Stakeholders\u27 Input on 4-H Science and Technology Program Areas: An Exploratory Study

In an effort to prepare youth for the 21st century workplace, 4-H has placed an emphasis in science and technology program areas. The purpose of the exploratory study reported here was to gather input via a mail survey from 4-H families concerning the development of new science and technology programs. The results of the survey were themed into six main areas: technology, agriculture, science, implementation ideas, self-efficacy, and miscellaneous. Moreover, the results of the survey indicated that new programs should be connected to traditional program areas especially agriculture

Using Robotics as an Educational Tool in 4-H

Although America is the world leader in science and technology innovation, the educational system is not preparing enough science and technology workers to maintain leadership. In an effort to prepare youth for the 21st century, Nebraska 4-H conducted a 2-day workshop using robotics to teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts. A subsequent competition was held at the State Fair to debut robots to the community. The competition was popular with fair-goers and let youth experiment with their robot designs and programming. To engage more youth, Nebraska will pilot the 4-H CCS curriculum and expand the State Fair competition

The 4-H Computer Refurbishing Program: An Implementation Model

The 4-H Computer Refurbishing Program was implemented as a service learning project for the 2006 National 4-H Technology and Leadership Conference. The specific goals of the program were to decrease the number of computers discarded each year and provide 21st century job skills to youth. The program was introduced as a model 4-H\u27ers could take back to their communities to start their own refurbishing efforts. The model is comprised of the following three steps: 1) program planning, 2) inventory management, and 3) technology training

A New Model of 4-H Volunteer Development in Science, Engineering, and Technology Programs

New initiatives centered on science, engineering, and technology (SET) in 4-H may be moving away from the long-established adult volunteer delivery model. This shift in delivery may be due to a lack of availability of adult volunteers who possess the necessary SET competencies to effectively lead 4-H clubs. One way to offset this trend may be to blend traditional face-to-face training with continuous training efforts that include asynchronous on-line training modules, synchronous Web-based meetings, and self-directed learning. This new 4-H SET Volunteer Competencies Training Model is being tested in the Nebraska 4-H Robotics and GPS/GIS program

Examining 4-H Robotics and Geospatial Technologies in the Learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Topics

The study reported here investigated the use of educational robotics, paired with GPS and GIS geospatial technologies, as a context for learning selected concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics within a 4-H camp setting. The study involved 38 students between the ages of 11 to 15. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used in the study, with a 29-question multiple-choice instrument targeting various academic topics. The results of the study suggest that the 4-H robotics and geospatial summer camp program is a promising approach for supporting STEM-related learning, as represented by a significant increase of means from pretest to posttest

A New Model of 4-H Volunteer Development in Science, Engineering, and Technology Programs

New initiatives centered on science, engineering, and technology (SET) in 4-H may be moving away from the long-established adult volunteer delivery model. This shift in delivery may be due to a lack of availability of adult volunteers who possess the necessary SET competencies to effectively lead 4-H clubs. One way to offset this trend may be to blend traditional face-to-face training with continuous training efforts that include asynchronous on-line training modules, synchronous Web-based meetings, and self-directed learning. This new 4-H SET Volunteer Competencies Training Model is being tested in the Nebraska 4-H Robotics and GPS/GIS program

Bridging Formal and Informal Learning Environments

Out-of-school time programs that provide science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational content are promising approaches to develop skills and abilities in students. These programs may potentially inspire students with engaging hands-on, minds-on activities that encourages their natural curiosity around STEM content areas. However, it is also important to align out-of-school time learning activities with what is being taught in the formal classroom so that the experiences are congruent. Two examples of congruent programs are described in this article

Geometry and electronic structure of iridium adsorbed on graphene

We report investigation of the geometry and electronic structure of iridium atoms adsorbed onto graphene through a combined experimental and theoretical study. Ir atoms were deposited onto a flake of graphene on a Pt(111) surface and found to form clusters even at low temperatures. The areal density of the observed clusters on the graphene flake suggests the clusters are most likely pairs of Ir atoms. Theoretical ab initio density functional (DFT) calculations indicate that these Ir dimers are oriented horizontally, near neighboring "bridge" sites of the graphene lattice, as this configuration has the strongest adsorption energy of all high-symmetry configurations for the Ir dimer. A large peak in the local density of states (LDOS) at the Dirac point energy was measured via scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and this result is reproduced by a DFT calculation of the LDOS. The peak at the Dirac point energy is found to be from the Ir s and p states. The LDOS in the monomer case was also calculated, and is found to significantly differ from the experimentally determined data, further supporting the hypothesis of low-temperature clustering

Examining 4-H Robotics in the Learning of Science, Engineering and Technology Topics and the Related Student Attitudes

Youths’ natural fascination and identification with robots make them an ideal teaching and learning platform. Robots would seem to be excellent hands-on tools to teach science, engineering and technology (SET) concepts. However, while research supports their use to increase interest and motivation, the effectiveness of robots to directly teach science, engineering, and technology concepts is less clear. The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of a 4-H robotics program to support the learning of specific SET concepts and to examine related student attitudes towards science. This study compared the pretest and posttest scores on an assessment of basic SET concepts and attitudes of youth who participated in the 4-H robotics intervention with the scores of youth in a control group. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) results revealed that youth in the robotics intervention scored better on a SET concepts posttest. Student attitudes toward science were also investigated. The results suggested that educational robotics can engage youth in activities that support their learning of SET topics, but that it may have more limited impact on general student attitudes towards science, as measured by the study\u27s attitudinal instrument

Irrigation Water Loss and Recovery in Utah

When deciding which irrigation systems to adopt, permit, or promote, it is important to consider how their efficiency and losses affect the water balance of Utah’s watersheds and drainage basins. Irrigators have no control over precipitation and only limited control of surface waters entering and leaving the state, as most of those are controlled by legal agreements. However, Utah’s water managers, elected officials, and water users can consider how surface water flows and groundwater storage is affected by using more efficient irrigation systems. Sprinkler, surface, or drip irrigation systems each have trade-offs in irrigation application efficiency, cost, and other factors. To make comparisons between systems, this fact sheet will define irrigation application efficiency, describe the destinations of irrigation water losses, and discuss how the fraction of recoverable water losses differ for various irrigation delivery systems and what that means for the overall water balance in Utah