[Coral-List] Education is the key!

Kathryn Hedges Khedges at khwisdom.com
Tue Mar 14 08:09:24 EST 2006


One of the big problems with working with very poor students, 
particularly minority students in urban environments is that they are 
still far behind technologically.  Few of my students have computers at 
home, the library is not a very usefully option because time is limited 
to 20 minutes and if you have watched a person who is not comfortable 
with computer technology you will know they waste a lot of time figuring 
out what to do.  I know that I am not offering solutions but if we are 
aware of problems maybe we can figure out ways to work around them. 
NOAA was instrumental in my student's life changing experience.  They 
work with many students - a few at a time- and those few return home to 
tell their friends and relatives.  The first hand accounts are well 
received.  After our trip to Hawaii I was stopped on the street, in the 
grocery store, and at church by people who heard about our experience 
and who wanted to know more.  Students at our school were excited to 
learn more from Alessandra. 

Patti Nicoll wrote:

>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 co
> uld 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
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