GEMS-Net Newsletter

Happy springtime and welcome to the GEMS-Net Spring 2019 newsletter!

Social media is a great way to stay connected with what's going on in our GEMS-Net community as well as collaborate and converse with other GEMS-Net teachers. If you have something to share (and trust us, you all have something fabulous), spread the word by reaching out to the GEMS-Net community online via our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages. When posting on social media remember to tag us @gemsnet on Facebook and @gemsnet10 on Twitter and Instagram. We hope you have enjoyed diving deeply into your life science courses! As always, please contact the GEMS-Net team with any questions or issues that may arise related to science materials or how we can support you in your science practice.

Best,

The GEMS-Net Team

Check out these snapshots from what's been going on!

This past month, Caroline, Zack, and Christina attended and presented at the National Science Teacher's Association Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. They held two sessions which were each well attended with great feedback from the participants. They first presented on the topic of Middle School Science Writing. The room was packed as middle and secondary teachers worked through a quick hands-on investigation before getting ready to communicate their thinking. After all, you can't write about what you don't know! Before pencil hit paper, the participants were introduced to the power of communicating with sentence frames. Caroline danced around the room with sentence strips, encouraging the teachers to speak what they intended to write and build upon the ideas of one another. By the time it came to write, the widely-shared sentence frames and ideas flowed naturally. Many participants commented on how it seemed so much simpler to write when they felt supported by not only the sentence frames but the discourse that came before the actual writing task began. Just like that, the first workshop was in the books! Write on!

The following session was scheduled for Friday evening at 5:00pm. The team didn't know what to expect. Would people show up? Why, yes they would. The team was met with a room full of eager educators from K-12 all ready to learn about Revising Models though Peer Critique and Feedback. Again, the participants engaged in a brief hands-on investigation to get them ready to model in groups the phenomenon they just explored. Once the modeling began, the participants faced the same questions some students have when creating models... Is our model "right"? Is this the correct way to show the phenomenon? Is this how the teacher wants it to look? What a great opportunity to show that models are a thinking tool used to explain how or why a phenomenon occurs. Therefore, all models require revision when new information is learned. In other words, all models are wrong but some of them are useful! :) After the teams had a moment to create their models, the feedback discourse began with one of the brave group's model to critique. The participants commented on how important it is to have a classroom culture that fosters this type of discourse. Questions were asked and participants were inspired to revise their own models by looking closely at their peers' model. The session quickly came to an end but not without more discussion and plans to connect further. The NSTA Conference is a great way for the GEMS-Net team to expand their community of practice and highlight the superb science work happening in your classrooms daily. Next year's NSTA Conference will be held on April 2-5 in Boston, MA! If you plan on attending or would like to support presenting, please contact a member of the GEMS-Net team. We hope to see you there!

These were some of the big takeaways that we shared at our 2019 NSTA sessions.

RIEEA is a network of individuals and organizations working together to promote effective environmental education throughout the state. As a way to continue increasing environmental literacy among your students, remember to look for field trips and experiences which help localize and contextualize science. Two RIEEA member organizations collaborated with the GEMS-Net team to plan and deliver an optional PD experience for our teachers. Read the article below to learn more about this engaging workshop!

Opt in to go outside! In March, GEMS-Net held an optional workshop with support from Audubon Society of Rhode Island and Roger Williams Park Zoo focusing on "Making the most of Field & Outdoor Experiences." Both informal and formal educators participated in the workshop, which was held on an early spring day at Powder Mill Ledges in Smithfield, RI. We started the day by developing shared language and goals of outdoor learning experiences by engaging in a value mapping activity. The following questions guided our discussions: “What are the benefits of field experiences?” “What makes a good field experience?” and “How can we increase collaboration between Formal and Informal Educators to create rich outdoor experiences for our students?”

Participants engaged in an outdoor field experience on the Powder Mill Ledges property led by Tracy Hall, an experienced environmental educator from Audubon Society of RI. The nature walk helped frame our reflections on the importance of purposeful learning opportunities that connect to the lives of students. Later, Andrea Stein, director of educational programs at the Zoo, introduced us to three ambassador animals, Zazu the hornbill, Sheldon the armadillo, and Vincent the rat snake! It was amazing to see the strong connections between our science lessons and these nature-based experiences. The rich conversations continued until the end of the day, which came much sooner than we expected because we were all having so much fun!

Check out what our participants, Amanda Martins and Jennifer Harrison, had to say about the day,

"I learned so much about making the most of field experiences. It was the only PD I ever went to that went by way too fast! I took away so many ideas about field experiences inside and outside the classroom. It inspired me to do research on fixing up our own outdoor classroom space and got me excited to give my students more outdoor learning experiences. I think this PD is a great opportunity for all classroom teachers to take advantage of the world around us." -Amanda Martins, Grade 1 Teacher, Levy Elementary School, Burrillville School Department

"The day was filled with intellectual and respectful conversation. It was a great opportunity for educators to have a discussion with environmental educators to share their perspectives of expectations for field explorations. The outdoor experience and animal observations were an exciting bonus to the day! I hope other educators will be able to have the same meaningful professional day as I did." -Jennifer Harrison, Kindergarten Teacher, Hamilton Elementary School, North Kingstown School Department

If you're interested in learning more about making the most of field & outdoor experiences, reach out to a GEMS-Net team member!

