Hector Ibarra,* Ray Wolf, + James Meyer/ and Joseph Mlodzik*

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educational affairs DataStreme: Weather Education from the AMS to the Classroom Hector Ibarra,* Ray Wolf, + James Meyer/ and Joseph Mlodzik* ABSTRACT The American Meteorological Society's DataStreme

1 educational affairs DataStreme: Weather Education from the AMS to the Classroom Hector Ibarra,* Ray Wolf, + James Meyer/ and Joseph Mlodzik* ABSTRACT The American Meteorological Society's DataStreme Project is a Society effort to educate K-12 teachers in meteorology. The course utilizes a combination of printed material, Web-based information, and real-time meteorological data in a distance learning format. Learning is facilitated by a Local Implementation Team (LIT). The following paper discusses the program from the perspective of the eastern Iowa LIT. 1. Introduction "Ring around the moon, rain or snow soon." This weather proverb and others often are an individual's first introduction to "forecasting" the weather. Many people are interested in weather but do not understand either the science or the process of developing a television broadcast or issuing forecasts and warnings. American Meteorological Society (AMS) members who are interested in opportunities to share information about their roles, careers, and professional knowledge with teachers now have an additional venue available to them. The DataStreme Project, a National Science Foundation grant, provides members with a unique opportunity to interact with teachers. AMS professionals can offer their insight into the science of weather, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how they produce forecasts, warnings, and television broadcasts. In turn, thousands of K-12 students in classrooms across the United States are now exposed to information never before available to them. The DataStreme Project is an effort by the AMS to educate K-12 teachers in meteorology in a distance learning format via the Internet. Teachers learn basic *West Branch Middle School, West Branch, Iowa. +NOAA/National Weather Service, Davenport, Iowa. #KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Corresponding author address: Mr. Raymond A. Wolf, National Weather Service, 9050 Harrison St., Davenport, IA ray.wolf@noaa.gov In final form 12 May meteorological theory from a textbook and then complete Internet-based lessons focusing on the application of the theory to real-time weather data. Successful completion of the course earns teachers three semester hours of graduate credit in real-time weather studies from the State University of New York at Brockport. Most importantly, teachers learn the fundamentals of meteorology while developing skills for acting as their school, district, and community weather education resource teacher. DataStreme graduates are on the leading edge of applying scientific concepts in the classroom utilizing the power of today's meteorological and communication technology. DataStreme is facilitated at the local level by a Local Implementation Team (LIT). The team typically is headed by an AMS atmospheric education resource agent (AERA) and is composed of professional meteorologists from any of the following areas: the National Weather Service (NWS), college atmospheric science faculty, AMS broadcast seal holders, or AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologists. AERAs organize the LIT and, together with other team members, select teachers to participate in the course. In the case of the eastern Iowa LIT, the AERA in eastern Iowa developed a team in 1996 composed of two NWS employees and a television broadcast meteorologist. The LIT guides teacher participants through a 13- week course in the basics of meteorology. Each LIT member mentors two or three teachers. Mentoring involves evaluating and providing feedback on the teachers' weekly lessons, assisting them in developing an understanding of the course content (Fig. 1), and pro- Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 1881

FIG. 1. LIT member J. Meyer of the National Weather Service explains the pressure blocks concept to teacher participant L. Martin. viding a final evaluation of the teachers' accomplishments.

The first two meetings are organizational and serve to assist teachers in preparing for the course.

