Re: [support-gang] Quake Catcher Network
Caryl Bigenho <[email protected]> Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:55:30 -0700
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.education.sugar.discuss,gmane.science.opensource.community |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
--===============1938846375== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_88ccfc3e-aaab-4e08-91b8-dc336aeef716_" --_88ccfc3e-aaab-4e08-91b8-dc336aeef716_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Nick and All=2C Yes=2C Cornell's Ornithology Lab has some wonderful "citizen science" progr= ams. I have enjoyed participating in their annual Great Backyard Bird Count= a couple of times.=20 The CoCoRaHS project=2C based at Colorado State University is also a nice a= ctivity for children (and adults like me) in the United States. I bought a= nd installed their rain gauge and report regularly during the months I live= in Montana (usually June through September). =20 http://www.cocorahs.org/ I see no reason why this sort of project couldn't be adapted for children i= n developing countries by having them make rain gauges from materials on ha= nd such as empty food containers. An Activity could be written that would = include instructions for making a gauge and calibrating it (area of a circl= e and other calculations needed)=2C a chart for recording data=2C mapping= =2C making graphs. and other things. Simple=2C inexpensive thermometers co= uld be purchased and they could also make a simple anemometer. There are l= ots of web sites with instructions for making both a rain gauge and an anem= ometer. There are even directions for a barometer (but I wonder how effecti= ve it would be?). Each child could have his/her own weather station or groups living in the s= ame neighborhood could make and share one. Data could be collected just on = a community basis (it is amazing how much difference there can be between = places just a few hundred yards or meters apart). If a central data gather= ing station could be set up on a county or provence wide basis=2C children = in many schools could share data and research it. Maps could be online sim= ilar to the ones on CoCoRaHS. Children could try their hand at weather fore= casting=2C ..... oh=2Cmy! I could go on and on! This could be a very fun= =2C educational=2C and useful activity! Any developers want to collaborate on an Weather Activity? I'd love to be = the "educational consultant" on it! Caryl (who in a former life taught both middle school and high school scie= nce and math) > Date: Mon=2C 19 Apr 2010 17:49:47 -0400 > Subject: Re: [IAEP] [support-gang] Quake Catcher Network > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > CC: [email protected]=3B soas-g/[email protected]=3B iaep-g/[email protected]= abs.org=3B [email protected] >=20 >=20 > I do appreciate your response and thoughts on how it would be difficult t= o > collect data regularly. I am hoping to install an XO-accessible weather > station in Uganda this summer. A device will monitor the sensor and > students can collect and post the data on their own schedule. >=20 > A large-scale project could start by choosing a simpler project where > students send reports about what they see. Last December I was on a call > with DigiLiteracy.org and Cornell's volunteer science program. Cornell i= s > interested in bird counts from OLPC schools in the US=2C India=2C and Lat= in > America. They also have a bilingual Celebrate Urban Birds program for cit= y > schools. Here is a report about their work with a school in Costa Rica: > http://www.birds.cornell.edu/netcommunity/Page.aspx?pid=3D1693 >=20 > I would be happy to help in bringing this program back to life. We have > put digital graphs=2C cameras=2C maps=2C and networks in schools around t= he > world=3B it would be amazing if we can connect them with practical scienc= e > projects. >=20 > Regards=2C > Nick Doiron >=20 > On Sun=2C April 18=2C 2010 11:44 pm=2C Yamandu Ploskonka wrote: > > Provincia San Luis in Argentina is doing an amazing project of > > calculating the carbon footprint of every community in the Provincia=2C= the > > kids go house byhouse