Welcome to the 15 minute sampler of the material  of the proposed project:  “The Effective Use of Web-Based Scientific Resources in Teaching and Teacher Training: A Collaborative Pilot Program Using Real Data Sets to Explore Oceanography and Global Environmental Change.”

An annotated description of these supplementary materials keyed to the proposal are here on a separate page.

The broad problem addressed in our proposal is determining how educators can most effectively use the scientific resources available via the World Wide Web (WWW) in their curriculum development and teaching. The availability of real scientific data via the WWW affords a unique opportunity for educators to teach science in authentic and engaging ways.

We proposed to address this broad issue by conducting a specific collaborative pilot study that links scientists and data at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) with prospective science teachers in the College of Education at Florida International University (FIU). This link will be mediated via an existing virtual campus operated by the College of Exploration (TCOE).

What follows is our response to the NSF call for sample electronic media to supplement our proposed project. We focus our demonstration on:
1.  A mock-up of the virtual campus available via TCOE, including a sample on-line dialogue between teachers and BBSR scientists, 2. an introduction to the BATS data sets at BBSR, and 3. a sample lesson plan that illustrates the types of lesson plans that we envision the prospective teachers at FIU will create for their students. 

To demonstrate the lessons and information on BATS data and the virtual campus of the College of Exploration for this project we have created a tour of the virtual research station. This virtual research station is modeled on the real Bermuda Biological Station for Research.

This tour is intended to capture a sample of the experiences that students will have upon entering the virtual campus and the places they visit to complete their lesson plans. It will move sequentially through the web pages.  The web pages are representative of real places at BBSR.  Only a few areas are fully operational at this stage.  This has been created for you to see what it will look like.  A sample of the main course materials are delivered and discussed in the BATS Data Lab..

To show how the environment works we will take you on a virtual tour. Your tour is marked with this sign:

 peter@tmn.com August 17, 1997

(The NSF button will be replaced in the funded project with signs for different groups (teachers, teachers in training, students in different age groups) to follow as they work in the virtual research station and on the virtual campus of the College of Exploration)