SIFT and TERF

Fall SIFT Meeting

2011-09-26T13:30:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, September 24 a group of 31 SIFTers made their way back to Shaw Nature Reserve for an eclectic mix of activities. Since this was the first meeting at SNR that involved large numbers of SIFTers from each of the three summer sessions, the day began with a small activity designed to help everyone get acquainted.

Next, everyone was divided into one of three groups and the remainder of the morning was spent examining a single habitat. One group studied a tallgrass prairie, another explored a glade, and the last a forest. Every participant had visited all three habitats during the June SIFT sessions. Their task on Saturday was to compare and contrast the current look of their assigned habitat with the way it appeared in June. Specifically, they were asked to note phenological changes in their habitat. After spending about an hour outside, the groups returned to the Assembly Building where each one was asked to create a short presentation on the changes that they had observed.

After lunch, The SIFTers remained in the same groups for their afternoon sessions. Each of the three groups participated in 2 out of the 3 following activities:

1) monarch butterfly tagging
2) grasshopper netting and identification
3) medicinal plants & how to make cordage

Only two monarchs were caught and tagged on Saturday, but there is no doubt that their fall migration is in full swing. A different group of students was able to tag 50 only 4 days later. Apparently, it's all about the weather...

The grasshopper groups netted and identified as many of the insects as they could find. Based on what the students said afterwards, this was an entertaining and informative session. Luckily, there was a decent variety of grasshoppers to be found.

The medicinal plant/cordage groups learned about plants that can alleviate various skin ailments like rashes, bites, stings, scrapes, and even exposure to poison ivy. In addition, they learned how to transform cattail leaves into cordage (a simple type of rope).

Overall, it was a good meeting and SNR's staff was pleased with the turnout. Many high school students tend to have a lot going on during weekends in the fall, so it was nice to see so many SIFTers finding time in their busy schedules to attend. Thanks SIFTers for another great meeting!

SIFT GIS Training at WU

2011-08-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

On Friday, August 5, many SIFTers participated in geographical information system (GIS) training at the Washington University Danforth Campus. Two 3-hour training sessions were taught by Deanna Lawlor from the Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, with support from a LREC intern and SIFT instructor Stephen Bean.

In her own words - TERFer Garima Thakkar

2011-08-02T14:06:00.003-05:00

Participating in SIFT & TERF were probably some of the best decisions of my life. I've gained so much insight and knowledge into the scientific world - even I'm surprised at how much I know.

Before I started SIFT last year, I still hadn’t fully hit my I-love-the-environment phase and was kind of skeptical about it. I was soon intrigued by all the various activities we performed. Like making up our own dichotomous key for plants, or helping James Trager with his fascinating ant study. During this time I was starting to let go of my fear of nature and just let myself go with the flow. Overall, the SIFT program was a great experience to slowly and carefully expose me to the natural world.

This summer working at Tyson was an amazing experience! I really enjoyed the TERF program and one of the greatest things about working in a wonderful place like Tyson is all the different kinds of people you get to interact with. On your teams you are usually paired up with a post-doc, undergraduate, graduate student, and other high school students. Working on the same team almost everyday, not only helps you understand each other very well, but also creates a close-knit bond between everyone. Regardless, everyone at Tyson is super friendly and very happy to include each other in their activities. It’s such a wonderful atmosphere to work in!

Most importantly, you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride after you’re completed the TERF summer internship. I can proudly say that I’ve been pushed past my boundaries, introduced to new ideas I’d never even considered, and learned so many new things about this incredible environment that we are all a part of. Also, after completing how many summer jobs can you boast about having 537 chigger bites and still surviving? Not a lot. In the end, this program has really had a big impact on my life and I’m so very glad to be a part of my big, wonderful family at Tyson.

The SIFT & TERF programs have increased my awareness for the dangers/destruction that occurs to our environment on a daily basis. Also, they've shown me a different angle of science that I'd never seen before. Before entering into these programs, I had a very vague, stereotypical idea of what science was. Before, when I heard the word science or thought of a scientist, I always pictured a group of people wearing their white coats, holding their multi-colored test tubes and working away in their laboratory. Now that very word holds a very special meaning to me. Now, to me, a scientist can be anyone who has the curiosity to conduct research, strength to withstand possible failures, determination to continue forward, and the courage to never give up! :)

Butterfly Survey & MO Stream Team

2011-08-01T09:00:00.005-05:00

It was another blazing hot day for a small group of 2011 SIFTers who visited the reserve on Tuesday, July 26. The morning was spent netting and identifying butterflies. Nearly 90 were identified in the course of a couple of hours. (Good work!) The following is a list of what was found:

1 Giant Swallowtail
6 Pipevine Swallowtails
10+ Spicebush Swallowtails
10+ Tiger Swallowtails
4 Zebra Swallowtails
1 Checkered White
8 Cloudless Sulphurs
2 Little Yellows
1 Eastern-tailed Blue
3 Buckeyes
2 Great Spangled Fritillary
6 Hackberry Butterflies
2 Red-spotted Purples
7 Silvery Checkerspots
10+ Silver-spotted Skippers
1 Southern Cloudy Wing
1 Eastern Dun Skipper
1 Roadside Skipper
1 Tawny-edged Skipper
2 Zabulon Skipper

And now for something completely different...

The afternoon was spent down at the Meramec River doing biotic and abiotic testing. Upon completing the testing, the SIFTers were happy to return to the education office and its air conditioning. The remainder of the afternoon was spent entering the data from the Meramec into the Missouri Stream Team website. One exciting find from the biotic testing was a dragonhunter nymph. The dragonhunter is a type of dragonfly that will prey upon other dragonflies, so it must be a pretty tenacious critter. It's a somewhat rare find around here and stirred Dr. Trager's interest enough to earn a spot on bugguide.net. To see his photo of the dragonhunter captured that day visit http://bugguide.net/node/view/553399 (or look below). It might be hard to recognize in a two dimensional photo, but its abdomen is much flatter and more rounded than most dragonfly nymphs. For anyone who has seen quite a few of the other dragonfly nymphs common at SNR, this is a very unique looking creature.

In her own words - TERFer Alicia McCabe

2011-07-29T09:58:00.004-05:00

SIFT and TERF became so much more to me than just a summer job or a camp for me. Before SIFT and TERF, I wasn’t as interested in science as I am now; SIFT and TERF completely opened my eyes to science and sparked the passion I now have today.

SIFT and TERF, I can honestly say, were some of the greatest programs I have ever done, and they offered me some of the best experiences possible. SIFT and TERF went beyond most programs as they allowed me to do the actual hands-on work and gain personal experience.

The knowledge and experience I’ve gained through these programs even surprises people sometimes – it’s valuable. It’s more than just learning about what field biology or ecology is, it’s actually going out and doing what people who have made this their career do, and doing it alongside them to learn even more. And, even if I don’t go into field biology or ecology specifically, these programs have given me many opportunities and inspired me to only pursue science even more.

I’ve been challenged, pushed, inspired, taught, and have had so much fun in the process; it’s helped me find where my interests are. It’s helped me come to the realization that science is my passion and the future career field I hope to pursue.

Besides just the science aspect of these programs, they’ve also also helped me find and form long lasting friendships as I’ve become even best friends with some of the people I met over a year ago, specifically in SIFT. And for these reasons, I TRULY hope these programs continue so that others can also experience and find a passion within science as I have.

Setting up new aquatic community research with Dr. Simon Hart

2011-07-25T14:26:00.005-05:00

We have had many TERFers help with aquatic community research projects over the past few years, but this year we had the opportunity to get both SIFTers and TERFers up to their shoulders in new experimental tanks at Tyson!

Post-doctoral researcher Dr. Simon Hart is studying aquatic-plant community assembly in habitats of different sizes. To do this, he is artificially colonizing 112 ponds of varying sizes with 20 or so species of plants collected from ponds at Tyson and Shaw. During the first week of July, Simon had SIFTer and TERFer assistance getting the plants put into the experimental ponds. Helping with this project entailed the following tasks: (1) the aquatic plants were roughly rinsed to remove fish eggs, (2) the plants were separated and weighed, with the weight determining the amount required in ponds of different sizes, and (3) the plants were carefully and systematically added to the ponds (just like planting terrestrial plants, but underwater).

SIFTers are good at sifting prairie plants

2011-07-22T10:52:00.011-05:00

It turns out that SIFTers (and TERFers, for that matter) are very good at sifting and sorting through plant biomass samples from the 102 experimental prairie plots at Tyson Research Center. Dr. Tiffany Knight and her prairie research team spent several days guiding SIFTers through plant identification as they processed all of the samples and got them ready for the drying oven.

The 2011 Prairie Team: (l tor) TERFer Alex Samuels, McKendree undergrad Lauren Eveland, Dr. Tiffany Knight, TERFer Brendan Hellebusch, McKendree undergrad Brandyn Snider, TERFer Taylor Rohan, TERFer Lena Bohman (not pictured McKendree undergrad Kelli Lewis)

SIFTers help with NutNet project at Tyson

2011-07-22T10:36:00.007-05:00

Tyson Research Center participates in the Nutrient Network (NutNet), a global research cooperative to investigate alteration of global nutrient budgets and changes in the abundance and identify of consumers. The NutNet plots at Tyson are sampled in July and this year SIFTers helped identify and sort the plant samples.

SIFTers Adil Hassan (l) and Kelly Powderly (center) work with TERFer Alex Samuels (r) to sort plants into six categories.

Dr. Tiffany Knight (l) points out the differences in vegetation between the NutNet plots located in New Pond Field.

TERFers help maintain a research plot

2011-07-22T10:17:00.007-05:00

While each TERFer is embedded on a particular research team at Tyson and spends the majority of her/his working hours with that team, there are often opportunities to help on other projects. Wash U grad student Kate Waselkov has enlisted the TERFers to help her with maintenance on her research plot at Tyson while she travels to her other research sites. She is investigating the effects of Amaranthus tuberculatus (water hemp) a weedy invasive, on Midwestern soybean fields.

Garima Thakkar (l) and Dan Peipert (r) check on individual water hemp plants that have been planted between the rows of soybeans.

Dan holds the fence open for Dee Luo. Shorter TERFers definitely have an advantage entering and leaving the plot!

Seed Collecting and Fish Survey

2011-07-15T15:47:00.011-05:00

On July 13th and 14th two separate groups of SIFTers returned to SNR to take part in some seed collecting and a fish survey. Over two days of fishing at Wolf Run, a good mix of large mouth bass and sunfish (almost entirely bluegill) were captured. A total of about 50 fish were caught, identified, measured, and then released. To the best of my knowledge, everyone caught at least one fish. The next time you see Aileen, be sure to congratulate her on a 20.5" large mouth bass. She said it was the largest bass she's ever caught; however, no one was around to see her reel it in, so it's OK to question the validity of her story!

By most accounts, seed collecting was a hot job. It's hard work and there is no escaping the heat when you're outside in mid-July. The work centered around the wetlands, but some time was also spent near the new Glassberg Pavilions. Some of the time was also devoted to invasive plant removal. Both seed collecting and the removal of invasive plant species are key components in maintaining the grounds of SNR, so we truly appreciate the efforts of these SIFTers. Thanks for all your hard work!

A Summary of the June 2011 SIFT Sessions

2011-07-15T14:43:00.016-05:00

Another June of SIFT sessions at SNR has come and gone. It was a great year, and now that it's mid-July, a summary of the sessions is probably a bit overdue. Like most previous years, this year's SIFT program was divided into three sessions, each lasting one week. Session one had 18 students, while sessions two and three both had 14 SIFTers, for a total of 46 participants.

For those who haven't experienced SIFT, a run-down of the week's activities follows. On day 1 the focus was getting SIFTers acquainted with each other, SNR staff, and the nature reserve in general. After a series of "getting to know you" activities and a talk about outdoor safety, the SIFTers learned a bit about navigating with a map, compass, and GPS unit. After lunch, the students were split into groups of 4-6 and asked to find their way from the Dana Brown Overnight Center to a point unknown to them (the Maritz Trail House). They were given a series of instructions to follow (i.e. take a compass bearing of 220 degrees and walk 60 paces) that required them to use the navigational skills and tools that they had just learned about. Fortunately, the lessons seemed to have sunk-in and no groups were lost for too long.

Day 2 focused on observation. After a brief lesson on field sketching, students then began an isopod inquiry. Each group was given a few isopods to observe. They were asked to note details about the isopods' physical characteristics and behaviors. Next, students generated a list of questions about isopods. The overall purpose of this lesson was to get SIFTers into an observational frame of mind and to get them thinking about how to turn observations into scientifically investigable questions. Day 2 also included a lesson on dichotomous keys. After a brief lesson on how to use and create these keys, the SIFTers were split into groups to create their own dichotomous key for a series of tree leaves. After lunch, the program switched gears and students were introduced to abiotic water testing. This was used to prepare students for day three.

