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Top: Soda Dam; Above: Pueblo Dancers and DrummersImages courtesy http://www.canondelrio.com/local%20attractions.htm

CYBERLEARNINGSUMMIT

January 26th - 28th, 2012Jemez Springs, NM“This beautiful canyon provides a scenic and peaceful setting for conferences.”

NSF EPSCOR TRI-STATE WESTERN CONSORTIUM EPSCoR Mission and CyberLearning Objective

On September 1, 2009 Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico NSF EPSCoR joined projects forming a consortium of EPSCoR states with similar research agendas related to climate change and water resources. The consortium model significantly increases opportunities for scientific collaboration and enhances each state's ability to secure competitive funding and tackle complex climate change research agendas. Project leads, scientists and educators from the three states met in New Mexico, November, 2008 and Idaho, December, 2009, to create a coordinated Cyberinfrastructure (CI) research and development plan to serve both as a platform for future climate change research collaborations and the foundation for the Tri-state NSF EPSCoR project.

The mission of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is to assist NSF in its statutory function “to strengthen research and education in science and engineering throughout the United States and to avoid undue concentration of such research and education.”

Objective 3 - CyberLearningThe Consortium will enhance learning by

focusing particularly on graduate student and postdoctoral researcher development; extending cyber-enabled science education into middle and high schools and extracurricular programs; and improving outreach to business and industry.

Scientists, Educators, Faculty,

Teachers, Administrators, and

Students...

K-12 CyberLearning Summit, Valles Caldera National Preserve Science & Education Center

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What is happening in Idaho?The project utilizes cyber-technology in the

classroom to become linked (in real-time) with professionals throughout America and beyond in the professionals’ real- world STEM settings. The purpose of this project is to expand students’ accessibility to presenters. Using WebEx, an online video chat, students are connected to professionals (engineers, nurses, scientists, etc.) worldwide and conduct discussions regarding their professions and their impact upon our world.

Through the shared resources, teachers statewide can initiate further projects in which students will identify and share strategies for their personal involvement as stewards in the protection of our environment and in the advancement toward environmental science.Program leaders state, “Research continues to suggest that middle school students are in the process of deciding whether they like math or science, regardless of how well they perform in those classes.... Through the shared resources, teachers statewide can initiate further projects in which students will identify and share strategies for their personal involvement as stewards in the

protection of our environment and in the advancement toward environmental science.”

MOSS has developed a site that has content resources and lesson plans on water resources in a changing climate. It also includes a user-friendly interface for citizen scientists to upload data to the HIS database.

With the MOSS CyberLearning team, I focused on developing content and lesson plans for future MOSS graduate students to use at MOSS as well as content and lesson plans for middle school and high school classroom teachers. Our goal is to provide a resource for students and teachers to use to learn more about different water quality variables, what they are, why they are important, and how they can visualize or interpret the data that they collect.

McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) “MOSS and its partners foster scientific literacy, enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue through graduate and professional education, youth science programs, seminars, conferences, and leadership development initiatives.” - MOSS Website

MOSS!

The Idaho River Near Stanley, ID

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What is happening in Nevada?The purpose of the year two activities for

Nevada Climate Change and Cyberlearning Curriculum Materials Development (C4D) is to continue to develop, refine, and disseminate online materials that address Climate Change themes. Nearly 12 complete units have been created over the life span of the Nevada EPSCoR project. Each unit is populated with simulations, data sources, information, and content. These materials have also been linked to the content standards for Nevada using topics from Science and Sustainability, CCSD’s science text book. More importantly, the content addresses major themes and crosscutting concepts associated with the New Framework for Science Education. Ultimately, the approach adheres to a philosophy of Science for All. To date, data have been collected from nearly 500 diverse students across the Las Vegas valley.

The project has also expanded their efforts to support the development of curriculum modules to support a teacher professional development summer science institute. Topics included geologic time, spatial scale, and rate of change as these concepts relate to climate change.

The materials produced from the C4D help students understand complex environmental issues related to climate change through inquiry activities incorporating systems simulations. Topics addressed include predator prey relationships, population growth and resource consumption.

In all of the lessons/labs participants address a major concept presented as an inquiry question by collecting, analyzing and manipulating data. Data is collected from various sources that are integrated into the lessons/labs. Participants then produce a coherent argument pertaining to the inquiry question, discuss their argument with peers via asynchronous and synchronous web 2.0 tools.

SCAFFOLDED INQUIRY

High School Science Students In these images, students from a Biology course in Clark County School District engage in an activity about the food web. They use models, systems, and other methods to capture and discuss data. Students are supported by the CyberLearning tools at each phase of their work.

C4D: Climate Change

CyberLearning Curriculum

Development

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What is happening in New Mexico?Project GUTS (growing up thinking scientifically) has been involved

with the field of CyberLearning, specifically in using computational modeling and simulation to teach about complex systems, since its inception in 2007. The Supercomputing Challenge has offered a computational science competition in New Mexico since 1990. NM EPSCoR has been instrumental in funding and supporting Project GUTS and Supercomputing Challenge activities since 2010. With their support, we have been able to develop new curricular units, expand our reach to new locations, serve a wide-range of student populations (including young women, underrepresented groups in STEM, and

students from low-income households), and offer professional development workshops for middle and high school teachers.

