[Coral-List] Education is the key!

[Patti Nicoll]

As a teacher, I agree that education is the key. Although interaction of scientists with the public is important, it is also important to get students from different areas of the world dialoguing about what is happening in their area. Students respond very well to their peers. The students in coastal areas, provided they have a good teacher, will generally know a fair deal about threats to their region. Students in land-locked areas could benefit, and may just listen, to an exchange of information. The best way probably to do this is through web-chats, preferably including video (password protected connection). Unfortunately students today, due to the speediness of the world wide web, are not very patient when it comes to snail mail, but if it is the only option then it may still work. Once contact is made though, students and classes could exchange materials, perhaps sending care packages illustrating what the key components of their habitats are. The land-locked students could send information about their habitats as well, validating their contributions to the dialogue and trying to bridge connections between the two. I am on a crazy brainstorm right now and it is too late at night. If anyone has any further suggestions, please respond!
Thanks,
Patti