The third day of each SIFT session was acquatics day. The morning was spent at Wolf Run Lake doing abiotic testing and a biotic sampling of the lake's macroinvertebrates. SNR staff facilitated the morning's activities, but the afternoon was essentially conducted by the SIFTers themselves. After lunch, the groups moved to Brush Creek where the SIFTers were on their own to decide how to conduct the same biotic and abiotic sampling that they had performed at Wolf Run. All three sessions of SIFTers handled this situation with ease. The highlight from this year's acquatics day occurred in session 2 when a good sized snapping turlte was found in Brush Creek! The last part of this day was spent indoors debriefing the day's activities. In small groups, the SIFTers worked to draw conclusions about the overall condition of Wolf Run and Brush Creek based on the data recorded through the course of the day.

The fourth day of SIFT centered on plant life in a variety of ecosystems. In small groups, the SIFTers conducted random sampling of the plants in a prairie, a glade, and a woodland. Again, there was a debriefing session where the SIFTers worked in 3 separate groups to assess the data from the ecosystem assigned to their group.

Day 4 also included an overnight stay. The most informative aspect of the overnight occurred when the SIFTers participated in short question/answer sessions with actual field scientists, researchers, and/or grauduate students (sometimes TERFers too). These sessions were a great opportunity for the SIFTers to ask questions and learn about college, potential careers, the joys of field biology, etc.

The final day of SIFT centered around ants, and was led by Dr. James Trager. SIFTers were given bags of bologna and pecan sandies (cookies) to use as ant bait. Pairs of SIFTers spread out around the overnight center, placed their bait, and then waited for the ants. As the ants arrived, students were asked to identify each new species (using an incredibly user-friendly key created by ant expert Dr. Trager). The students were also asked to observe the ants and their behaviors. One of the highlights from this year's ant baiting was when a couple of carpenter bees got too close to bologna that was covered in ants. Even though the bees weren't trying to take any of the bologna, the act of getting close to the ants' food source resulted in their being swarmed and killed by the much smaller ants. It was somewhat grisly to watch, but left this viewer with a much greater appreciation for the utter determination of some ants to defend important resources.

The final project undertaken by SIFTers could be seen as the culmination of the week's study. The students were split into 3 or 4 groups and asked to design a research project. Each design had to include a research question, a hypothesis, a list of the materials needed to conduct the project, the time-frame required to complete their research, and an overview of the method(s) that would be used to analyze the data. Upon completing their research design, each group presented their project to the rest of the group. Next, SNR staff and the other groups of SIFTers critiqued the project, with the goal of bringing the group to a better idea of what is realistically investigable and what a well-designed research project entails.

Overall, it was a great month with a great group of students. Sorry SIFTers if this entry is a bit dry. The goal was to inform other folks about SIFT. Upcoming blog entries will focus more on your experiences in the various projects.

July TERFers

2011-07-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

(l to r) Zach, Dan, Milena, Dee, Alicia, Nina, Marie

There were 7 new TERFers (above) working at Tyson Research Center during July 2011.

Glade Team with Holly Bernardo and Steve Kroiss
Milena Kanak, homeschooled (TERF C3)

Forest Dynamics Plot with Dr. Jonathan Myers and Brett Decker
Marie Manzo, Metro HS (TERF C3)
Zach Rhodes, Francis Howell HS (TERF C3)
also continuing to work during July - Sarah Harrington, Metro HS (TERF C3)
and Aidan Kelly, Saint Louis University HS (TERF C3)

Fire Ecology Team with Dr. Rae Crandall
Dee Luo, Clayton HS (TERF C3)
Dan Peipert, Clayton HS (TERF C3)

Aquatics Team with Beth Biro, Lauren Woods, and Amber Burgett
Nina Fischer, John Burroughs HS (TERF C3)
Alicia McCabe, Incarnate Word Academy (TERF C3)
also continuing to work during July - Chloe Pinkner, Webster Groves HS (TERF C2)

June TERFers

2011-07-08T09:12:00.006-05:00

(l to r) Brendan, Bryan, Aidan, Lena, Garima, Mary, and Sarah

There were 7 new TERFers (above) and 3 returning TERFers working at Tyson Research Center during June 2011, plus another returning TERFer working as support to the SIFT program training sessions over at Shaw Nature Reserve.

Prairie Team with Dr. Tiffany Knight
Taylor Rohan, Fort Zumwalt North HS (TERF C2)
Alex Samuels, Parkway South HS (TERF C2)
Lena Bohman, Thomas Jefferson School (TERF C3)
Brendan Hellebusch, Parkway North HS (TERF C3)

Glade Team with Holly Bernardo and Steve Kroiss
Mary Blair, Incarnate Word Academy (TERF C3)

Forest Dynamics Plot with Dr. Jonathan Myers and Brett Decker
Sarah Harrington, Metro HS (TERF C3)
Aidan Kelly, Saint Louis University HS (TERF C3)

Fire Ecology Team with Dr. Rae Crandall
Garima Thakkar, Parkway Central HS (TERF C3)
Bryan Rosinski, Eureka HS (TERF C3)

Aquatics Team with Beth Biro, Lauren Woods, and Amber Burgett
Chloe Pinkner, Webster Groves HS (TERF C2)

SIFT program with Lydia Toth
Tess Rogers, Maplewood-Richmond Heights HS (TERF C1)

TERF Winter Symposium

2011-07-08T08:28:00.009-05:00

The winter symposium for TERF Cohort 2 was held on Saturday, January 22, 2011 in the Living Learning Center at Tyson Research Center. Family, friends, biology teachers, field mentors, former TERFers, and current SIFTers enjoyed poster and PowerPoint presentations on a variety of research projects.

TERF Symposium is coming!

2010-12-13T14:45:00.010-06:00

Save the date! Be sure to mark the TERF Symposium on that new 2011 calendar!

TERF Symposium
Saturday, January 22, 2011
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Living Learning Center at Tyson Research Center

Please RSVP by Monday, January 17 to flowers@wustl.edu or 314.935.4217

TERFers at Wash U Undergraduate Research Symposium

2010-10-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

The TERFers had three posters on display at the Washington University Undergraduate Research Symposium on Saturday, October 23, 2010. It was exciting to have these high school students sharing their summer research experiences alongside undergraduate students. There were visits to the posters from biology department faculty, undergraduate students who worked with the TERFers during their time at Tyson, and several proud parents.

TERF posters under construction

2010-09-25T15:40:00.011-05:00

On Saturday, September 25th the TERFers got together to begin work on posters! It was great to see everyone together for the first time since orientation back in May. Well, almost everyone. It is very hard to corral busy high school students from all around the St. Louis area, but we did get 11 of 18 to meet up in the Tyson Living Learning Center computer lab.

We started off with a quick slide show from the Tyson Olympics on the last day of the field season. And then I asked the TERFers to share their best and worst from the summer experience.

Some of the BEST comments were related to a sense of accomplishment - finishing the tree plot, finishing the prairie plots, catching more bees than another team. Other comments were related to specific tasks or teams - soil testing with Kristin Powell, working with tadpoles on the chytrid fungus project, visiting all of the tick research sites, counting frog eggs, getting a private tour of the Insectarium at the Saint Louis Zoo. And a couple of comments were about the sense of community - meeting people, participating in the Tyson Olympics.

Many of the WORST comments were about certain really hard tasks - working in the tree plot (x2), cleaning bottles, glade clearing (x4). A couple of comments were related to common field conditions - getting ticks, and feeling embarrassed about being muddy when returning to the Forest Part Visitor's Center. And again there were a few comments related to the sense of community - saying goodbye was hard, and hating being too busy to come back (x2).

We finally turned our discussion to the research communication part of the TERF program. There was consensus that BIODIVERSITY should be the overarching key message and it was decided that in the interest of getting three posters completed for the October 23rd symposium, the group should focus on three particular research project areas as representations of the importance of biodiversity.

Forest Census Research
Pollination Research
Invasive Species Research

The TERFers assigned themselves to work groups and then started to tackle text and photos for each poster. Everyone has created a free Flickr.com account so that they can access all of the photos from the summer. And some have even created a Google group so that they can collaborate between the poster work sessions.

There was also talk of taking TERF presentations to the high schools, both as a way to communicate the importance of the field research and as a way to help recruit for the final SIFT cohort of the NSF ISE project. I will be e-mailing teachers at each of the TERFers' schools to see what we can set up for later this fall and winter. TERF Cohort 1 was interested in the TERF on Tour idea, but we were unable to get a coordinated effort. I suspect that Cohort 2 will make this happen!

Geralle Powell smiles at one of the group photos from June

(foreground, l to r) Franklin Warner, Alex Samuels, and Taylor Rohan get started on writing about invasive species research while (background, l to r) Ben Howard and Adrienne Ernst share stories of catching bees in Forest Park

(l to r) Max Margherio and Jessica Plaggenberg start work on a poster describing the forest census project

Fall TERFy Activities

2010-09-16T16:02:00.003-05:00

The school year is in finally in full swing and with that comes the inevitable filling up of student calendars with homework, projects, and extracurricular activities. I realize we are asking a lot of our TERFers to stay engaged with the TERF program after the excitement of the summer internship work is over...

But, that being said, I've managed to get some responses from the Cohort 2 TERFers via a Doodle. (Cool tool for finding the best times to meet.) Here are some activities scheduled for the very near future:

Saturday, September 25th, 1:00-4:00 pm
The plan for our first fall meeting is to use the Tyson LLC computer lab to get started on a few collaborative research communication posters to be included in a symposium at Wash U. We will need to decide which research projects we would like to focus on and then divvy up the work of crafting text, selecting photos, doing the layout, etc.

Saturday, October 9th, 1:00-4:00 pm
Second meeting to keep the ball rolling on the posters...

Saturday, October 23rd
Undergraduate Research Symposium at Washington University Danforth Campus

10:00 am poster set up - we will help the Undergraduate Research Office get posters attached to display boards
12:00 noon symposium - we will take turns standing by our posters and walking around to view other posters (especially those of the undergrads we worked with at Tyson during the summer!)

We are very fortunate to be allowed to participate in this symposium. The Cohort 1 TERFers did attend the event last year, but did not have posters ready in time. It will be a great opportunity to see how undergraduate students present their research to the university community and to practice our own poster talks.

Tyson Olympics!

2010-08-02T12:04:00.000-05:00

The end of field season would not be complete without some sort of Tyson Olympics. This year the final afternoon field frolic kicked off with a scavenger hunt that took three teams on a whirlwind tour of research areas and some lesser known sites on the property. Extra points were awarded for creative photo documentation...

Two indoor challenges were based on authentic research tasks. The Pollinator Pinning required two members of a team to identify gummy bears by color, cut out appropriate tags, and then tag and pin the bears (face down through the thorax) to a cardboard grid using toothpicks.

TERFer Taylor Rohan (l) is confident in her team's pinning prowess, but post-doctoral researcher Dr. Laura Burkle (r) takes her judging responsibilities very seriously.

The Prairie Plant Sort required teams to sort mixed pasta samples (biomass) into 6 different type of noodles (plant species) and then key out the noodles with a dichotomous key.

A new addition to the final day of the field season was a water slide with discharge into a mud pit. Many thanks go to Pete Jamerson and Tim Derton for design and construction!

Alex Strauss claims that it didn't hurt too much going down

Brett Decker almost makes it to the end

Amber Burgett is all smiles before impact!

TERFer Jessica Plaggenberg braves the rough terrain

July TERFers

2010-08-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Max Margherio, Maddie Brandt, Geralle Powell, Cia West, Jane Fitzsimmons, Amy Dai (kneeling), Kelly McKinley, Ben Howard, Katie Pfaff

And, since Ahmed Said was SO busy with the Tick Team, he gets his own picture.

The July TERF session went out with a bang! Glades were cleared, pollinators were pinned, aquatic sampling was completed in record time, and the Tyson forest census plot was re-gridded and new data collection has started. So much good work has been going on that many researchers are keeping some July TERFers busy into August!

TERF Cohort 1 Reunion

2010-07-27T10:34:00.007-05:00

It took some doing, but we managed to get most of the members of TERF Cohort 1 in one place at one time! This faithful group of trail blazers for the SIFT and TERF programs got together for dinner at Tyson on Monday, July 26th.

Notice program evaluator Dr. Kathi Beyer (l) clicking away at her Mac, just like old times...

There was sharing of memories from SIFT Summer 2008 and TERF Summer 2009. There was talk of summer jobs, college plans, determined and undetermined majors, and an unexpected request to attend the SIFT/TERF Winter Weekend in January 2011. (Aw, of course you guys can come!)

Back row (l to r): Emily Stein, Mary Bujnak, Asad Helal, Jenise Davies, Ellie Stoops
Front row (l to r): Pete McCall, Ashaki Hall, Tess Rogers, Josef Kanak, Hannah Bailey

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ANTS! (Gotcha, huh?)

