Mapping Our School Site

Mapping Our School Site (MOSS) is a program in which students practice spatial cognition skills by field mapping and analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).  Middle school students’ spatial ability was evaluated using a Spatial Experience Survey (SES) and the revised Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT: R). other sources of data included interviews, group presentations, individual written conclusions, and mapping analyses.  Students’ problem solving identification and ability dramatically improved as they collected, evaluated, reported, and synthesized environmental data.  The MOSS program combined an out of doors experience with an indoor experience on the computer.  This was found to be an effective approach to this type of field study

Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Create a Garden Anywhere

This fact sheet is part of a series about creating sustainable school and home gardens. It provides information and resources on creating gardens anywhere, such as in containers, towers, raised beds, and forests. It also includes ideas and resources for encouraging beneficial insects and providing food and habitat for pollinators

Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Vertical Gardening

This fact sheet is part of a series about creating sustainable school and home gardens. It provides information and resources on vertical gardening, which can maximize space, increase food production, and improve plant health

Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Rain Barrels

This fact sheet is part of a series about creating sustainable school and home gardens. It provides information and resources on establishing rain barrels. When attached to a downspout, a barrel collects the rain that falls on the roof, allowing for local water use and preventing flooding or runoff pollution. The water can be used to nurture plants and animals

Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Native Bee Homes

This fact sheet is part of a series about creating sustainable school and home gardens. It provides information and resources on bee homes, including learning about bees and how to help them, how to obtain and install bee homes, fall cocoon care, fun facts, and resources

Bringing Scientific Argumentation into the Science Classroom

Argumentation is about making claims and providing justification for those claims.This presentation proposes that scientific argumentation is one way to help students to not only learn more about science, but to read and write about science, too. It discusses when and how students should students use arguments, as well as when and why scientists use arguments

The Role of Handheld Computing in Facilitating Teacher Resilience through Problem Solving

Becoming an effective teacher that thrives not only survives involves much more than finishing a licensing higher education program. This study explored problem-solving strategies that student teachers used during their internship semester to cope with professional challenges and to develop resilience. The research questions in this study included: What strategies support the development of resilience? How are teachers approaching the professional dilemmas encountered? How can handheld devices facilitate reflective problem-solving? Six student teachers from early childhood education, special education, and science education used mobile computing devices for a variety of professional and personal purposes and reflected upon and documented uses. Data was analyzed using a case study approach. Major themes included risk factors such as low self-confidence, and protective factors such as strong motivation to teach, and critical reflection skills. Mobile technology devices proved to be easy to use and very helpful in the problem solving process

Using Citizen Science to Facilitate Authentic K-12 STEM Experiences for Pollinator Conservation

The Kids in the Garden Program (UNC-Pembroke) is a grant funded summer camp and weekend program, focused on pollinator conservation. The goals of the program are to nurture minority and disadvantaged middle and high school students’ interest, enthusiasm, and identity in the sciences with out-of-doors and authentic research experiences. Robeson County in Southeastern North Carolina is rural, with food insecurity and poverty higher than the national averages. Though surrounded by agriculture, the majority of young students remain unaware of the issues facing pollinator biodiversity and the connections between food security and pollinator conservation. Our program incorporates citizen science projects to forge this connection while simultaneously encouraging young people to perceive that they, themselves, are in fact scientists, contributing to data collection and analysis for issues spanning the country and globe. We developed and maintain a pollinator garden to promote native bees comprised of over 50 beds and 100+ varieties of native and ornamental nectar and pollen plants. Additionally, we have several types of vegetables and fruit trees. Our program participates in the “Great Pumpkin Project” (North Carolina State University), “Great Sunflower Project” (San Francisco State University), and the “Crown Bees Native Bee Network” (Woodinville, Washington) using the UNCP Campus Garden and Apiary. Additionally, we plan to incorporate “Bumble Bee Watch” (Xerces Society) and potentially develop our own project in the future. To reach a wider audience of students, beyond just those enrolled in our program, we provide teacher workshops discussing pollen, pollination, and bees with a focus on discipline literacy. During these workshops we provide teachers with information about STEM citizen science projects that could be incorporated into their lesson plans. We have found that the use of citizen science projects makes science personal, and the participants feel more comfortable talking about science, data collection, and conservation to friends and family. Pollinator losses are a global concern and our program lets participants know that when thinking globally, we can act locally

The Role of Handheld Computing in Facilitating Resilience Through Problem Solving

Becoming an effective teacher that thrives not only survives involves much more than finishing a licensing higher education program. This study explored problem-solving strategies that student teachers used during their internship semester to cope with professional challenges and to develop resilience. The research questions in this study included: What strategies support the development of resilience? How are teachers approaching the professional dilemmas encountered? How can handheld devices facilitate reflective problem-solving? Six student teachers from early childhood education, special education, and science education used mobile computing devices for a variety of professional and personal purposes and reflected upon and documented uses. Data was analyzed using a case study approach. Major themes included risk factors such as low self-confidence, and protective factors such as strong motivation to teach, and critical reflection skills. Mobile technology devices proved to be easy to use and very helpful in the problem solving process