Take advantage of the springtime weather and head outdoors with your students! Your life science courses are full of outdoor learning opportunities. These experiences are so valuable for our students as they start making connections between the learning going on in their classroom and what's actually happening in their schoolyard. Let's hear what our students have to say about learning outdoors:

"We love to be outside and observe nature."

"You talk more often."

"I like when we go outside to see what we can find and then we come back in and talk about it on the rug."

"Writing down what we see and hear is fun."

"We could see the plants and insects waking up from winter."

"Outside IS science."

"I love outdoors because not only are you getting fresh air but you are getting to explore the outdoors. Also, you get to find cool animals and interact with the outdoors and animals."

"If I could work outside in the garden everyday at school, I would."

"I love planting things and watching them grow. It's so cool how plants come from little tiny seeds."

"I love my outdoor classroom. It's very helpful because every other class we sit in a classroom and work. I feel outside I am refreshed and I am more productive and it feels different."

"It's easier to work with more space."

"I love the fresh air and freedom from school even though we are still learning a lot."

Thanks to our students from Fishing Cove Elementary School, Matunuck Elementary School, Captain Isaac Paine Elementary School, and Exeter-West Greenwich Jr High for sharing their thoughts on outdoor learning!

The RI Teacher At Sea Program is now accepting applications for the 2019 voyage.

If you are a Rhode Island teacher and have an interest in collaborating with local educators and scientists to conduct marine science research, look to apply for URI's Teacher at Sea program. While spending three days aboard the R/V Endeavor, teachers will have the opportunity to use research instruments, conduct experiments, and learn research techniques. Last year's voyage was well attended by members of the GEMS-Net community. Three of our Teacher Leaders--Beth Brocato, Pat Lapierre, and Bernadette Durkin--participated in the program last summer. Here's a glimpse into their experience aboard the R/V Endeavor:

"I got to experience science research on a real ship, with an amazing crew, conducting challenging science experiments, with a group of amazing teachers. Definitely an experience that I will never forget. Honestly, I could have spent three more weeks out in the ocean. I highly recommend this PD to all teachers. It's the best. Thank you Rhode Island Teachers at Sea for giving me the opportunity to be part of this exciting endeavor! " - Bernadette Durkin, Media/STEM Teacher, Community School, Cumberland School Department

"It felt like the first day of school again for me. It doesn't matter the age. You get a renewed sense of energy, invigorated with excitement to teach, to tell others about everything you've just learned. You want this feeling to be contagious. For everyone to be as excited as you to learn about our environment, our world, our home. You want them to care about it as deeply as you, as deep as the deep blue sea." - Pat Lapierre, Burrillville Middle School, Burrillville School Department

If you are interested in participating in this exciting opportunity be sure to check out the flyer below and visit the following link to apply: 2019 RITAS Information. Don't forget the application deadline is June 17, 2019.

Join a team of volunteer naturalists during the 2019 RI BioBlitz with a goal of documenting the biodiversity of Roger Williams Park in Providence, RI. This 24-hour event will run from 2:00 pm on May 31 to 2:00 pm on June 1. Sign up for a few hours or all 24! Volunteers must be preregistered for the BioBlitz prior to the event. For more information and to learn about the preregistration process click on the following link: 2019 BioBlitz Information

The global campaign called Outdoor Classroom Day is holding its 2018-19 event on Thursday, May 23rd. The goal of this campaign is to promote the benefits of an outdoor learning environment and encourage teachers to take student learning outside. We know many of you are finding great opportunities to connect the learning in your classrooms with the outdoors. Participating in the event would be a great way to showcase this work or support your school's teachers in starting the process.

To learn more about the campaign and find out how to sign up visit the following link:

Outdoor Classroom Day Info.

The Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS) Project has produced two interactive, electronic books (eBooks) that are available for FREE download through the iTunes store (for macOS, iPad, and iPhone).

To view sample pages and access the books via an iTunes link, please visit: www.dosits.org/book/.

Discovery of Sound in the Sea Book I: Importance of Sound in the Sea focuses on sound in the ocean, both natural and human produced, and contains DOSITS content on topics related to marine animal sound production and reception and use of sound, along with a chapter on the potential effects of human produced sounds on marine animals. Discovery of Sound in the Sea Book II: Science of Underwater Sound focuses on the fundamental science of underwater sound, sound movement, and sound measurement, as well as advanced scientific content.

Both interactive books contain high-resolution imagery, videos, and sound files. The content in these books is based on the DOSITS project, including its website (www.dosits.org). DOSITS content is based on well-understood scientific principles, peer-reviewed literature, and high-quality sources of scientific data. Independent underwater acoustics experts have reviewed all of the books’ content. Several topics in these books are areas of active scientific research; new information will be integrated into each eBook as peer-reviewed publications become available.

Questions? Please contact Holly Morin, holly_morin@uri.edu.

Email: gemsnet@etal.uri.edu
Website: https://web.uri.edu/gemsnet/
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