2010-06-28T14:17:00.007-05:00

Friday started nice and early, with what has to be the first time nobody had to be forced from their beds in the morning. After a nice breakfast, it was Jame's day to shine! Yes, today was Ant day. It started with James handing out an ID guide to common ground foraging ants in Missouri, and the kids broke into groups. They were all given 2 kinds of bait, a cookie and some bologna, and set out to observe what ants they could find. The better part of the morning was spent examining the adorable little critters and trying to decide which ants were which (Well this one's small and black, wait, they're all small and black... well shoot). Then before lunch Lydia talked about composing a research questions and the SIFTers made up their own. After lunch they shared their research projects and as a group reviewed and and did trouble shooting with them to see how they could get the best results and the all important FUNDING. After lunch the dreaded SURVEY!!!!! As well as filling out other paperwork that was a lot faster and was for them getting paid, which I guess is why they didn't mind it as much seeing as there were no complaints about that part of the afternoon. Finally, after much exchanging of emails we wrapped up the week with an ice cream sundae bar (get the title now? Get it? Get it?!). The bus arrived and we said farewell to Session 3, to return again over the summer on various research projects and for the winter overnight!

Overnight :)

2010-06-28T13:59:00.004-05:00

After a hard day in the field, we moved out SIFTers into their cabins and let them relax with some free time. This was spent generally chatting and playing some frisbee. After a little while we corralled them all back to watch the ever-popular Ant Video. We got through half of it before we were forced to pause it (to much protest) so that the kids could get a chance to talk to the visiting scientist before dinner. Rotating through in groups, the SIFTers leaned about the research being done with clover, mosquito populations in response to bat kills caused by White Nose, Ants from our own Dr. Trager(James), and glades. This was followed by a WONDERFUL dinner and the rest of the Ant Video. The kids learned what the word Crupuscular meant on the night hike as well as witnessing some animals(the "rare" swamp rabbits, frogs, and a bull frog that was a leaf that was a frog that was, indeed, alive) while walking through the wetlands and prairie. And who could forget the visit to the graveyard! A good time was had by all, and the SIFTers returned to black lighting with James and a roaring bonfire with s'mores. We all went around the circle and talked about our favorite parts of the week before retiring to the VERY popular shower house and bed. Well, and the required talking and card games before sleep of course. Overall it was a very nice evening.

A look on the Dry Side with Terrestrial Ecosystems

2010-06-28T13:44:00.004-05:00

Never have we ever had as much luck with weather as we did on Thursday! The humidity broke and the temperature only hit the 80's. Needless to say it was a wonderful start to a wonderful day! The morning started with James giving an overview of what kinds of plants would be found in the field today and a practice session in identifying them. Then it came the time to actually use these skills! Out SIFTers headed out into the tall grass prairie and using highly scientific equipment(hoola-hoops, soil samplers, and their eyes) proceeded to sample the soil and plants found there. Then after lunch the students hopped into the van and truck and headed off at a raring 15 mph to the Glade! The flowers were in full bloom here and the SIFTers went out to sample once more. Many discoveries were made here (the soil in glades smells AMAZING, watch for the scent to come out bottles. We're all waiting anxiously Amun!), and a new, well I won't say enemy, was made. The SIFTers, brave things, met one of Shaw's overly friendly inhabitants: the dreaded Sweat Bee. They made it through remarkably well, and they weren't alone. Aileen helped them out by attracting the bulk of them to her, way to take one for the team Aileen! While by the glade the students also got a chance to sample some woodland, and then back at the Dana Brown compiled graphs and charts of all this new data.

June TERFers

2010-06-28T13:24:00.006-05:00

Back row: Amy Fjerstad, Jason Zhang, Franklin Warner
Front row: Alex Samuels, Jessica Plaggenberg, Adrienne Ernst, Chloe Pinkner, Taylor Rohan

Sigh. The June session of TERF has come to a close. However, high quality work and high demand from researchers has put many TERFers on-call for work this week!

It's all about Moose Tracks and Double Strawberry ice cream!

The end of TERF session debrief in the cave tradition continues...

A Very Humid Aquatics Day!

2010-06-28T13:20:00.006-05:00

Ah, Aquatics Day! The much awaited, highly anticipated day where the SIFTers get to get their feet wet. The day where we would be outside virtually all day. They day where the heat index topped 100 degrees. Oh well, didn't stop us! If anything, the heat let the students get more time with our much beloved Wilderness Wagon, the limo of Shaw Nature Reserve. After arriving and filling up snack containers, the SIFTers wasted no time and went to board their sweet ride down to Wolf Run Lake. Here, the students divvied up into 2 groups and tested both the water quality and sampled some of the many macro invertebrates living in the Lake. Special attention was paid to the conditions of the water samples as well as location, and on the biotic side of things a MONSTER fishing spider was captures and put on display until we left (it STILL gives me chills and this was a week ago... it was huge). SIFTers also got a good look at at the fish, most notably the very large catfish, during the fish feeding and then it was off to the trail house for lunch (no air conditioning though, they were too tough for that!). After a nice lunch we all packed off to Brush Creek, where the kids got there feet wet water testing and collecting what seems to be an inexhaustible number of crayfish. The water was nice and cold and I heard more than one murmuring of "Think I could just say I fell in?", but everybody stayed dry for the most part. The day was wrapped up in the nice cool air conditioning of Dana Brown with a debrief and posters compiled of the data collected that day.

Observing Isopods on a Warm Tuesday Morning.

2010-06-28T12:54:00.004-05:00

Tuesday was a day set aside to observe the noble isopods. SIFTers were given two types of these little critters and set about observing physical and behavioral characteristics. I have never seen so many teenagers looking up into clear ups before in my life, it was truly a sight to behold. Of course, how else cold you get all the details of them! After a discussion of what questions could be researchable and other simply looked up, our students got a chance to stretch their legs with a little excursion to the Wetlands. Aileen led a lovely stroll to observe this interesting habitat and many questions were asked and a few tracks of water-loving mammals found. Then back to the nice air-conditioned Dana Brown to have lunch. A communication kills activity was played, where upon the students had to get into an line alphabetically by their last names. Without talking. Also not being able to step off the rope they were all standing on. It was interesting to say the lest. Then that afternoon our SIFTers learned how to do water testing and had some practice interpreting the what the data could mean for that water source. There was a wildlife encounter for one water-testing group that was cut short (literally) when after FINALLY catching the Blue-Tailed skink that had been slinking around the porch it's tail came off and well, we just didn't have the heart to pass it around to other groups then. He was released to go re-grow his tail and much hope was made that the other skinks wouldn't make fun of him for his shortened rear-end.

Session 3 Has a HOT Start!

2010-06-28T12:36:00.004-05:00

Session 3 of SIFT started out much like Session 1 except for the fact that it was about 20 degrees hotter. But these students didn't let that stop them! The morning started out as usual with some getting-to-know-each-other activities which produced some very interesting results (for once Lydia wasn't the only gardener!). So after a lovely morning spent getting to know one another, learning about outdoor safety, and discussing wether or not science is complete the kids also got a chance to practice their nature sketching! Catrina led a talk over how to do quick sketches that could still be recognizable later, a skill many people overlook and live to regret doing so. Lunch was then had, and then the real fun began. Aileen taught a crash-course in GPS units (not the car kind) and compasses while Catrina taught the SIFTers all about topographic maps and what they can learn from them. Our students were then divvied up into 6 teams, given directions, and then sent out into the wilderness to... navigate! While the first three groups got a head start, the other three got the chance to put together a large wooden puzzle, blindfolded. Oh don't give us that look! Only half of them were blindfolded, the others helped them put it together. All 6 teams successfully made it to the trail house using their recently accuired navigation skills with only a few wrong turns here and there, and were met with cold lemonade and posters. The groups all complied lovely lists of the skills they learned, content they covered, and ways in which they collaborated (the first on the list being tick removal. Yay teamwork!). Then after making up short stories using vocabulary words (oh that Turkeytoe!) our brave, hot, and weary SIFTers headed for home.

Session 1 SIFTers get to work!

2010-06-21T19:05:00.010-05:00

The first field work opportunity for newly-trained SIFTers came early this year. The prairie research team at Tyson Research Center put out a call for help and six SIFTers and one former TERFer answered the call on Monday, June 21st!

Dr. Tiffany Knight (Washington University) and Dr. Michele Schutzenhofer (McKendree University) are investigating the effects of different experimental treatments in 102 separate prairie plots in the south field area of Tyson. Right now they are conducting a biomass sampling of each plot and need help sorting the plant clippings by species.

Loading up to go see the prairie plots

Dr. Knight points out plants to Tom Collins.

Monica Lee gives a thumbs up as the SIFTers run uphill through a new experimental glade

(Foreground) Bryan Rosinski and Milena Kanak work together to separate plant clippings from a single plot, while (background) Tom Collins gets instruction from McKendree undergraduate student Kaitlyn Kollman

Dr. Schutzenhofer (left) works with Kenn and Lynn Vattathara on the last plot sorting of the long day

Ants, Ants, Ants!

2010-06-18T13:12:00.008-05:00

The final day of SIFT Session 1 had finally arrived. After a breakfast filled with bleary-eyed SIFTers, it was James' time to shine. Students were broken up into groups and were given bait as well as a guide to help identify different species of ants. The teams set off to bait and observe the ants as they arrived to take away the food. The better part of the morning was spent observing ants. Who knew they were so intriguing (other than James of course)?

After lunch, Catrina led a discussion about how to set up your own experiment. Using what they had learned about ants, the SIFTers then split up and had a go at designing their own experiments and then going over them as a group to fine tune them.

Lydia talked about signing up for projects over the year, and after cleaning up the cabins the students wrapped up their SIFT experience with an ice cream bar before much exchanging of emails and planning of get togethers.

In some cases, it wasn't just the ants that were being observed. Kathi, mistress of the surveys, enjoyed watching the SIFTers as much as they enjoyed watching the ants!

Terrestrial Ecosystems and Overnight

2010-06-18T13:04:00.007-05:00

Today we looked at different terrestrial ecosystems. James talked about the different kinds of plant life that were likely to be in the areas we would look, and then the SIFters went to to survey plants in the prairie, glade, and woodland. To do the surveying, the students got to practice their hula-hooping skills (throwing, not twirling) and took core samples of the earth from each survey plot. After compiling charts and graphs of the data they gathered, the students talked about the best ways to display data with Catrina.

The SIFTers watched a video about James' specialty, ants, in preparation for Friday and then had some time to move into their cabins and unwind with a little Ultimate Frisbee.

After Frisbee local scientists arrived for dinner and the students rotated between them in groups to hear about the kind of research they each did. Then we had a wonderful dinner and had more Frisbee time. The SIFTers went on a night hike sans-flashlights and learned some cool tricks with night vision and ice breakers. After getting back to Dana Brown we had a bonfire after a little trouble with lighting it (Thank you Team Monica!) and had s'mores. Before bed, James set up a black light sheeting, which attracted this lovely little creature, a female dobsonfly.

After showers everyone toddled off for a nice, calm evening... no wait. There was of course the mandatory talking, card games and well, sleep was had.

Aquatics Day!!!

2010-06-18T12:31:00.007-05:00

Today was the much anticipated aquatics day! SIFTers got to use their water testing skills to test the water of two different freshwater ecosystems, Wolf Run Lake and Brush Creek. Along with water testing, the students also fished for macroinvertebrates with nets and got to walk around in the creek (actually getting their feet wet!). They took the Wilderness Wagon from Wolf Run where they also got to meet a friendly terrestrial animal (a charming box turtle), as well as witness some monster catfish during a fish feeding. Next stop was the trail house for lunch, and then down to Brush Creek. At the creek the students discovered different creatures than those living at Wolf Run, such as crawfish and a rare look at a darter minnow in full mating colors. Once again on the Wilderness Wagon, the students returned to Dana Brown to debrief and interpret their findings.

Tuesday is for Isopods and Sketching

2010-06-18T11:55:00.005-05:00

Tuesday's theme was all about observation. In the morning Catrina talked about how to do field sketches and had the students practice sketching natural items in smaller and smaller time increments (much to the dismay of the artists). After the sketching lesson was over, Lydia broke out the isopods and the SIFTers got to practice taking good observation notes about both appearances and behaviors. The morning wrapped up with the creation of their own branching and stacking dichotomous keys for leaf identification. After lunch, the students broke into groups and rotated around to different water testing stations. Based on a simulated scenario the teams used various water quality tests to determine the source of each station's water problem. The day wrapped up with a comparison of results from the different stations and a debrief of the day. Not to mention a reminder to bring shoes that could get wet for the next day.

Monday is Collaboration Day!

2010-06-18T11:15:00.006-05:00

So Monday started bright and early with the arrival of the SIFTers and the distribution of their day packs. They were welcomed by Lydia with a quick overview of the week and some games in which students were able to find out what they have in common. Aileen gave a talk about outdoor safety and then it was time for lunch.

After lunch was over the students were given a crash course in using GPS units, compasses, and topographic maps. After their lessons in navigation, the SIFTers were broken up into groups and were each given a different course through Shaw, which required them to use their recently acquired navigation skills. Along their little adventure they encountered some challenges (ticks, mosquitoes, upside-down maps), unexpected treasures (tepee, cave, long abandoned outhouse) as well as several stations where they sketched or learned about a part of Shaw Nature Reserve. The day wrapped up at the Trailhouse where the kids debriefed and brainstormed the skills, collaboration, and content they gained that day.