2 FIG. 1. LIT member J. Meyer of the National Weather Service explains the pressure blocks concept to teacher participant L. Martin. viding a final evaluation of the teachers' accomplishments. The mentor serves as the critical human element in the distance learning format. Usually four meetings are held during the semester. The first two meetings are organizational and serve to assist teachers in preparing for the course. A precourse test is given at one of the first two meetings to compare to a postcourse test given at the final meeting. A course evaluation is also completed by the teachers at the final meeting. The third meeting is a midterm review and the final meeting is graduation. Additionally, the meetings are used to tour facilities such as NWS offices, television stations, and university teaching and research facilities. Also, the meetings provide an opportunity to develop relationships that ensure a successful and beneficial experience in the course. Frequently the relationships lead to mutually beneficial continuing contacts after the course has been completed. Since the fall of 1996, 89 LITs from 42 states have participated in DataStreme (see Figs. 2a-c). Through six semesters of national implementation, around 3200 teachers have successfully completed the course. This paper describes the experiences of the DataStreme Local Implementation Team in eastern Iowa during the spring 1999 semester. 2. N W S perspective The first and second group meetings of the eastern Iowa LIT DataStreme session were held at the NWS office in Davenport, Iowa. The meetings pro1882 vided a course orientation and tour of the NWS facility. Teachers learned about the technology, science, and methodologies involved in meteorological and hydrological data collection and in forecast and warning preparation. The role of computer technology in integrating myriad atmospheric datasets to understand atmospheric processes and, thus, to forecast the weather, was demonstrated using the new Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System workstation. Participants were introduced to the Automated Surface Observing System and participated in the launch of a weather balloon (Fig. 3). WSR-88D Doppler radar operation was illustrated, highlighting severe weather and hydrologic operations. A hands-on experience on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio (NWR) allowed teachers to record broadcasts and learn firsthand the role of NWR in the dissemination of critical warnings and forecasts. Many NWS offices have developed Web sites. Teachers were shown how data and forecasts on the NWS Quad Cities Web site can be applied both in a classroom setting and in school operations that involve a need to know current and forecast weather conditions. For example, outdoor school activities can be impacted by frigid wind chills. Hourly weather observations available on the Web site provide the current wind chill factor during the winter, and an informed decision to cancel recess can be made with that information. Severe weather poses a safety concern, and winter storms pose a travel hazard. Both threats can be evaluated based on forecasts and outlooks available on the Web site. Finally, topical items, such as El Nino, La Nina, and local severe weather events, were presented to the teachers followed by a question and answer session. The meetings concluded with dinner at a local restaurant; this provided time to discuss the course and other topics in an informal setting, and to develop relationships among the LIT members and the teacher participants. Although completing only its third year, the DataStreme program already has provided the basis of a long-term relationship between the NWS staff and participants. Several teachers and their students have toured the office, and a few teachers and students have even participated as job shadows. This interaction helps bridge the gap between "classroom" science and "real world" application in a tangible way for teachers and students. Visits can serve as a catalyst for a student's choice of meteorology or any science field as a career, or just serve to broaden and enrich a student's education. The primary mission of the NWS is the Vol. 80, No. 9, September7999

FIG. 2. (a) Location of LITs active in the spring of 1998. The large X denotes the location of the eastern Iowa LIT. (b) Location of participating NWS offices in the spring of 1998.

3 FIG. 2. (a) Location of LITs active in the spring of The large X denotes the location of the eastern Iowa LIT. (b) Location of participating NWS offices in the spring of The large square denotes the location of the NWS office in Davenport, IA, a participant in the eastern Iowa LIT. (c) Location of participating broadcast meteorologists in the spring of The "+" denotes the location of KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, IA, a participant in the eastern Iowa LIT. protection of life and property. By educating teachers who educate scores of students year after year, the NWS can reach and educate a much broader segment of the public concerning weather safety issues. NWS offices have experienced, during their modernization, changes in their county warning and forecast areas. The Quad Cities office's LIT participation helped to forge a new relationship with a media customer from one of the recently added service areas. This supports a strong public-private partnership, which results in better service for the general public. the computer for each teacher while offering a view of the similarities and differences between data collection, analysis, and display at both a public and private facility. In addition, teachers watched a live news broadcast to see how news and weather broadcasts are produced. Afterward, each teacher taped a mock 3. Media perspective The third group meeting was held at the KCRG- TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, studios where LIT members and teachers toured the station. The teachers spent a considerable amount of time in the weather lab (Fig. 4), where they saw how NWS data arrives and how computers are used to manipulate and graphically enhance the data before public dissemination. This session provided additional hands-on experience with FIG. 3. Teacher participants and LIT members at a rawinsonde balloon shelter shortly before launch. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 1903

FIG. 5. Teacher participant R. Varney presents his mock FIG. 4. LIT member J. Mlodzik of KCRG-TV describes the weather forecast on the chroma key at KCRG-TV. station's weather lab.

With a broadened perspective on the meteorological industry, teachers gained an understanding of the skills and responsibilities required in a broadcasting career, and can share that knowledge with

Involvement in the DataStreme Project provides opportunities for KCRG staff to meet more people in the community and to gain faithful viewers.

