We chose different paths to do our research. Such a beautiful place to learn.
We spread out in the garden and worked to get our results.
On Day One we covered 8 modules. We learned all about water, its importance to plants and plants’ importance to water, the importance of water to all life and the current health of our local bodies of water.
We used microscopes,and tested water for temperature.Outside are gardens and pathways and a bubbling stream where we worked to learn using our tools. What a beautiful setting.
Our Testing tools.
Outside there are rose gardens and walking paths and a stream.
We tested for PH and dissolved oxygen.
learned about watersheds, and build a watershed and water filter.
In the afternoon we learned all about how plants work and photosynthesis.
Participants will perform plant cuttings and see how oxygen leaves the plant and how plants take in our carbon dioxide, learn that sugar really does happen in the leaf using refractometers, create art using the power of the sun and make seed balls.
Day Two explored nature as art in the morning. Participants will have a chance to settle into the quiet of the National Garden and watercolor, use compasses to make sundials and microscopically explore the tiniest of plants.Can you say Stomata? We dissected flowers and learn how pollination works while we keep our eyes out for the many pollinators in the Garden. There were many but they seemed too busy to sting or even be curious about us.
In the afternoon is when we learned using investigations in which we explore seed dispersal,did pollen identification using microscopes, learned that nectar differs from flower to flower, and that different flowers have different pollinators, and that soil is not dirt.
We learned about pollution and runoff in our watershed.
Here are the references to programs for schools, and field trips.
Do you know about this part of the Smithsonian?SERC ? You should!! The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is near Annapolis, Maryland.
We had a great field trip with kids from the neighborhood of James Creek Southwest DC that was funded by the SWNA Youth Activities Task Force. I can still hear them asking as we left the center , “Can we come back again?”
“Please…please!!”
They had an all day learning adventure!! Leaving ,they had homework.
Students were clutching the cooked crab I had prepared for their at home” Eat-a-Crab” sharing with family. Some homework!!
But let me explain the day!!
I prepared in the usual way with paper resources ,pencils,and maps and folders. I am a STEM advocate but I did not know what the children knew of water study.
I love the inquiry approach to learning and TPack. I was taking an online course from the National Geographic and this was a part of my “Capstone” lesson. My teaching skills and ideas are supported and enhanced by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center program. No teacher’s closet ,or even the Internet can match the vast resources in this learning space. So well thought out and planned.
The kids piled into the van. We were going to learn about the Chesapeake Bay!
We had our water bottles and lunch! Why water bottles? Here’s a fun way to learn about getting ready for the trip. Getting ready for a SERC outdoor trip?
We live in Washington, D.C. The Potomac and the Anacostia are two rivers that are a part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed!! We were going to learn about rivers to the sea!!Estuaries. You may want to check the video there.
The staff met us and engaged us as Otters and Eagles in groups.The learning was on from the first moment. My group went to learn about oysters and the oyster reef.
Shoreline Connections
This program can be adapted for a range of ages. It focused on science as narrative, and a collection of facts, procedures, and observations that lead to understanding the world. The guiding question of the trip was, “How do scientists tell the story of clean water, and how do people fit into that story.” We focused on science as fact based, though hands-on inquiry at each station. . Oysters and Model Oyster Reef Sorting
Students began by exploring the different types of bivalves that live in the Bay, and then learn about how oysters live together and their biological function. They attempted to build a model oyster reef to determine its habitat structure and then sort through a model reef that has been colonized by fish and invertebrates from the Bay. They then sorted the organisms and learn about the role that oysters play in clean water and Bay habitat. pictures here ( a video)I had never done this lesson on the pier.
Seining
Students began by discussing how researchers might study nearshore organisms, and learn how SERC researchers use seining nets to catch fish and invertebrates. They learned the term “biodiversity” and how biodiversity might be an indicator of water’s health. They then collected data by donning waders and use seining nets to sample the populations. Students had a short discussion about their findings and what they might mean. They loved this lesson.