SIFT 2010 Session 1

2010-06-18T11:06:00.002-05:00

It's now been a week since the first session of SIFT for 2010 has passed through, and we feel recovered enough to start up the blog once again. My name is Tess Rogers, and I'm the intern for SIFT this year. Having been through the first ever sessions of both SIFT and TERF I have returned this summer to help out the program that I enjoyed so much.

I hope that any SIFTers reading this will be revisted by fond memories of their week here at Shaw, and that anyone else passing through this blog with mild curiosity will be able to learn more about what we do here at SIFT.

Recruiting SIFT Cohort 3

2010-04-12T13:59:00.003-05:00

We are currently recruiting 10th graders for participation in SIFT Cohort 3 for 2010-11. We have funding for 60 students!

The application is located on the front page of the Shaw Nature Reserve website.

The application deadline has been extended to April 16th to accommodate as many applicants as possible.

SIFT+TERF=!!!

2010-02-03T09:46:00.005-06:00

During the weekend of January 30-31, 2010, we brought the Cohort 2 SIFTers together with the Cohort 1 TERFers for the first time. Both groups had asked to meet and the Winter Weekend seemed like the perfect time.

On Saturday, after the SIFTers rotated through informal conversations with field scientists and the TERFers recovered from their symposium, everyone came together for dinner in the Assembly Building at Shaw Nature Reserve. Without any prompting, the TERFers intermixed with the tables of SIFTers for conversations about school, field experiences, and what to expect in TERF.

After dinner there was a great presentation by the Wolf Sanctuary on how their organization conducts captive breeding and population recovery for wild canids.

On Sunday, everyone traveled to Tyson Research Center where the TERFers took up positions at their posters once again. There were some excellent questions from the SIFTers about the research projects based at Tyson and the TERFers were more relaxed after presenting to their families and friends the day before.

Ashaki Hall shares her experience on the Aquatic Team in July.

Tess Rogers explains why it is important to study chytrid fungus in amphibians.

Pete McCall describes how he helped a WU undergraduate with his research project on metamorphic frogs.

We spent some time learning a bit about Tyson history and got to see some of the hidden treasures of the Research Bunker.

We headed back to the headquarters building and the weather was warm enough for some of us to eat lunch outside.

Bringing the SIFTers and TERFers together made for a remarkable weekend. The TERFers were able to gain valuable presentation skills with a receptive audience of peers and the SIFTers were able to learn about the TERF program directly from the participants.

And, I think we all had quite a bit of fun!

Tick Team TERFers in action...

2010-02-02T16:26:00.004-06:00

TERFer Emily Stein debuted her lizard wrangling video at the TERF Symposium on Saturday, January 30th.

TERFers spend nostalgic night at Shaw

2010-02-02T13:13:00.006-06:00

After the symposium, the TERFers carpooled over to Shaw Nature Reserve for an overnight at the Dana Brown Education Center. We reacquainted ourselves with Lee Lodge and then headed over to the Assembly Building for dinner with the SIFTers and some favorite scientists.

The Lee Lodge living room taken over by TERFers.

Aileen Abbott serves up some vittles for TERFer Pete McCall.

Dr. Brian Allan (right) joins TERFer Will Kleine and SIFTer Amy Dai for yet another fine meal at Shaw.

TERF 2009-10
Back row: Emily Stein, Cassandra Galluppi, Josef Kanak, Hannah Bailey, Will Kleine, Asad Helal, Katie Seidler (TERF staff), Pete McCall, Ellie Stoops, Mary Bujnak
Front row: Tess Rogers, Susan Flowers (project director), Ashaki Hall
Not pictured: Yanwen You, Jenise Davie, Crystal Crawford, Miranda Dust, Katherine Brinker, Shayla Mulhern

The famous TERF cake! (Many thanks to the Kanak family!)

Shaw volunteer Holly guides us through some celestial observations and makes sure we know how to find the North Star. (And, we will never forget that a nebula is a gaseous cluster that makes baby stars.)

First TERF Symposium is amazing success!

2010-02-02T12:24:00.008-06:00

On Saturday, January 30th, ~60 visitors to Tyson Research Center attended the TERF 2009-10 Symposium. Family, friends, and teachers supported the TERF teens for their first ever poster session and public presentations. Ten posters were distributed around the Tyson headquarters building with TERFers describing the research projects they assisted on during summer 2009. The poster session was followed by individual presentations on the field internship experience.

Cassandra Galluppi explains the difficulties of corralling caterpillars in the Lespedeza herbivory experiment.

Hannah Bailey visits with her research project mentor, WU graduate student Kristin Powell.

A proud Josef Kanak stands by his poster on glade biodiversity.

Mary Bujnak shares details of the Carlinville, IL pollinator survey work.

Asad Helal points out the "tick suits" used in his work.

Ellie Stoops, Ashaki Hall, and Hannah Bailey enjoy the party!

TERF Symposium is on the horizon

2010-01-12T13:56:00.006-06:00

Please join us for the TERF 2009-10 Symposium!

Saturday, January 30, 2010
2:00-4:00 pm
Tyson Research Center
Headquarters Classroom

Please RSVP to Susan Flowers at flowers@wustl.edu or 314.935.4217 by January 25th.

SIFT Water Quality Monitoring Projects

2009-10-06T16:14:00.007-05:00

There have been several water quality monitoring projects this summer, both at Shaw Nature Reserve and at Forest Park. Students practiced the skills in evaluating biotic and abiotic factors they learned during the week of field training, and learned new skills like measuring water velocity and using a kick net.

SIFT Grasshopper Survey

2009-10-05T15:06:00.010-05:00

Another project surveyed Shaw Nature Reserve's grasshoppers. In this project, students netted grasshoppers from meadows, prairie, glade and woodland areas of the reserve (some using Kaleb's unique spinning technique). After lunch, representatives of each species were examined under stereoscopes, identified, and pinned for curation.

SIFT Dragonfly Surveys

2009-10-05T14:51:00.006-05:00

After the week-long summer program, SIFTers had a chance to participate in projects that took place during the rest of the summer and into the fall. One of these projects was a survey of Shaw Nature Reserve's dragonflies. Students used binoculars to spot the dragonflies and get a closer look to identify them. We travelled from the Dana Brown wetlands to Wolf Run Lake, and took a look at some of the fields and prairies as well. At Wolf Run Lake, one slaty skimmer dragonfly was particularly unlucky to have been caught by a mantis. The last photo shows a spangled skimmer, one of the least common of the dragonflies we identified during the survey.

Ant Study and Goodbyes

2009-09-28T14:18:00.008-05:00

Everyone packed up early and had breakfast before we started with the last few activities. James described the day's ant behavior study and students gathered bait and went out to find their study subjects. After a few hours of observation, students returned to report what they had discovered. After lunch, we watched a slideshow of images from the week's activities and Lydia explained the next step in the SIFT program: summer and fall projects. Then students went out on a scavenger hunt using their GPS skills, and were happily suprised at what they were able to bring back. It was a lively bus ride home as the SIFTers exchanged e-mails and planned ways to keep in touch with their new friends.

Terrestrial Ecosystems and Overnight

2009-09-28T14:01:00.005-05:00

We started the day with a short powerpoint about scientific communication and the three basic characteristics of good figures (clear! concise! honest!). Next James gave students an overview of terrestrial ecosystems and described plant forms and leaf shapes that the students would have a good chance of observing. Then we took a short trip out to the Dana Brown Center's prairie, where students in small groups got to practice the hula-hoop method of random sampling, and take a closer look at the plant life there. After lunch, it was back out the the Trailhouse where we did the same sort of sampling and looked at the plant life of the glade and woodland.

Tonight was the overnight, so after debriefing the day's activities, students moved into the lodges and had a break to read, talk, and play games (soccer!). Before dinner, scientists from Tyson Research Center arrived and the students had a chance to travel around in groups and get to know them better. Conversations continued during dinner. After dinner, students went out without flashlights on a night hike, which ended up being one of the group's favorite June memories. When the hikers returned, James had set up a white sheet and light to collect night insects. There was also a campfire where SIFTers could continue to get to know each other while eating S'mores.

Aquatic day!

2009-09-28T13:45:00.007-05:00

Things got off to a quick start as students packed up for a full day in the field. First, we packed equipment and took the wilderness wagon off to Wolf Run Lake. Students collected and identified macroinvertebrates and ran the water quality chemical tests they practiced earlier in the week. After lunch at the Trailhouse, we hiked down to Brush Creek to repeat the biotic and abiotic testing. At the end of the day, students worked in groups to report their data and discussed the health of the two bodies of water.

Honing Observation Skills

2009-09-28T13:23:00.009-05:00

After a lesson on nature sketching, SIFTers visited the Dana Brown wetland and took some time to sit on the boardwalk and practice sketching. Next, Lydia led an isopod observation and students came up with researchable questions based upon their observations. Then the students worked in teams to build branching keys using leaves. After lunch, students had a chance to practice using chemical tests for water quality that they would be taking into the field on aquatic day. Each team moved from station to station, learning the quirks of each chemical test and solving water quality mysteries. Luckily, we had time for a few team-building games before boarding the bus, which were a big hit (Thanks Aileen!)

SIFTers get acquainted

2009-09-28T12:56:00.009-05:00

On day one of this past June's weeklong SIFT training, students focused on collaboration. After playing some games aimed at finding out what students had in common, Lydia explained plans for the week and Aileen talked about outdoor safety. After lunch, students learned how to use GPS units, topographic maps and compasses, and were sent out in small groups to follow a course. Each group followed a different path, and along the way met with some interesting challenges (high water, lizard up the pants leg) and were able to see some interesting features and wildlife of SNR (the cave, frogs, turtles... an armadillo...)

Students also worked on assignments at points along the way, including stopping to draw some flowers. SIFTers learned to work together and spent some time getting to know each other while they hiked. By the end of the day, all the groups made it back to relax at the glade overlook and to grab some lemonade and reflect on the day at the trailhouse.

SIFT returns to the blog

2009-09-24T09:23:00.002-05:00

With the September meeting of SIFT just around the corner, it's definitely time to revisit highlights from this summer's SIFT program, from the week of field training to the various projects that have been going on.

I'm Catrina Adams, an instructor at Shaw Nature Reserve, and I'll be adding SIFT-related posts to bring the blog up to date in that department. To all the 2009 SIFTers reading this blog...hope this brings back some good memories from the summer! For anyone else stumbling in or interested in the program...hopefully the next series of posts will give you a better idea of how the SIFT program is evolving.

First All-TERF Meeting on Saturday, August 30th

2009-08-31T13:36:00.006-05:00

We had our first all-TERF meeting on Sunday, August 30 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. It was great to see teens from the June and July programs in the same room at the same time! And there was a lot of laughter as the group shared memorable events from their time in the field.

(Tick bombs, building scaffolding, attacks by leeches, pining insects, lizard bites, digging ponds, running in a hail storm, etc.)

We spent some time laying the groundwork for the research communication part of the project. There are two angles that we would like to cover - (1) the scientific research projects and (2) the field internship experiences. Both are critical to telling the TERF story.

POSTERS: A well-crafted poster can be a very effective communication tool. Each TERF teen will be creating a large poster that is representative of a single research project from the summer. Rather than focus on the data and conclusions that are presented in a traditional scientific poster, we would like these posters to convey "the point" of each particular project to a public audience. The goal here is to bridge the communication gap between scientists and the public. The teens hope to make the research projects accessible to a non-scientist audience.

TERF ON TOUR: There is also a plan to take TERF on tour! We would like to schedule presentations at each of the high schools represented in this cohort. These will be short PowerPoint presentations to science classes, accompanied by question and answer sessions. This will be a chance for the teens to tell their personal stories of the TERF experience. An excellent way to recruit the next SIFTers!

SYMPOSIUM: The group decided that a symposium at the Tyson Living Learning Center would be another good way to share their experiences with others. So, we are looking to invite family, friends, and researchers to the afternoon event on Saturday, January 30th.

SHARE w/SIFT: There has been a lot of interest from both the SIFTers and the TERF teens to find a time to meet. We will try to fit this in during the SIFT Winter Weekend.

Quite a lot to squeeze into this school year! But there is a lot of enthusiasm and momentum, so hopefully we will get it all done.

July Group Highlights

2009-07-20T15:50:00.008-05:00

While each research team goes its own way in the field, there are several opportunities for the TERF group, as well as all of the staff and researchers at Tyson, to reconvene. One of them is the Natural History Session and July is off to a wonderful start.

The first Natural History Session on July 9th was led by staff ecological technician Travis Mohrman. The subject was Wilderness Survival and above, he shares his knowledge with the TERF teens.

The second Natural History Session on July 16th was a tour of the neighboring Wild Canid Center that most Tysonians see every day, but usually don't get to explore. Here, two TERF teens and two undergrads try to spot Mexican wolves in one of the sanctuary's expansive enclosures.