interviewing the families on what kind of applian= ces > > they have=2C number of lightbulbs=2C etc. Classmates running winnows= =2C alas. > > > > > > Please disregard the rest of my response below - I'm into nonsense=2C n= o > > need to take any of that seriously=2C I just find it somewhat quaint I = fell > > into that=2C so I'm leaving it there > > > > as to massive data gathering=2C something on the lines of weather proje= cts > > could be fascinating=2C with adequate sensors. Anyway=2C so far we hav= en't > > even been able to figure out even what it is that kids use their comput= ers > > for=2C which simply would require to see / spider / datamine the Journa= ls. > > To assume that we will be able to have kids regularly upload > > information=2C and also somehow will we manage to get them previously t= he > > proper sensors... > > > > Now=2C with *adequate* data processing=2C having weather data moving ac= ross > > a locality with a couple hundred sensors *accurately* located would be > > terrific=2C especially cross referencing that with satellite data and d= oing > > it over a significant span of time. > > > > Same difficulty with anything of this kind. It's cute this was > > originally sold as something that would use accelerometers in computers= =2C > > but=2C oh=2C it turns out you need separate sensors. > > > > I've seen a few very clever Science Fair seismic sensors=2C but even th= e > > cheapest ones can run beyond what is practical to consider as individua= l > > expenses. And don't forget calibrating them=2C etc. I would be surpris= ed a > > sensor that actually can give useful information would cost less than a= n > > XO! > > > > > > On 04/18/2010 09:39 PM=2C Caryl Bigenho wrote: > > > >> Hi Nick=2C > >> > >> > >> Thanks for the link to the Science For Citizens site. Sounds like > >> most of these projects are for the US only. I wonder if there are > >> similar projects in other countries? Some really nice lessons could be > >> developed for students to do with their XOs with web access. Does > >> anyone know of others? > >> > >> Caryl >=20 = --_88ccfc3e-aaab-4e08-91b8-dc336aeef716_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <style><!-- .hmmessage P { margin:0px=3B padding:0px } body.hmmessage { font-size: 10pt=3B font-family:Verdana } --></style> </head> <body class=3D'hmmessage'> Hi Nick and All=2C<br><br>Yes=2C Cornell's Ornithology Lab has some wonderf= ul "citizen science" programs. I have enjoyed participating in their annual= Great Backyard Bird Count a couple of times. <br><br>The CoCoRaHS project= =2C based at Colorado State University is also a nice activity for children= (and adults like me) in the United States. =3B I bought and installed = their rain gauge and report regularly during the months I live in Montana (= usually June through September). =3B <br><a href=3D"%20http://www.cocor= ahs.org/"><br>http://www.cocorahs.org/</a><br><br>I see no reason why this = sort of project couldn't be adapted for children in developing countries by= having them make rain gauges from materials on hand such as empty food con= tainers. =3B An Activity could be written that would include instructio= ns for making a gauge and calibrating it (area of a circle and other calcul= ations needed)=2C a chart for recording data=2C mapping=2C making graphs. a= nd other things. =3B Simple=2C inexpensive thermometers could be purcha= sed and they could also make a simple anemometer. =3B There are lots of= web sites with instructions for making both a rain gauge and an anemometer= . There are even directions for a barometer (but I wonder how effective it = would be?).<br><br>Each child could have his/her own weather station or gro= ups living in the same neighborhood could make and share one. Data could be= collected just on a community =3B basis (it is amazing how much differ= ence there can be between places just a few hundred yards or meters apart).=  =3B If a central data gathering station could be set up on a county or= provence wide basis=2C children in many schools could share data and resea= rch it. =3B Maps could be online similar to the ones on CoCoRaHS. Child= ren could try their hand at weather forecasting=2C ..... oh=2Cmy! I could g= o on and on! =3B This could be a very fun=2C educational=2C and useful = activity!