NASA’s Science Activation Program Local learning to promote connections, education and management (PLACES) The team successfully conducted its second Professional Learning (PL) Summer Institute (SI) at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona, from June 11-13, 2024. The team led a group of 13 educators through a variety of powerful, locally-based data-rich (PBDR) experiences over the three-day SI. The PL began with educators engaged in an intensive field experience at Hat Ranch that leveraged the ecological expertise of NAU subject matter expert Jared Litson Begay and the use of data collection protocols from the NASA-sponsored Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program to better understand pinyon pine populations in Flagstaff ecosystems. Next, teachers moved from their primary data collection experiences to secondary data exploration that expanded the focus on the pinon by leveraging My NASA Data (MND) data and Data Literacy Cubes.
Using and reflecting on the GLOBE protocols led to powerful conversations in which teachers saw how place influenced how they engaged with data collection and how data can help develop new place-based knowledge and connections in their contexts. One teacher even said that “collecting data using the GLOBE app and making observations of the data helped me better understand how I can use these practices with my students.” The MND data and Data Literacy Cubes provided pathways for teachers to move from their primary data collection experiences to asking and answering new and exciting questions.
In the follow-up survey, teachers indicated that they were interested in exploring “additional NASA resources,” using “local experts or data for small towns/rural areas through NASA,” and implementing PBDR instruction using NASA resources in the coming months. 100% of teachers surveyed after the PL indicated that they (1) agreed or strongly agreed that they felt a greater connection to NASA and knowledge of NASA resources, and (2) would recommend the PLACES PL to a colleague. In the coming months, teachers will participate in a virtual community of practice where they will implement PBDR experiences in their own contexts, share examples of student work, and gather feedback from each other to continue improving their practice.
The PLACES team would like to extend a warm thank you to those who contributed to the planning, development, and implementation of the NAU Summer Institute!
- Facilitator team: Sean Michael Ryan (NAU), Lori Rubino-Hare (NAU), Karen Lionberger (WestEd), Frieda Richsman (Concord Consortium)
- Support Team: Lauren Schollenberger (NAU)
- Participating team members: Barbie Buckner (NASA Langley), Tracy Ostrom (GLOBE, UC Berkeley), Sara Salisbury (WestEd)
- Observers: Kirsten Dehler, Nicole Wong (WestEd)
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