In addition to the beautiful, cooler weather, July's second week was particularly sweet because there were two reasons to celebrate.

The first was TERF teen Crystal's birthday. Above, she carves the cake we provided as an end-of-day surprise.

The second was a grant awarded to Dr. Jon Chase, Dr. Brian Allan and another research collaborator. The funding will support tick research, so the researchers decided to celebrate with red velvet cupcakes in the likeness of engorged ticks.

All in a day's work...

Session two, half-way through

2009-07-20T11:27:00.014-05:00

Somehow, we're already through the first two weeks of the second session of TERF. Here's an update:

On the 6th of July, group 2 was introduced to the field station in the manner that has now become tradition: The Tour de Tyson Challenge.

Here, (with the help of a strategically placed clue outside the entrance) they make the acquaintance of the 310 lab building, which is used for various indoor analysis tasks.

Before long, they settled in to their research teams. A new team, affectionately termed "The Plant Consortium", was formed for this session to capture the overlapping research interests and similar study systems of Dr. Tiffany Knight, Dr. Tim Dickson and Dr. Laura Burkle.

Here, TERF teens Cassandra, Shayla and Mary of the plant consortium pin and label pollinator specimens.

Here, Jenise - another TERF member of the plant consortium - works with an undergraduate on her team to collect data. These small blue tubs are currently scattered across Tyson as part of a project studying herbivory and flowering success in invasive purple loosestrife.

The other two research teams - the aquatic team and the tick team - took on their new teens and embarked on some new tasks for July.

Following the first week of July, the aquatic team has been largely based on-site, sampling cattle tanks. Here, aquatic TERFers Ashaki and Crystal assist with sampling efforts.

Here, Emily - a tick team TERFer - assists undergraduate Gena Pang with maintenance of the containers that house lizards and mice during her tick feeding preference study.

With a welcome break from the heat over the last few days, session 2 has been a great success, thus far.

Assessment between the June and July TERF sessions

2009-07-02T15:26:00.004-05:00

As we did for the first summer of SIFT programming, we scheduled a week in between the sessions of TERF for formative assessment. We definitely wanted to allow time to assess how the first session went and what changes need to be put in place for the next session. Last night the research team leaders, TERF staff, SIFT program director, and evaluator all met to debrief the first session and talk about moving forward into July.

Our external evaluator Dr. Kathi Beyer captured pages and pages of qualitative data from her interviews and observations, and quantitative data was provided through the results of climate surveys. We had the TERF teens complete a climate survey on each Friday afternoon of the four week internship. We also asked the research team leaders and field mentors to complete climate surveys at the ends of Week 1 and Week 4. All of this information provided us with assessment of both participant and mentor perspective, and ultimately with a more objective view of the first TERF session.

The good news is that the model we have implemented appears to be working!

There was some surprise at the high level of physical work and occasional monotony of tasks, but we have excited and engaged teens learning new skills and new content within an authentic research environment. And along the way they are gaining respect for the persistence and dedication required of field research.

Overall, the research team leaders appear to be pleased with the integration of the teens into their research projects. However, there were some bumps along the way, and there appears to be a difference in the experiences of large teams versus small teams. One-on-one tiny teams have a vastly different vibe compared to large teams with more than one TERF teen assigned. Consequently we have decided to form a "Plant Consortium" to make a larger team of three smaller research groups.

Other than the loose union of plant-related projects, there did not appear to be major change needed in the TERF session design. The communication lines and transportation logistics are all functioning well. There will be some additional topics to be covered during the on-boarding of the next set of teens. All research teams will make sure to present detailed project overviews to their assigned teens as a first thing, and the TERF staff will place additional emphasis on field safety, work level expectations, and hierarchy.

TERF June and the weekly Tyson natural history sessions

2009-07-01T14:12:00.035-05:00

While immersion in a specific research team is at the core of the TERF experience, there was exposure to different field areas through the Tyson natural history sessions. These weekly morning sessions offer chance for experts on each team to share some of their knowledge with everyone at Tyson and a great opportunity for the teens to explore a field different from their respective assignments.

Katherine, along with the rest of the teens on terrestrial teams, got her first chance to sample ponds during the aquatic natural history session.

Dr. Brian Allan and Dr. Kevin Smith led the birding natural history session, acquainting the TERFers with binoculars, as well as the birds that happened to cross their path that morning.

Later that morning, Kevin directed the teens to guidebooks and merely supervised as they identified the birds they observed.

During the mammal natural history session, Josef, Yanwen and the rest of the TERFers got an early start to prevent trapped critters from overheating in the 90-degree weather that was typical of the first session. Here, Dr. Brian Allan explains how he handles mice in order to collect the data necessary for his study.

Pete got the hang of small mammal handling and made a new friend.

Brian ended the mammal session by reviewing footage from several baited camera traps.

Digging in

2009-06-30T13:56:00.033-05:00

During the second week of TERF session 1, the teens were finally able to use the new Living Learning Center as a base of operations.

They were given the chance to take the self-guided walking tour of the building. Small posters on interior and exterior structures call attention to features like the invasive Eastern Red Cedar siding that was harvested to help restore Missouri glade habitat.

The teens didn't spend much time in the building, though. More often than not, they could be found in the field.

Hannah worked with first-year grad student Kristin Powell. Her research looks at the impact of invasive bush honeysuckle on the native understory plant community.

Miranda worked with Dr. Laura Burkle, investigating the interactions between invasive plant species and insect pollinators.

Yanwen worked with Dr. Tiffany Knight and Dr. Mickey Schutzenhofer on a long-term study examining the importance of factors like order of introduction and management practices on the success of plants that invade prairies.

Josef's mentor was Dr. Tim Dickson, whose primary study system for the summer was glades. However, the prairie team often took him out to their plots when collecting data on plants that can be tricky to identify.

Pete (sporting his beloved cowboy hat) worked with the aquatic team on a variety of projects studying biodiversity and community structure in ponds.

Tess worked with the aquatic team as well. Above, she samples a pond at Shaw Nature Reserve - Tyson's partner for the SIFT and TERF programs.

Katherine worked with Dr. Brian Allan, researching infectious diseases carried by ticks and their hosts. Here, she records data next to one of the traps used for surveying small mammals like mice.

Asad also worked with Dr. Brian Allan on the tick team. Here, he collects an empty trap meant for slightly larger animals like squirrels.

The teens returned from project set-up or data collection tuckered out and often with a few ticks. Yet, it seemed they always managed to laugh off the challenges and share their favorite anecdotes from the day while completing their daily reflection or during their ride in the carpool.

Introductions, rain or shine

2009-06-30T09:37:00.034-05:00

On the first of June, Tyson welcomed its first round of environmental research fellows (TERFers, as they are affectionately called). They embarked on their four-week adventure with a tour of Tyson in the form of a field challenge that allowed them to discover a bit of the land's present and historical use.

The tour included a few Tyson gems, like this bird feeding station in front of the headquarters building. Named for Joyce Duncan, a beloved office manager, this group of feeders welcomes hummingbirds, cardinals, nuthatches, woodpeckers, finches and many others.

On the first two afternoons, the teens jumped right in with their mentors on projects studying glades, prairies, ticks and their hosts, aquatic communities, wildflowers and pollinators. Unfortunately, some of the next few days were not as conducive to fieldwork.

Rain meant TERFers were stuck at headquarters, gazing longingly at the sogginess outside.

As a consolation prize, they enjoyed Dr. Tiffany Knight's introduction to population ecology, that taught them to use basic demographic data to project the future of species growth or decline. Other rainy day activities included a discussion of the nature of science with Dr. Tim Dickson, following the path from inquiry, data collection, analysis, peer review and dissemination to our current body of knowledge. Tips for keeping a lab notebook were reviewed and when the clouds began to separate, TERFers toured the new organic garden and joined the fight against weeds.

As the weather began to cooperate, allowing for more time in the field, the teens began to find their place on their research teams and in the greater Tyson community.

On some new TERF

2009-06-29T15:45:00.003-05:00

*cracks knuckles*

There's a large gap in time to bridge here, but I believe I'm up to the challenge in the next week.

My name is Katie and I'm the summer intern on the informal science education programs taking place at Washington University's Tyson Research Center. I graduated from WashU in May after completing majors in Environmental Studies and Philosophy, as well as a research summer of my own at Tyson last year. Breathing for the first time after the whirlwind that was informal science ed at Tyson in June, I'm here to synthesize and share some of the most noteworthy parts of the last four weeks.

The SIFT Winter Weekend - Saturday, January 31st

2009-02-20T14:28:00.010-06:00

What an amazing two-day adventure with the SIFT teens! We had a jam-packed schedule of activities that took us all over the St. Louis area.

We started at 9:00 am on Saturday at the Commerce Bank Education Center (CBEC) of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Nothing starts off a SIFT session better than an ice-breaker activity with Aileen!

Next, we were off to the Monsanto Research Center for tours of the MBG Herbarium, Library, and Rare Books Collection. Getting to see a first edition of "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection" was rather cool. Plus the 16th century herbals - amazing to realize that many of the oldest books are about plants!

We had a pizza lunch break back at the CBEC building and then loaded up the bus for the SIFTers first trip out to Tyson Research Center.

Everyone seemed surprised that the big hill I described was actually a BIG hill! But, the hike was worth it to see the oak-hickory forest in the snow.

Making the acquaintance of a local marsupial

Ice formations at the entrance to the quarry cave

After dragging ourselves back to the headquarters building we enjoyed presentations from Tyson scientists James Watling and Laura Burkle. They did a great job of explaining how they went from being high school students to becoming research ecologists with PhDs. As Laura explained in one slide, it is often not a straight line...

At around 4:00 pm we took the bus out to Shaw Nature Reserve and got comfortable in the overnight lodges. It was nice to get our boots off and enjoy pre-dinner conversations with field scientists Amber Burgett, Nic Kooyers, Catrina Adams, Nels Holmberg, and James Trager.

Dinner was followed by research presentations from Amber and Catrina. Everyone got a good laugh from some of the "most embarrassing field research moments" that they shared.

And no overnight at Shaw would be complete without a night hike, campfire, S'mores, and sharing circle...

Tyson Specimen Inventory Project

2009-02-20T13:51:00.004-06:00

We offered an indoor work project at Tyson Research Center on Saturday, January 17th. Four SIFTers worked with Tyson scientists Kevin Smith and Travis Mohrman to inventory the large collection of vertebrate specimens housed in the Tyson research bunker. Eventually SIFTers will help set up a computerized catalogue file and update the taxonomic and systematics information for the specimens.

Learning about the project goals (and getting used to the smell of the bunker!)

Explaining which bones are left in and which bones are taken out

Okay, it's a rodent, but which rodent???

Basics of bird identification

Getting to know the field guides

SIFT Cohort 1 Fall Field Projects

2009-02-20T13:30:00.003-06:00

As part of the academic year component of the SIFT program, the teens are offered opportunities to work on authentic field research and restoration projects. We were lucky to have quite a variety of projects and dates available to the SIFTers during the fall months of 2008.

9/6/08 through 12/13/08 (15 Saturdays) Impacts of an Invasive Plant on Biodiversity at Busch Conservation Area
9/6/08 Plant Inventory at Shaw Nature Reserve
9/13/08 Missouri Stream Team at Shaw Nature Reserve
9/20/08 Prairie Day event at Shaw Nature Reserve
10/4/08 Tree Planting in Forest Park
10/4/08 Tick Study at Shaw Nature Reserve
10/11/08 Investigating Effects of Bush Honeysuckle on Amphibian and Reptile Communities at Busch Conservation Area
10/18/08 Seed Collecting at Shaw Nature Reserve
10/18/08 Missouri Stream Team at Shaw Nature Reserve
11/1/08 Seed Collecting at Shaw Nature Reserve
11/15/08 Using Population Genetics to Understand Cyanide Production in White Clover at Washington University

Grad student Nic Kooyers explaining cyanide production in clover as a deterrent to herbivory

So, What Have Those SIFTers Been Up To?

2009-02-20T13:23:00.002-06:00

A lot!

But, obviously my desire to maintain this blog more frequently is not matching up to my ability to do so. (Sigh.)

The next few posts will be belated recaps of the rest of the fall and winter activities, and then once I'm caught up I'll dig in to the TERF program planning and the SIFT Cohort 2 recruitment.

Tis the Season to be Report Writing...

2008-11-13T13:25:00.002-06:00

The official year one progress report on our ISE project is due to the National Science Foundation on November 30. So, obviously my thoughts are consumed by this right now!

Report writing can be tedious, as you have to find a way to pull a year's worth of programming data together. But, it is a fantastic challenge and it gives you the ability to see the big picture. All of the plans coming together. All of the hard work paying off.

Looking back over the previous blog entries has really been helpful while working on the report! I wish there had been more time for me to capture our thoughts in this way. I can really see the holes in between the blog entries at the end of the summer and during this fall. Now that I have experienced the blog on the project as an effective tool for thought process capture, I will try to make a pronounced effort to keep up.

