HR: 1340h
AN: ED13C-0615
TI: PolarTREC: Successful Methods and Tools for Attaining Broad Educational Impacts with Interdisciplinary Polar Science
AU: * Warburton, J
EM: warburton@arcus.org
AF: Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S., 3535 College Rd., Suite 101, Fairbanks, AK 99709, United States
AU: Timm, K M
EM: kristin@arcus.org
AF: Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S., 3535 College Rd., Suite 101, Fairbanks, AK 99709, United States
AU: Owens, R
EM: ronnie@arcus.org
AF: Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S., 3535 College Rd., Suite 101, Fairbanks, AK 99709, United States
AU: Warnick, W K
EM: warnick@arcus.org
AF: Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S., 3535 College Rd., Suite 101, Fairbanks, AK 99709, United States
AB: PolarTREC--Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating, a program of the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS), is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded International Polar Year (IPY) project in which K-12 educators participate in hands-on field experiences in the polar regions, working closely with IPY scientists as a pathway to improving science education. Developing long-term teacher- researcher collaborations through PolarTREC ensures up-to-date climate change science content will permeate the K-12 education system long after the IPY. By infusing education with the cutting edge science from the polar regions, PolarTREC has already shown an increase in student and public knowledge of and interest in the polar regions and global climate change. Preliminary evaluations have shown that PolarTREC's program activities have many positive impacts on educators and their ability to teach science concepts and improve their teaching methods. Additionally, K-12 students polled in interest surveys showed significant changes regarding the importance of understanding the polar regions as a person in today's world. Researchers have been overwhelmingly satisfied with PolarTREC and cited several specific strengths, including the program's crucial link between the teachers' field research experiences and their classroom and the extensive training provided to teachers prior to their expedition. This poster will focus on other successful components of the PolarTREC program and how researchers and organizations might use these tools to reach out to the public for long-term impacts. Best practices include strategies for working with educators and the development of an internet-based platform for teachers and researchers to interact with the public, combining several communication tools such as online journals and forums, real-time Internet seminars, lesson plans, activities, audio, and other educational resources that address a broad range of scientific topics. These highly relevant, adaptable, and accessible tools and resources are available to educators across the globe and have connected thousands of students and citizens to the excitement of polar science. PolarTREC provides a tested approach and a clear route for researcher participation in the education community, facilitating increased educator, student, and community understanding of science and the polar regions during times of interrelated global change. For more information, visit the PolarTREC website.
UR: http://www.polartrec.com
DE: 0700 CRYOSPHERE (4540)
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0815 Informal education
DE: 1600 GLOBAL CHANGE
DE: 6600 PUBLIC ISSUES
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2008 Fall Meeting