Blue Crabs At this station students were introduced to the anatomy and biology of blue crabs. First, they were asked to draw a blue crab. Then they learned in various stations.
They learned about the natural history of a crabs life, from what they eat to when and where they migrate. Students then visited with live blue crabs and studied their anatomy and movement up close.
Need more?Inquiry-based science is sometimes conflated with “hands-on” science. While we know that actively engaging children with “hands-on” science is important, it isn’t enough. Inquiry-based science employs the diverse practices scientists use to study the natural world. A well-designed, inquiry-based curriculum is appropriate for all ages of learners and effectively teaches science content while developing scientific habits of mind at the same time.
SERC Science Saturdays
Join SERC for explorations of research with our Science Saturdays.Bring the family for a day of hands-on activities alongside Smithsonian scientists!
Saturday, June 22, 2019 10am-1pm Learn about marine biodiversity with marine biologists.
Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019 10am-1pm Discover how the atmosphere interacts with the land and water.
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 10am-1pm Learn about microbes that are invisible to the naked eye and how DNA is uncovering some of the Bay’s greatest secrets.
Cost: FREE and open to all Location: SERC campus. We’ll show you where to park when you get here. Directions can be found on our website. Bring: No food will be available for purchase, but you are welcome to bring your own lunch or snacks.
We hope to see you all there!
If you have any questions please contact Karen McDonald at mcdonaldk@si.edu or (443) 482-2216.
I love to organize field trips to museums. I learned a lot in regular museums.
Museums have all of the resources, and experts in a central place. Schools are different in organization , content, and resources.Experts sometimes.
Museums can rightfully say, resources are us No teacher’s closet or technology can compete.Museums have exhibits and interactive areas. Some have movies as well.Exciting things happen in museums.Here is a relative staging the Lion King at the National History Museum. Museums often are rented out for important meetings as a beautiful venue for a group. My relatives presented the Lion King with the Howard University Choir.
HOW DO YOU START?
To connect children and parents who have no experience with museums there are a few books that might be an introduction, but I usually find something that the children like and we go and explore , The Museum by Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds.My favorite is The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Frankweiler.Then, there is Museum Trip by Barbara Leman.
“Through digitization, the Smithsonian seeks to broaden access to its treasures, safeguard them for future generations, speed research, add meaning, encourage collaboration and integrate its holdings across museums and programs, and on platforms where our audiences engage with them.”
1.The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access
To understand the needs of teachers, students, and museum educators, the Center spent more than a decade in active experimentation and research, culminating in the launch of this new online platform—the Smithsonian Learning Lab. Since its launch in 2016, museum and classroom educators have used the Lab’s tools to create thousands of new examples—ranging from experiments to models—for using Smithsonian resources for learning.
2.”The Smithsonian Learning Lab is about discovery, creation, and sharing.”
“The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access created the Smithsonian Learning Lab to inspire the discovery and creative use of its rich digital materials—more than a million images, recordings, and texts. It is easy to find something of interest because search results display pictures rather than lists. Whether you’ve found what you were looking for or just discovered something new, it’s easy to personalize it. Add your own notes and tags, incorporate discussion questions, and save and share. The Learning Lab makes it simple.”
Traveling the world, seeking out museums has been my quest. But now you can have a museum in your pocket.You have a museum in your pocket with a cell phone of a certain quality.
Going to a museum can be an amazing learning experience, but why limit yourself to the few museums in your area? With these apps, games, and websites, kids can engage with interactive experiences from some of the best museums all over the world. From finding their classic art twin on Google Arts & Culture to playing dinosaur trivia from the American Museum of Natural History, kids can find tons of hidden gems on this list.
The Smithsonian offers eleven museums and galleries on the National Mall and six other museums and the National Zoo in the greater National Capital Area. In New York City, we invite you to tour two museums in historic settings. Here is their message in a video.
Not near a Smithsonian museum? Look for exhibitions and affiliate museums in your community.Or look online for ways to interact with the Smithsonian.
The Power of Us 