(Yeah, right. We'll see...)

GIS Training at Wash U

2008-10-24T14:44:00.005-05:00

The SIFTers spent some time indoors for a change during the weekend of August 9th and 10th. Three separate 3-hour GIS training sessions were offered in the computer lab at the Natural Sciences Learning Center in the Biology Department at Washington University.

Dr. Bob Coulter, director of the Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, instructed the SIFTers on the basics of geographical information systems and showed how they can be useful in environmental research.

SIFT Saturday in September

2008-10-24T14:12:00.007-05:00

So, it's been quite a while since I blogged. Life has a way of happening, you know? Anyway, I'll try to catch up. Those SIFTers have been quite busy!

Saturday, September 27 was our first all-SIFTer event and we brought teens from both summer sessions together at Shaw Nature Reserve. Aileen pulled out all sorts of things from her bag of tricks (a rubber chicken?!) and everyone got acquainted.

The afternoon was spent out in the field and we could not have asked for better weather. These SIFTers have some mad field skillz!

Monarch butterfly tagging...

Seed collecting...

Marking GPS points...

NSF ISE PI Summit, July 25-26

2008-08-05T14:24:00.007-05:00

My trip to Washington, D.C. for the NSF Informal Science Education PI Summit was fantastic!

Many thanks to Ellen McCallie and John Baek of the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) for putting on a great conference. I learned, I met, I networked, and I came home ready to plunge back into the project.

The Informal Science Education program has been around for 25 years and has sponsored over 1000 projects. The ISE budget is currently $65 million and supports 200 projects. Here is how our project fits into the NSF hierarchy.

National Science Foundation
Directorate for Education and Human Resources
Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings
Lifelong Learning Cluster
Informal Science Education
Youth and Community Programs (Sylvia James, program officer)
"Making Natural Connections" project (us)

The most important piece of information I picked up from the meeting was that we should be consulting the recently published NSF ISE guidelines for evaluation of ISE projects. It is called "Framework for Evaluating Impacts of ISE Projects" and can be downloaded from the front page of the CAISE website. (The ISE community is referring to it as "The Framework" for short.) I would like to schedule a meeting in September with Lydia and Kathi to go over the document in detail.

Another bit of important information is that the ISE program has a team of evaluators from Westat working on a Project Monitoring System. (Yes, PMS. This got a big laugh from the audience.) All new ISE projects, ours included, will need to be reporting in both FastLane and the PMS. The PMS was recently tested with 50 projects and will be rolling out to all of the projects soon. (I am to expect a FedEx package from Westat with all of the details.) The bad news is that many found the PMS to be a bit counterintuitive to use. The good news is that if we use The Framework to design our evaluation strategy, then this will lead to easy data entry into the PMS.

We should also be on the lookout for the forthcoming National Research Council (NRC) Report on Learning Science in Informal Environments. It should be available on-line in September and will be titled "LSIE: Learning Science in Informal Environments."

(So, on the administrative front, it looks like I've got my reading material and need to start synthesizing it into the project...)

In addition to the general sessions, I attended some discussion groups and visited as many posters as possible during the Project Showcase sessions. It was amazing to see the diversity of projects that are currently funded. Television shows, video games, interactive exhibits, afterschool programs, etc.

It appears that our project is somewhat unique in that it is based at a university and it targets teens. (The majority of ISE projects are targeted at children or the public and based at science museums or other informal science institutions.) So I made sure to connect with those people who have similar projects and hope to stay in contact. I'm especially interested in talking further with the director of a teen-targeted and teen-run scientific cafe project. Her model could be useful with the SIFT and TERF teens.

The discussion on "Environmental Literacy: Taking Action through ISE" gave me an idea about modeling conservation and sustainability within the SIFT and TERF programs and then attemping to track the possible transformational effect on the teen participants. How do we get inspiration to turn into action? Of course, the real question is "Can we actually measure this?" Need to ask Kathi... And get a hold of the National Guidelines for Excellence in Environmental Education...

SIFT Session 2 Day 5

2008-08-05T13:51:00.010-05:00

The final day of SIFT Session 2 was a bit different than the final day of SIFT Session 1. The weather cooperated this time and we were actually able to get into the field for the ant behavior experiment.

But first, the day started with breakfast in the Assembly Building.

And then each group shared their data from the terrestrial ecosystems investigations of the previous day.

It was very rewarding seeing the SIFTers come to their own definitions of prairies, glades, and woodlands based on actual scientific data!

The SIFTers had heard all week about Dr. James Trager being an expert on ants, and now they got a chance to see him in action. They were introduced to the fascinating world of ants with a NOVA program hosted by E.O. Wilson and then became familiar with the common ants of Missouri.

The ant behavior experiment involved baiting specific spots on the ground with bits of pecan sandies cookies or tuna, and then making observations of ant interactions as they arrived on the scene.

The final field challenge of the week was a hunt for the afternoon snack. Three groups of SIFTers each headed out with a different starting clue. If they successfully followed their set of clues then they eventually found toppings for ice cream sundaes. Unfortunately, the clues were not as easy as we thought and we had to guide the last group in so that we could start eating!

SIFT Session 2 Day 4

2008-08-05T09:55:00.009-05:00

Day 4 started with a bit of additional excitement as the SIFTers arrived with their overnight gear. Knowing that they would be spending the night in the lodges definitely added a spark to the day's experiences.

The first activity was finishing up the aquatic investigations data posters from the day before. Each group presented their findings and then we analyzed the data sets to see if there were trends for the lentic (still water) and lotic (flowing water) sites.

The rest of the day was spent on terrestrial investigations, similar to those on SIFT Session 1 Day 4. However, this time around the SIFTers were not given much background information on the different ecosystems. Rather than have an introductory presentation on prairies, glades, and woodlands, each small group conducted scientific investigations of each terrestrial area, and used this information as the basis for their knowledge of the area type. This inquiry-based approach allowed them to compare/contrast different data sets, draw their own conclusions, and then take ownership of the new knowledge. And, not surprisingly, it worked out really well!

Discussing observations of different plant growth forms

Prairie sampling

Glade sampling

After a much needed afternoon break, the SIFTers had dinner with some visiting field ecologists from Tyson Research Center and a paleoethnobotanist. The teens did a great job of interacting with the scientists and were able to get some insights into careers in field science.

The evening ended with a night hike, black light insect show, and s'mores around the campfire.

Sorry...

2008-08-05T09:30:00.002-05:00

I apologize profusely for neglecting this blog for so long. As soon as SIFT Session 2 finished up, I was swept up into the crazy-busy world of summer programming in Washington University Science Outreach.

So, after a trip to University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill to teach a genomics workshop for biology teachers, four weeks of the Life Sciences for a Global Community institute, and a trip to D.C. for the NSF ISE PI Summit, I'm finally able to catch my breath and spend some time updating the blog.

Stay tuned...

SIFT Session 2 Day 4

2008-06-27T09:07:00.010-05:00

SIFT Session 2 Day 3

2008-06-25T19:10:00.007-05:00

Today the rising sun quickly burned through the morning cloud cover, causing a rise in temperature and some standard St. Louis summer weather conditions. Hot. Hazy. Humid.

The SIFTers started their day with a discussion of the previous night's reading. They did a great job of deciphering the old-fashioned language of Lewis and Clark and debated the correct course of action when coming to a river fork. One SIFTer suggested sending scout groups up both forks and then regrouping to compare notes. This is in fact what Lewis and Clark decided to do! They collected more evidence (data) before settling on a single course of action (making a conclusion)...

The schedule for Session 2 Day 3 was similar to that for Session 1 Day 3, the "all day in the field" day for investigations into aquatic ecosystems.

The morning was spent using new skills to assess the abiotic and biotic conditions at Wolf Run Lake.

"I notice..."

"I wonder..."

Observations of pond organisms during biotic sampling

Dr. James Trager handles a very large Fisher spider

Gently setting everything free...

After cleaning up the gear from the morning, a ride in the Wilderness Wagon ended with lunch at the Trail House.

Catching a ride on the Wilderness Wagon

The afternoon was spent on SIFTer-designed assessments of the conditions at Brush Creek. Small groups set up their own investigations modeled on the morning activities. They completed both abiotic and biotic samplings, and compared/contrasted their results with those from the pond.

SIFT Session 2 Day 2

2008-06-24T20:56:00.007-05:00

Day 2 of SIFT Session 2 brought an overcast sky and high humidity. We kept a close eye on the weather radar map as a storm front headed up the I-44 corridor.

The schedule of activities was almost identical to that on Day 2 of Session 1, with the exception of much improved opening activities that kept the sleepy SIFTers awake.

Tim led a discussion of the reading and journal prompt from the night before, and there was quite a thoughtful response from the group. One SIFTer wondered, "What was going on at the time to make the author write this way?" Good question!

Lydia led the teens through an expansion of the SIFT concept map based on their reflections from the previous afternoon. They worked together to group activities from Day 1 into the categories of collaboration, skills, and content.

Ah, the power of the concept map...

The isopod inquiry activity brought smiles to the group

Creating a good dichotomous key for a few simple leaves is not as easy as it sounds!

We finally had a bit of a downpour during lunch, but no winds or significant thunder and lightning. And nothing kept the SIFTers from heading out to the field in the afternoon!

SIFT Session 2 Day 1

2008-06-24T09:03:00.019-05:00

Wow, what a different group of teens! Where the first group was fairly quiet and contemplative on Day 1, this group of 22 has verbally engaged with the SIFT instructors and each other from the moment they met at the various bus stops. Very different group dynamic...

The activities for Session 2 Day 1 followed the same schedule as during Session 1 Day 1. However there was the addition of more information on ticks (and ticks in viewing boxes!) during the morning outdoor safety session (Tim) and the addition of whole group GPS unit training and practice (Tim/Lydia) before the afternoon "challenge."

There was also a change in teaching strategy with the use of concept maps during the introduction to field biology (James) and during the afternoon wrap up (Lydia).

GPS practice

Something about putting Red in the Shed???

Learning the Shaw Nature Reserve map

Finding their way...

Checking in with Lydia on the radio

Group listening/communication puzzle challenge

Interestingly, the afternoon navigational challenge from the Dana Brown Center to the Trail House was particularly challenging for these SIFTers. One group became lost early in the trek, retraced their route, and then went off their assigned route to make it to the Trail House in time. Two groups had to abandon their field exploration tasks to make it in on time. And Tim had to go out to lead another group in. There were many lessons learned about collaboration and navigation skills, but all agreed that it was fun.

Between the SIFT Sessions

2008-06-24T06:30:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday, June 18 all of the SIFT staff met to debrief the first session. While we were fairly happy with how the week-long curriculum was implemented, we all agreed that there were places where we would like to make adjustments. Interestingly, the comments from the first group of SIFTers supported this and seemed to align with our identification of weaker areas. Thanks to Kathi for providing timely formative assessment!

The biggest change we decided to make was in our "wrapping" of the curriculum in the bigger picture. We found that the first group didn't seem to "see" the point of some activities and we must have lost the communication of each day's theme in our quest to get the SIFTers up and doing things. We did find ourselves "reading" the group as needing to stay active in order to keep their interest, but it may be that the group was just more quiet and less likely to appear engaged during presentation moments.

Lydia came up with the idea to introduce concept mapping to the morning intro and afternoon wrap up. This is a potentially powerful teaching tool that we think will make the big picture of the SIFT curriculum more transparent to the SIFTers. We decided to place even more emphasis on the key words of collaboration, skills, and content by placing them as the three key components of the SIFT concept map. And, we decided to reinforce use of the concept mapping tool by using it in additional activities, like during the introduction to outdoor safety (Tim) and introduction to field biology (James) on Day 1. It will be interesting to see how this process is received by the second group of SIFTers and if we see a corresponding difference in the climate survey responses during Session 2.

Feedback from the first group of SIFTers indicated that they would really enjoy more time learning and mastering the use of the GPS units. So, we rebuilt sections of the Day 1 activities to incorporate GPS training for the whole group and added use of the GPS units into all field activities for the whole week. It is an increasingly critical skill for field scientists to possess, so it makes perfect sense for the SIFTers to have as much exposure to it as possible. And the GPS points are also something that we can build into the content of the SIFT and TERF wiki...

A major logistical change between the SIFT sessions is the change in bus transportation providers. There was not a single bus run during SIFT Session 1 that did not result in a late program start or a late return trip. It was very frustrating to have the one thing out of our direct control have so many problems. We have fired First Student and contracted with Durham for SIFT Session 2. We may investigate renting two 15-passenger vans for summer 2009.

Next post will report on the second group of SIFTers and how they handled Day 1...

SIFT Session 1 Day 5

2008-06-16T10:48:00.009-05:00

Unfortunately, we awoke to very cloudy skies on Day 5. We made it out into the field briefly, but had to switch over to backup activities as the rain fell in a steady downpour for the rest of the day. The SIFTers took this in stride and stayed in good spirits. They were exhausted, so it was not hard to keep them indoors...