4 FIG. 5. Teacher participant R. Varney presents his mock FIG. 4. LIT member J. Mlodzik of KCRG-TV describes the weather forecast on the chroma key at KCRG-TV. station's weather lab. weather broadcast, a copy of which was made available for sharing with their students (Fig. 5). With a broadened perspective on the meteorological industry, teachers gained an understanding of the skills and responsibilities required in a broadcasting career, and can share that knowledge with their students. The television meteorologist and the station benefit as communication pathways open up between the station and teachers, and the station and the NWS. Involvement in the DataStreme Project provides opportunities for KCRG staff to meet more people in the community and to gain faithful viewers. This partnership provides the chance for teachers and students to attend future live telecasts and for KCRG staff to serve as guest speakers at the participants' schools. 4. Classroom benefits The final meeting is graduation and focuses on the teachers' plans of action and a course evaluation and survey. The plan of action is an outline detailing activities that the teacher will introduce to their classroom as a result of their participation in DataStreme. The plan varies from teacher to teacher and depends on a couple of factors, for example, grade level(s) taught and the current science curriculum. Some participants have used their newly acquired knowledge to develop and introduce a weather curriculum in their classrooms. With their enhanced understanding of the Internet, many teachers have explored meteorological concepts with students using real-time weather information. For example, real-time national temperature maps have been analyzed by students to 1882 develop analysis skills and an understanding of warm fronts, cold fronts, and air masses. This takes the topic of weather from "textbook" learning to real-life application. Some teachers have developed cross-curricula, interdisciplinary units that help students see a connection between subjects. Students learn observational skills by collecting daily maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall, and by observing cloud types (Fig. 6). Math skills are taught using this temperature or rainfall data to develop charts and graphs illuminating the changes evident as weather systems migrate across the region. Computer and Internet search skills are taught by having students utilize Web sites to gather and analyze weather data. One teacher worked with students to develop a Web site to display the school's daily observations plus links to useful weather sites. Communication skills are practiced by allowing students to present their forecasts developed by applying learned meteorological concepts. Weather and climate can be an important component of any environmental science curriculum and have even been studied from the perspective of the influences on cultural development. 5. Summary Teachers have expanded their meteorological and Internet knowledge through involvement in the DataStreme program. This is apparent to the eastern Iowa LIT through our interactions with teachers, but also has been documented by precourse and postcourse surveys that evaluate the teachers' level of content Vol. 80, No. 9, September7999

FIG. 6. Students at West Branch Middle School in West Branch, I A, gather their daily weather information. understanding, and two postcourse evaluations completed by the teachers (Weinbeck et al.

5 FIG. 6. Students at West Branch Middle School in West Branch, I A, gather their daily weather information. understanding, and two postcourse evaluations completed by the teachers (Weinbeck et al. 1999). The first evaluation is completed immediately after graduation, and the second is completed after at least one semester of teaching after graduation. Teachers have incorporated their knowledge at the classroom level in a number of different ways, including developing new curricula with a component in meteorology, developing lessons that are cross-curricular and interdisciplinary, and teaching students observation and analysis skills. Teachers earn college credit, receive enrichment materials (NOAA weather radio, weather books and weather activities), and interact with a wide network of professionals consisting of fellow classroom teachers, NWS personnel, media specialists, university professors, and others. These new associates remain available to assist teachers in continuing enrichment efforts. The ultimate goal of providing a more viable and higher quality science education to students is easily achievable through the active participation and application of the benefits from the DataStreme Project. Acknowledgments. Funding for DataStreme is provided by the National Science Foundation under Grant ESI The Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training of the University Center for Atmospheric Research furnishes access to meteorological data and course learning material via its Internet servers. Courses are offered in the fall and spring. For more information on DataStreme, visit the AMS Web site at dstreme and click on the "K-12 teachers'" icon. References Weinbeck, R. S., I. W. Geer, E. J. Hopkins, J. M. Moran, and B. A. Blair, 1999: The DataStreme Project: K-12 teacher enhancement through distance learning. Preprints, Eighth Symp. on Education, Dallas, TX, Amer. Meteor. Soc., K 4 r\ Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 1881

HISTORICAL ESSAYS ON METEOROLOGY, 1919-1995 The Diamond Anniversary History Volume of the American Meteorological Society Edited by James Rodger Fleming Foreword by Warren M.

6 HISTORICAL ESSAYS ON METEOROLOGY, The Diamond Anniversary History Volume of the American Meteorological Society Edited by James Rodger Fleming Foreword by Warren M. Washington As part of its 75th Anniversary, the American Meteorological Society initiated a history book a collection of 20 essays that chronicle achievements in the field of meteorology in many specialized areas, including basic and applied research, the private sector, and education. These essays celebrate a period of disciplinary formation and remarkable growth in the field of meteorology, and an era of expanding theoretical, observational, and institutional horizons. They constitute a sampling of what has been learned, where we stand, and where we might be going in research, in education, and in the private sector. This is a book of meteorological discovery and innovation, designed to value the past in order to inspire the future American Meteorological Society. Hardcover, B&W, 618 pp., $60 list/$25 member (including shipping and handling). Please send prepaid orders to: Order Department, American Meteorological Society, 45 Beacon St., Boston, MA Vol. 80, No. 9, September7999

Final Report. Geoscience Education and Outreach of Weather in New York using the DOW at Hobart & William Smith Colleges II (GEO-WIND-HWS-II) Project

Final Report. Geoscience Education and Outreach of Weather in New York using the DOW at Hobart & William Smith Colleges II (GEO-WIND-HWS-II) Project Final Report Geoscience Education and Outreach of Weather in New York using the DOW at Hobart & William Smith Colleges II (GEO-WIND-HWS-II) Project Neil Laird (laird@hws.edu) and Nicholas Metz (nmetz@hws.edu)