Climate Change

Today's class had three parts: Introduction to Climate Change by Dr. Shepherdson (spelling ?, I will call him Dr. S in this document), Smith & Ragan Chapters, and ArtSmart Project discussions.

1. Climate Change:

This is an NSF funded project. It is currently text-based (paper-and-pencil and PDF) instructional materials to teach climate change related issues in the teacher-led classroom environment. It is used for teaching individual students or a group of students with the teacher guidance. Target students are 9th and 10th graders and possibly 11th too. The project wants to create an instructional program that facilitates students' inquiry-based learning. It synthesizes a variety of data that are from personal actions and facts during a span of 100 years and also from the Midwest and the West Coast. There are three types of activities: Interpretation and visualization, extensive texts, and another (?) that I could not catch and write down. The role of the materials is a supplement for classes rather than core part of the curriculum. Related subjects areas are Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, and maybe Chemistry.

WE (EDCI 572) are asked to work on the development (editing, alignment of the 'macro' flow, etc.; we can give them feedback on the content, too; layout change is totally acceptable) based on their text-based materials. So, we don't have to worry about the content. More specifically, we probably want to create templates for the four modules:
-Green house gases (6 activities)
-Severe whether events (3-4): tornades, etc.
-Ecological impact (3-4): polar bears, arctic wild animals, etc.
-Natural events (3-4): sun spots and molancovich (?), etc. that inpact climate.
(Activities can be 1-2 hour; module could be for 2 weeks for class time, case study can be longer)
At this point, we will create Word documents to send them so they can see).
(Another idea is that we can create templates for different types of activities, for example, templates for case studies. lesson plans, and exercises to be able to "look and feel" those activities.)

Now, I would like to discuss my EDCI 590 topic, Service-Learning Design:
-This is not as "service-learning like" as our ArtSmart project. For ArtSmart, we have direct communications with the client (basically the Museum); but for Climate Change, we have Dr. S, not the client (teachers and students). Dr. S. is the provider of the service and we are part of his project.
-The method of communication is that we direct questions to Dr. Schaffer and he will send questions to Dr. S. (We don't have Wiki.)

2. Smith & Ragan Chapters
I will not document this part since this is about EDCI 572 issues solely for their learning of the textbook chapters.

3. ArtSmart Discussion:
This is mainly conducted by the students without Dr. Schaffer's guidance, and the notes have been taken and uploaded in the course Wiki.

As for Service-Learning aspects of the discussion, there were a few points to be considered:
-We are not really "volunteering" for ArtSmart. We are working collaboratively with the client and the Client are working collaboratively with us.
-Dr. S. said they can "recognize" EDCI 660 or its students as developers when the program is completed (after I asked him if it is possible for us to be recognized).
-Sense of civic resopnsibility is something that the learner can learn after interpreting or understanding the meaning of his/her experience with the community. If a student has a negative experience, the teacheer and he have to get some meaningful sense out of it.

Shigetake