7:30 Wake up
8:00 Move overnight gear to Assembly Building
8:15 Breakfast
9:00 Ant baiting behavior study - SIFTers work in pairs, set up bait sites in field (James)

Observing ant behavior at cookie bait site

Watching ants run from the rain

SIFTers confined to the porch

10:00 NOVA program on ants with E.O. Wilson
11:00 Organism observation (simulation) - SIFTers divided into three groups; each group must find, observe, and record information about assigned "organism" and its habitat; each group must make inferences regarding "organism"; groups share observations and conclusions (Barb)

Discussing inferences

12:00 Lunch
1245 Post-program survey (Kathi)
1:30 Photos, blog, and wiki - share photos from week; show project director's blog site; show collaborative wiki site and explain that it is a place for the SIFTers to document/share their experiences (Susan)
2:30 School year activities - review dates for GIS/GPS session in August, fall and spring Saturdays, and winter weekend overnight; discuss work projects (Lydia)
3:00 Something FUN - SIFTers write positive messages to each other and make ice cream sundaes (Karen, Katie Z.)
3:45 Final sharing session - review big picture from the whole week; SIFTers share best things about the week and give advice for the next session (Lydia, Susan)
4:00 Bus loads up

SIFT Session 1 Day 4 Overnight Activities

2008-06-16T10:21:00.005-05:00

The SIFTers got to experience and investigate Shaw Nature Reserve in a very different way by staying overnight on Day 4.

8:15 Prepare for night hike
8:30 Night hike - SIFTers divided into two groups (James/Aileen, Tim)
9:45 Black light insect viewing - insect identification (James)
10:00 Campfire and S'mores - Sharing session, SIFTers go around circle to thank someone and rate their experience so far (Aileen)
11:00 Lights out

Listening to frog calls

James identifies EVERY insect attracted to the light

An overnight out in the field would not be complete without a campfire and S'mores...

SIFT Session 1 Day 4 Dinner with Scientists

2008-06-16T10:01:00.006-05:00

After a much needed late afternoon break, the SIFTers had dinner and discussion time with five practicing field scientists from Tyson Research Center. Despite our concerns that it might make for an awkward interaction, the conversations flowed freely. The scientists did a great job of putting the SIFTers at ease and answered questions about their research projects, their lifestyles, and their future plans.

Dr. Jon Chase, director of Tyson Research Center and project PI, tackles the "puffin or penguin" debate as an ice breaker with the SIFTers.

Post-doctoral fellow Dr. Jean Burns explains her journey to becoming an ecologist.

Graduate student Wade Ryberg talks about his studies of collared lizards.

SIFT Session 1 Day 4

2008-06-16T09:12:00.010-05:00

I've gotten a bit behind as Day 4 and Day 5 went by so quickly and then the weekend hit. Here is a recap of our incredibly busy Day 4 terrestrial communities investigations...

9:15 Intro to plant growth forms and leaf shapes (James)
9:30 Plant forms challenge - find and identify plant growth forms and leaf shapes around the Dana Brown Center (James)
10:00 Prairie and wetland habitats field observations - intro to each habitat (James); SIFTers investigate soil depth, rockiness, amount of bare ground, detritus, dominant plant growth form, hairy plants, sunlight reaching soil, etc; debrief and compare results (James)

Taking a soil core sample

Assessing a soil core sample

Comparing two soil core samples

They do smell different!

12:00 Lunch
12:30 Glade, woodland, and floodplain habitats field observations - intro to each habitat (James); SIFTers investigate; debrief and compare results (James)
1:45 Break
2:00 Vegetative investigation in woodlands - SIFTers walk Jane's Trail investigating burned and unburned areas (James); pairs describe/measure/estimate growth forms present, # species, plant density (% cover), plant height, litter depth, pH and particle composition of soil samples; debrief and compare results (James)

Tim explains an ephemeral pond

Quick tick check!

3:00 Move into lodges - housing groups and rules (Aileen); SIFTers move overnight gear into lodges

3:30 Break - showers, rest, relax

SIFT Session 1 Day 3

2008-06-12T11:38:00.010-05:00

Yet another good weather day! We are beginning to doubt that we are still in St. Louis in June. It was a hotter day, but still not nearly as humid as it normally is this time of the season.

One highlight of the day was coming across real field biologists in their natural habitat! We met up with a bumble bee research team from the University of Illinois and they were kind enough to share information about their project with us. A few SIFTers asked if there was a way for us to get them involved! I will follow up with James and his contact on that particular project. Hopefully we can coordinate an opportunity for some SIFTers to help.

9:00 Review previous day - go over last night's passage (Tim); review activities (James)
9:15 Prepare for whole day in the field - pack lunches, water bottles, field notebooks, etc.;
9:40 Walk to Wolf Run Lake
10:00 Aquatic Ecology at Wolf Run Lake - observe pond, sketch/write descriptions (Tim); macroinvertebrate sampling and abiotic investigations (Tim, Aileen, James); "I notice... I wonder..."

12:00 Wilderness Wagon to the Trail House
12:15 Lunch
12:45 Debrief morning investigation - What do the results mean? Conclusions about Wolf Run Lake? (Tim/Aileen); review "I notice... I wonder..."; explain creek investigation and setting up student-led studies (Tim)
1:15 Walk to Brush Creek
1:30 Aquatic Ecology at Brush Creek - SIFTers set up own investigations modeled after the morning pond investigation (Tim, Alieen, James)

3:00 Wilderness Wagon back to Dana Brown Center
3:15 Debrief afternoon investigation - compare and contrast pond and creek (Tim, Aileen, James)

3:45 Review schedule for tomorrow - what to bring for overnight, questions for dinner with scientists (Lydia)
4:00 Bus loads up

The Day 2 Bus Breakdown Incident

2008-06-12T10:35:00.007-05:00

So, just when we thought we got all of the transportation issues under control... We had a bus breakdown as we headed home for the day! The bus was overheating, but luckily the driver was able to get us to an exit so we were not stranded on the highway.

Field observations of transmission fluid leaking from the bus.

Practicing map skills in the mini-mart at the Shell station.

Getting silly waiting for some parents to pick up and for a new bus to arrive. (And making fun of my constant photography...)

All in all, it was not an emergency. More like an inconvenience. We ended up adding just one hour to the trip home. But, after a long day in the field, that extra hour seemed to take forever!

SIFT Session 1 Day 2

2008-06-10T15:12:00.005-05:00

The weather could not be more beautiful! It is around 80˚F with clear skies, a light breeze, and low humidity. What a great day to be out at Shaw!

Unfortunately, we had bus issues again today. The bus did not show up again, and we ended up leaving 40 minutes late from the first stop. We did make up some time on the road, but once again we were 30 minutes behind schedule. We are very frustrated with the bus company and can really do nothing but complain as the mix-ups happen. The teens are being incredibly patient as we work through the issues that come with being the first cohort of a new program. I can't imagine how we would be handling these problems without cell phones!

We have 24 SIFTers participating in Day 2. A few mentioned having ticks attached last night, but most did not. We seem to be past the "panic" associated with the ticks, and now they are more of a known "challenge." We will not be in the deep field areas as much today, so hopefully there will be no ticks to pull this evening...

9:30 Isopod Inquiry - "I notice..." using field notebooks to record observations; group recording of observations; isopod vocabulary (Lydia, James, Tim)

10:15 Science vocabulary activities - getting to know and use scientific root words, prefixes, and suffixes (Tim)
10:45 Classification activities - "One Is, One Isn't" activity; group activity using coins to create branching keys; teams building branching keys using 10 leaves; as a group, convert branching to stacking (Karen)
12:20 Lunch
12:50 The Power of Words/A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - SIFTers work in groups of 2-3 to describe a place near the Dana Brown Center using either words only or digital camera only; groups switch and see if they can find other groups' place (Tim)

2:00 Introduction to abiotic testing - review abiotic environmental factors; review chemicals (pH, DO, nitrates); explain how to do titrations and color wheel, soil particles; review safety procedures (goggles, wash hands, proper disposal of chemicals); go to stations and conduct tests (Lydia/Barb)

3:15 Debrief session - (Lydia/Barb)
3:45 Quote for the day - (Tim/Aileen)
4:00 Bus loads up

SIFT Session 1 Day 1 Recap

2008-06-10T14:16:00.005-05:00

I thought it might be useful to actually recap the schedule of activities from yesterday before moving on to Day 2. Last night I was mainly concerned with mastering photo uploading and forgot to give the day's schedule.

9:30 Welcome and overview - all staff introduced (Tim, Aileen, Katie, Kathi, Susan, James, Lydia); brief overview of the week (Lydia)
9:40 Get acquainted activites - focus on collaboration, what do you bring to the group? (Lydia)
10:10 Orientation to the site - map of SNR, "Rules" of conduct, logistics of site (restrooms, water sources, etc.) (Lydia)
10:15 Outdoor safety - awareness of non-friendly MO plants and animals (ticks, poison ivy, etc.), hydration, sun exposure, heat exposure; "Comfort Zone" vs "Challenge Zone" vs "Panic Zone" (Tim)
11:00 SIFTer supplies - binders, field notebooks, day packs, water bottles, etc. (Lydia)
11:25 Intro to field biology - what is it, why do we need field biologists, is science "finished" or is there more to learn (James)
12:00 Lunch break
12:30 Skill session - SIFTers separated into four groups with each group learning a new set of skills; map reading (Lydia), compass skills (Aileen), GPS (Tim), field equipment (radio, light meters, soil thermometers, etc.) (James)
1:00 Collaborative groups - SIFTers jigsawed into six collaboratives with each member contributing a different set of new skills (Lydia); personal gear loaded onto truck for transport to Trail House
1:30 Outdoor Challenge - each SIFTer group must make their way from the Dana Brown Center to the Trail House using the skills learned in the earlier session; goals include collaboration, using the skills taught, getting to know the site, using field notebooks (Lydia)
3:30 Debriefing at the Trail House - focus on the collaboration piece; introduce reading/passage for the next day (Tim/Aileen)
4:00 Bus loads up

I cannot believe how well the first day went. Outside of the bus snafu first thing in the morning, the day's activities went smoothly and without any significant issues. This group of teens showed maturity, enthusiasm, and cooperation! It is unusual to have such a strong group of high school students together in one educational setting. The instructors are having the time of their lives!

SIFT Session 1 Day 1

2008-06-09T20:50:00.014-05:00

The Shaw Institute for Field Training (SIFT) is officially underway!

There were a few transportation glitches this morning, but with use of cell phones and a lot of patience we were able to get everyone on the bus with only a 30 minute delay by the time we arrived at Shaw Nature Reserve.

The 25 Session 1 participants enjoyed perfect field conditions at ~80˚F, with partly cloudy skies and a light breeze. The morning was spent getting to know one another (Lydia), getting to know more about field biology (James), and getting information on safety in Missouri natural areas (Tim). Tim led an activity to help the SIFTers identify their "comfort zone," "challenge zone," and "panic zone" related to spending time in the outdoors. Flying insects and ticks were the most common outdoor hazards that fell into the "challenge zone" for most teens.

After lunch, skill building sessions introduced map reading, compass use, GPS, and a variety of field measurement tools.

The SIFTers spent the afternoon in collaborative groups, exploring Shaw Nature Reserve using map, compass, and GPS units to navigate their way from the Dana Brown Center to the Trail House, and completing field observations along the way.

We finished the day by revisiting the idea of the "challenge zone" to see if any of the SIFTers had changed their minds after spending time in the field. While the flying insects and ticks were still considered a "challenge," some SIFTers shared that they had moved their thoughts about them away from the border of the "panic zone." I witnessed several incidents of the SIFTers working together to check each other for ticks and help those with phobias remove the ticks from their pants legs. Strong work for teens who had just met that morning...

SIFT Orientation Session Great Success!

2008-05-19T09:07:00.004-05:00

Thank you to everyone that made the SIFT Orientation Session such a great success yesterday! (Lydia Toth, Jon Chase, Kathi Beyer, Barb Addelson, and James Trager)

After dealing with data projection issues and very early attendees, we had smooth sailing. Close to 100 people attended the event on a gorgeous late spring afternoon!

You could feel the excitement as everyone explored the Dana Brown Education Center. Several parents asked if they could attend the overnight during the summer session. What a testament to the unique and comfortable cabins and assembly building. I'm looking forward to spending the night myself...

I'm pleased to report that all of our administrative goals for the session were met. We received back the enrollment forms from the participants, we communicated the project overview, we secured consent/assent forms for the educational research study, we administered the pre-program surveys to both participants and parents/guardians, we got information for planning the summer session bus routes, and most importantly, we met with the families in person.

There were 44 SIFTers in attendance. Two additional SIFTers could not make the event, and five did not show up despite sending a response to attend. So, we do have a little bit of catch up work with those who missed out. If we get final confirmation of participation from all of these, then we will have 51 SIFTers for 2008-09.

I think yesterday quite a bit of reassurance happened on both ends - we were reassured to see the participants show up and the participants and parents were reassured to see the quality of the program, facilities, and staff.

