WeatherBlur

Island Institute, Rockland ME

Investigators

Abstract

WeatherBlur is a two-year Track 1 project that advances public earth system science literacy, enables a dialogue between stakeholders, and promotes the development of a future geosciences workforce. Building upon a proven model for teacher professional development and K-8 student engagement, WeatherBlur designs, develops, and evaluates the effectiveness of a framework for earth science learning across the continuum from child to adult. The project centers on the creation of a non-hierarchical, place-based, learning community model to influence all learners' earth systems science literacy and overall science identity. Weather Blur incorporates online and community engagement learning methods in eight rural, natural-resource dependent coastal communities. K-8 students, teachers, parents, fishermen, and other community members from six communities in Maine, and two communities from other coastal regions of the United States, interact with active researchers in a learning community of 100 participants, including at least 50 students and teachers. The focus is specifically on two STEM topic areas of strong community interest: coastal geomorphology and historical weather and climate patterns in participants' regions. Participants engage with each other in person and online by uploading and sharing weather data, photos, and video, and analyzing and discussing their results via blog, wiki, graph, and map formats. WeatherBlur leverages students' facility with technology and community interest in a STEM topic - in this case, weather and its impact on their lives - to bring together a diverse group of learners in a highly interactive online learning community. Through this learning community, scientists, teachers, grades K-8 students, parents, and fishermen actively engage with each other and learn from one another.