Project GUTS has developed CyberLearning materials, specifically curr icular units complete with hands-on activit ies,

computational exercises, and introductory models, to be used within Project GUTS after school clubs and as foundational materials within the Supercomputing Challenge.The big ideas addressed by the Project GUTS

units are: Computational models are used by scientists to test hypotheses and develop their understanding about the

behavior of the complex systems being modeled.

In Project GUTS, the

approach we use to teach

computer programming is

to allow students to

construct on-screen

computer models in which

the concepts of agents

with behaviors and

environment are made

tangible and visible.

NM EPSCOR GUTS SUPERCOMPUTING FAST FORWARD

Learning to look at the world and ask questions, develop answers to the questions through scientific inquiry, and design solutions to their problems.

A program that promotes computational thinking in science and engineering so that the next generation of high school graduates is better prepared to compete in an information based economy.

Increase statewide broadband adoption and promote computer literacy and Internet use in rural, Hispanic, and Native American populations in order to better prepare the state’s citizens to participate in economic development and educational opportunities. 

Project GUTSand the

Supercomputing Challenge

ASPEN TEAM 13

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AgendaWednesday, January 25 (Travel Day)4:00 pm    Check-in to SEC5:30 pm    Informal gathering with liquid refreshments (provided by NM EPSCoR)6:30 pm    Dinner at SEC8:00 pm    Welcome and Introductions

Thursday, January 267:00 am    Breakfast8:00 am    Introductions, Objectives, and Agenda8:15 am    Nevada C4D Modules Interactive Session10:15 am  Break10:30 am  NM Project GUTS/Supercomputing Challenge Interactive Session12:30 pm  Lunch1:15 pm    ID MOSS HIS Portal Interactive Session (with outside data collection)   3:15 pm    Break3:30 pm    Teacher Presentations4:30 pm    Summary and Review of Guiding Questions*5:00 pm    Private time6:30 pm    Dinner7:30 pm    LiDAR movies and other visualizations (with liquid refreshments)

Friday, January 277:00 am    Breakfast and “check out” from rooms8:00 am    Revisit Guiding Questions--new insights/issues8:30 am    Open Space technology9:00 am    Working Groups (breaks as needed; no additional food)11:00 am  Report Out from Working Groups with discussion12:30 pm  Lunch 1:15 pm    Next Steps for Scaling Up, Replication, Seeking Funding2:15 pm    Evaluation and Closure3:00 pm    Everyone is gone*Each interactive session, teacher presentations, and visualization presentation would include some time for participants to record their own thoughts about these questions.

Questions to consider at the Summit1. What are the educational benefits of this program/material/module for students and/or teachers?2. What challenges must be addressed in order to implement this program/material/module in your state/district/school?3. What funding opportunities/resources might be targeted in order to scale up/disseminate this program/material/module?4. How could information about this program/material/module best be shared with others within the Consortium and beyond?

Things to Know about the SEC and Jemez SpringsLocation:Valles Caldera Science Education Center (VCSEC): http://www.vallescaldera.gov/

Summit Accommodations:The VCSEC has single and double private rooms with ensuite bathrooms. It has both wired and wireless Internet connections available. Be advised that your cell phone will probably not work on site. A landline is available for those needing to call out. There will be a microcell on site for AT&T cellular customers. Contact PG Schrader (pg.schrader@unlv.edu) in advance for information on configuration and use.

Schedule:The Summit will begin at 8 am on Thursday, January 26 and conclude by 2:30 pm on Friday, January 27. Meals will be provided.

What to Bring:Jemez Springs is located at 6,200 ft. elevation. There are 12 to 24 inches of snow on the Caldera. The VCSEC is in the valley and a little warmer, but expect cold temperatures. The average high temp in January is 48; the average low is 20. Most of the Summit activities will be held indoors, but there will be a short outdoor data collection activity.

• Please bring a laptop computer if you have one. • Bed linens, towels and soap are provided, but you must bring all

other toiletries.• Bring shoes that are appropriate for snow and walking outside.• Bring clothing appropriate to cold temperatures.

Directions from Albuquerque Sunport

Albuquerque International Sunport2200 Sunport Boulevard Southeast, Albuquerque, New Mexico - (505) 244-7700

Albuquerque International Sunport2200 Sunport Boulevard Southeast, Albuquerque, New Mexico - (505) 244-7700

Albuquerque International Sunport2200 Sunport Boulevard Southeast, Albuquerque, New Mexico - (505) 244-7700

1. Head east on Sunport Blvd SE toward Sunport Loop SE go 0.3 mi

2. Continue onto Sunport Loop SE go 0.3 mi

3. Continue onto Sunport Blvd SEAbout 2 mins go 0.9 mi

4.Merge onto I-25 N via the ramp to I-40 N/Downtown/Santa FeAbout 19 mins

go 18.4 mi

5. Take exit 242 toward US-550 N go 0.1 mi

6. Turn left onto US-550 NAbout 26 mins go 22.8 mi

7. Turn right onto NM-4 EAbout 27 mins go 18.4 mi

8.Turn left onto Villa Louis Martin DrDestination will be on the leftAbout 1 min

go 0.1 mitotal 63.4 mi

90 Villa Louis Martin Dr, Jemez Springs, NM 87025