I also have to say that it was really exciting for me to see all of us together presenting a unified project! We had Shaw, Tyson, Science Outreach, and our evaluator all there representing the different parts of the partnership. To quote Col. Hannibal Smith from the A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together..."

2008-05-13T09:35:00.005-05:00

SIFTer Update
Our final applicant count is 52. Not bad for such short notice!

There are 38 confirmed SIFTers as of this morning. I sent out an e-mail yesterday afternoon that generated a few more RSVPs. I would really like to hit the 40 mark and would be thrilled if we had more than 40. Attrition is an issue with year-long programs, so the larger the starting numbers, the better.

There are 19 participants signed up for Session 1 and 17 signed up for Session 2. Two additional participants do not have a preference on session and we may ask them to be in Session 2 for balance.

The enrollment packages did go out as planned. I went ahead and sent them to all accepted applicants even if they had yet to confirm their participation. Need to keep the ball rolling...

Orientation Session Update
I've sent around the tentative agenda to Lydia, Jon, and our evaluator Kathi Beyer. It is amazing how quickly you can fill up 1 1/2 hours...

Kathi is getting the participant and parent surveys finalized for the orientation session on Sunday.

I will need to find time to make some PowerPoint slides before the end of the week.

Curriculum Update
Lydia and her staff are meeting this morning to go over the curriculum for the week-long summer sessions. There should be draft lesson plans in place with the all-important materials lists! It is time to start ordering supplies...

We have decided that final versions of lesson plans will be written up during the week between the two summer sessions. This way we can account for last minute changes and refinement after seeing the activities in action during the first session.

ISE PI Summit 2008
I have registered for the ISE PI Summit to be hosted by CAISE in Washington DC at the end of July.

We're In It Now!

2008-05-07T13:12:00.004-05:00

We are now up to 30 confirmed participants in SIFT 2008-09! Fingers crossed for more...

All of the documents for the enrollment package are being finished up and I plan to get the packages in the mail on Friday, or Monday morning at the very latest. Time to make the copies and stuff the envelopes...

Lydia and I met this morning and we now have a tentative agenda for the Orientation Session on Sunday, May 18th. I will need to get some slides together for the welcome and overview of the whole project. I'm hoping Jon will be willing to show some slides of Tyson research projects in action. Lydia will be handling the bulk of the presentation on the plans for the SIFT program for 2008-09. And then I need to address the whole educational research project angle and administer the first evaluation tool. I will try to think of a way to keep the presentation flowing and not too boring. Hmmmm. Props? Field tools? Is there a comedy angle? Maybe I should get everyone to tuck their pants in their socks... :) Oooh, just got a great idea for an ice breaker that involves screaming about ticks.

The summer session curriculum draft is looking good and the Shaw team has assigned the lead instructor roles for each activity. Those individuals are currently writing up their activities and the team will be meeting on Tuesday, May 13th to show progress. I'm very excited to see how it is all fleshing out from our original curricular skeleton.

I'm hoping to post a blog at least once or twice a week, but this might be hard as the programming season gets under way. I want to capture my thoughts, ideas, and conclusions as they happen, especially during the summer session weeks. I'll have to get in the habit of blogging at night, I think.

And then there's the wiki, too...

"Yikes, it's May!" Update

2008-05-06T08:59:00.004-05:00

As of this morning, we have 25 confirmed SIFTers. And so far, only one will be unable to attend the orientation session on May 18. Lydia and I will construct an alternate orientation plan once we have all of the RSVPs on Friday. Obviously the best case scenario is that only one SIFTer misses the session, but we can still squeeze in a shorter session if necessary. I am concerned that we could lose the data point for that participant if we don't get the pre-program survey/assessment administered. Will have to think on that...

Interestingly, I have received an additional application for the program. This is significantly after the application deadline, but it is from a student in a targeted school district and she has very strong recommendations from her teachers. I will consult with Jon and Lydia to see how they think this should be handled. My inclination is to accept her, especially with one of her recommending teachers mentioning that she is "the very best student I've ever taught!" That is definitely the kind of student that we want to be engaged in this program...

Lydia and I will be meeting with an additional instructor tomorrow. Jon has found someone with teaching and field research experience to act as a link between the SIFT and TERF programs and we would like to bring her on board as soon as possible. It will be good for her to establish a relationship with the first cohort of SIFTers so that they are familiar with her when some of them move on to become the first cohort of TERFers in 2009-10.

We Have Our First SIFTers

2008-05-02T15:43:00.003-05:00

After the short and intensive recruitment drive, we received a total of 50 applications. This was about what I had expected, but apparently significantly more than others thought we could get. I'm pleased to know that my extensive network of St. Louis area biology teachers stepped up to the plate and helped me find good kids. They made me look like a magician!

We also had help from Mary Burke with the Academy of Science-St. Louis, the St. Louis Public Schools, Felix Lui with the St. Louis Science Center Youth Exploring Science program, and Ken Mares with the STARS program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. All of these people showed enthusiasm for the project and passed the information on to teens that they knew would be interested. Amazing that a few well-placed e-mails can have such a large ripple effect. Gotta love the new technological communications age...

After setting up the database and reviewing the application files, we selected 48 participants. All of these kids had strong recommendations from their teachers and their short responses expressed sincere interest in the learning about the natural world through scientific investigation. They are also a great mix of ethnicities and cultural backgrounds.

The acceptance notifications went out yesterday via e-mail and I've already had confirmations from 14. So, we have our first SIFTers! Lydia and I decided to give them until May 9 to respond and confirm participation, so we will know the final numbers in a week.

Getting the pieces of the enrollment package together is next on the To Do list... (Along with a million other things!)

48 Applicants!

2008-04-22T13:36:00.003-05:00

As of this moment I have 48 application files!

Not all of the application files are complete and I am hoping to receive the last of the teacher recommendations shortly. I need to decide whether to call applicants to let them know that their files are complete or not. There is the possibility that they do not realize a teacher has forgotten to submit a recommendation. I would hate to penalize the teen for the (in)action of a teacher... Since we are in need of as many applicants as possible, I guess I will be making some calls.

There are 12 male applicants and 36 female applicants. While this is very heavy on the girls, it is not unexpected. Jon and I had discussed this possibility. The field of ecology is actually doing fairly well in terms of participation by women. However, the engagement of underrepresented minorities is one thing we hope to impact with this program.

It is time to start the applicant database and see what the demographics really look like...

On another note, I am finally working from my new computer! The new Leopard OS on my MacBook Pro is a bit different from my last OS and it will take some time to discover and master the new functionality. Looks like some cool stuff, though. Hopefully the excitement of the new bells and whistles will offset the loss of some of my files and e-mail...

The Apps Are Coming, The Apps are Coming!

2008-04-18T11:09:00.004-05:00

More phone calls, some faxes, one scanned app via e-mail, one app dropped at SNR, and even a run out to the parking lot for a hand delivery! The applications are coming in. Time to start a database, I think.

I'm not sure that we will have 60 participants, but we will certainly be able to have good sized groups in each of the two summer sessions. And I think we will have a diverse group of teens in regards to ethnicity, home location, and public/private school. However, the girl applicants are outnumbering the boys at this point.

I am taking quick looks at the applications as they come in, but we will not make any decisions until Friday, April 25, 2008. I will have an acceptance e-mail ready to go for after the selections are made that morning. Time to get going on the enrollment package materials...

Based on the preliminary numbers, Lydia and I have decided to have a single orientation session on May 18, 2008 at 2:00 pm. The Assembly Building at the Dana Brown Overnight Center is plenty large to handle the selected SIFTers and 1-2 parents each. This session will serve several purposes.

Final check of the enrollment forms
Communication about what to bring and what to expect for the SIFT summer sessions
Tour of the SNR facilities, especially the overnight cabins
Pre-program surveys and interviews with our evaluator Kathi Beyer
Introduction of SIFT program staff
General parental reassurance and get acquainted type activities

It is so exciting to finally be at this point in the planning. Connecting with the applicants, parents, and teachers is really bringing the project into reality.

The Arrival of Applications

2008-04-16T16:36:00.001-05:00

I am beginning to feel better about the recruitment efforts over the last few weeks. My phone is starting to ring quite a bit. Calls from both parents and teachers wanting more information and to know if it is too late to start the application process. Even a couple of calls from the students themselves. (Gold star!)

Right now I have 19 files started and have some additional names to look for as more applications come in. We will definitely fill the two summer sessions. Whew!

One of the lessons we are learning about recruitment for K-12 students is that the word gets around after the first programming year. The piles of applications coming in for the Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp right now! We struggled to fill some of our participant categories in the camp's first year and now we can't keep up with the daily mail drop.

So, I anticipate really hitting the jackpot with applications next year at this time. Or we won't, and I'll be out at different schools every day grabbing kids out of biology classrooms and making them fill out applications... :)

Another Day, Another New Technology

2008-04-11T08:54:00.004-05:00

So after getting this blog up and running I decided to try my hand at creating a wiki on Wetpaint.com.

The reason for this is that while a blog is a good communication device, it is mostly one way, with new information only coming from the bloggers. For this project, that will be good for immediate posting of program information and photos. However, we do want the teenage participants to have the ability to input and communicate. And a wiki should be able to do that. It is a much larger collaborative (that word again!) space. And there can be different pages for the SIFT and TERF programs, and even for each participant or SIFT summer collaborative. And we can completely control access to the wiki and set differing levels of permissions for adding content to the site. So, it should meet our needs in terms of handling the teenagers, who may be significantly more computer literate than we are!

I was able to secure a similar web address for the wiki: http://www.ebfre.wetpaint.com/

The site does not look like much yet, but hopefully I'll get access to my back up files soon and will be able to add photos and program descriptions. I tried to set up links to external sites for Shaw and Tyson yesterday (like I have here on the blog) but they seemed to only want to redirect to pages within Wetpaint. Hmmm. I'll have to figure that one out.

The Wetpaint wiki design interface is not as intuitive as Blogger, so I'm not picking it up as quickly. But, that could just be because a wiki is a more robust bit of web-ing. It can do more, so it takes more work to get it to do its thing...

I think the lesson learned is that this stuff is not hard to do. (I didn't even have to pull out my HTML training book and try to remember how to use HTML!) But, it does require some time for the initial set up. Maintenance should be a breeze. (Of course I say that now, before summer programming has hit...lol)

Promised to make a blog for the BHSSC next. I'll go secure the site address right now...

Digging Deeper into Blog Design, Plus Project Status

2008-04-10T09:02:00.004-05:00

Today I'm going to try to spend some time figuring out all the bells and whistles on this thing. It does not seem too hard to navigate between all of the features and options.

I would like to have a permanent description of the ISE project on the front page so I'll try to make that happen first. One major challenge will be getting to my files for the text. (The barrier of the stolen computer yet again. New one is now on order!)

I would also like to get links to both Tyson and Shaw up here somewhere and so I will need to learn how to make hot links. Shouldn't be too difficult. Blogger seems to have thought of everything needed for a blog build and it looks like they are adding new options all the time.

So, what is the status of the ISE project itself?
Definitely off and running, especially since the funding came through. I was rather pleased that all of the partners in this project were committed to moving forward in the absence of external funding, but it sure will make our lives easier to have the funding! Hopefully the excited vibe will continue to exist as we get closer to summer and the first bit of student programming at Shaw.

The first two curriculum development meetings for the Shaw Institute for Field Training (SIFT) component went very well. The Shaw instructors appear to understand exactly what needs to be included in the week-long summer experience to embody the project vision and meet the project goals. And they have come up with a strong schedule of linked activities and investigations. There was a good feeling of synergy and collaborative spirit in the room during both meetings. We have decided that the word "collaboration" is the underpinning theme for the week and we are going to try to remember to refer to the participant groups as "collaboratives" rather than teams. I'm impressed by the Shaw collaborative (!) and can't wait to see them in action this summer.

I am starting to see applications come in before the deadline of April 18, which is a good sign that the recruitment strategy (e-mail blitz) worked. I am seeing responses from schools in St. Louis County and St. Louis City, and have gotten a couple from MICDS. And I fielded my first parent phone call this morning from Central VPA HS (SLPS). The word is definitely out, but the question is, are there students interested in the program? Fingers crossed... Lydia and I will talk tomorrow to decide if we need to make another recruitment push.

Jumping in to the Blogosphere

2008-04-09T15:35:00.003-05:00

GERONIMO!!! I'm jumping into the blogosphere without even a set of floaty wings...

Funny thing. Despite being somewhat computer savvy and overly verbal, I've never blogged before. Read a few, even made a few comments. But never taken the plunge until now.

I think this will start out as a way to document the process of our NSF ISE project and eventually morph into a way to communicate with and facilitate communication between the project participants. We'll see...

It suddenly occurs to me that starting this blog is a direct result of the theft of my computer. I am feeling lost without my 3 1/2 year old shiny silver friend filled to the brim with documents, lists, curricula, contacts, and calendars. Maybe by casting this blog out to the ether, I am trying to secure my work in a more secure place? A place that has no need for cable locks?

Would a wiki be better? Hmmmm