<br><br>Any developers want to collaborate on an Weather Activity?=  =3B I'd love to be the "educational consultant" on it!<br><br>Caryl&nb= sp=3B (who in a former life taught both middle school and high school scien= ce and math)<br><br>>=3B Date: Mon=2C 19 Apr 2010 17:49:47 -0400<br>>= =3B Subject: Re: [IAEP] [support-gang] Quake Catcher Network<br>>=3B Fro= m: [email protected]<br>>=3B To: [email protected]<br>>=3B CC: cb= [email protected]=3B soas-g/[email protected]=3B iaep-g/[email protected]= =3B [email protected]<br>>=3B <br>>=3B <br>>=3B I do appr= eciate your response and thoughts on how it would be difficult to<br>>=3B= collect data regularly. I am hoping to install an XO-accessible weather<b= r>>=3B station in Uganda this summer. A device will monitor the sensor an= d<br>>=3B students can collect and post the data on their own schedule.<b= r>>=3B <br>>=3B A large-scale project could start by choosing a simpler= project where<br>>=3B students send reports about what they see. Last D= ecember I was on a call<br>>=3B with DigiLiteracy.org and Cornell's volun= teer science program. Cornell is<br>>=3B interested in bird counts from = OLPC schools in the US=2C India=2C and Latin<br>>=3B America. They also h= ave a bilingual Celebrate Urban Birds program for city<br>>=3B schools. H= ere is a report about their work with a school in Costa Rica:<br>>=3B htt= p://www.birds.cornell.edu/netcommunity/Page.aspx?pid=3D1693<br>>=3B <br>&= gt=3B I would be happy to help in bringing this program back to life. We h= ave<br>>=3B put digital graphs=2C cameras=2C maps=2C and networks in scho= ols around the<br>>=3B world=3B it would be amazing if we can connect the= m with practical science<br>>=3B projects.<br>>=3B <br>>=3B Regards= =2C<br>>=3B Nick Doiron<br>>=3B <br>>=3B On Sun=2C April 18=2C 2010 1= 1:44 pm=2C Yamandu Ploskonka wrote:<br>>=3B >=3B Provincia San Luis in = Argentina is doing an amazing project of<br>>=3B >=3B calculating the c= arbon footprint of every community in the Provincia=2C the<br>>=3B >=3B= kids go house byhouse interviewing the families on what kind of appliances= <br>>=3B >=3B they have=2C number of lightbulbs=2C etc. Classmates run= ning winnows=2C alas.<br>>=3B >=3B<br>>=3B >=3B<br>>=3B >=3B Pl= ease disregard the rest of my response below - I'm into nonsense=2C no<br>&= gt=3B >=3B need to take any of that seriously=2C I just find it somewhat = quaint I fell<br>>=3B >=3B into that=2C so I'm leaving it there<br>>= =3B >=3B<br>>=3B >=3B as to massive data gathering=2C something on th= e lines of weather projects<br>>=3B >=3B could be fascinating=2C with a= dequate sensors. Anyway=2C so far we haven't<br>>=3B >=3B even been ab= le to figure out even what it is that kids use their computers<br>>=3B &g= t=3B for=2C which simply would require to see / spider / datamine the Journ= als.<br>>=3B >=3B To assume that we will be able to have kids regularly= upload<br>>=3B >=3B information=2C and also somehow will we manage to = get them previously the<br>>=3B >=3B proper sensors...<br>>=3B >=3B= <br>>=3B >=3B Now=2C with *adequate* data processing=2C having weather = data moving across<br>>=3B >=3B a locality with a couple hundred sensor= s *accurately* located would be<br>>=3B >=3B terrific=2C especially cro= ss referencing that with satellite data and doing<br>>=3B >=3B it over = a significant span of time.<br>>=3B >=3B<br>>=3B >=3B Same difficul= ty with anything of this kind. It's cute this was<br>>=3B >=3B origina= lly sold as something that would use accelerometers in computers=2C<br>>= =3B >=3B but=2C oh=2C it turns out you need separate sensors.<br>>=3B &= gt=3B<br>>=3B >=3B I've seen a few very clever Science Fair seismic sen= sors=2C but even the<br>>=3B >=3B cheapest ones can run beyond what is = practical to consider as individual<br>>=3B >=3B expenses. And don't f= orget calibrating them=2C etc. I would be surprised a<br>>=3B >=3B sens= or that actually can give useful information would cost less than an<br>>= =3B >=3B XO!<br>>=3B >=3B<br>>=3B >=3B<br>>=3B >=3B On 04/18/= 2010 09:39 PM=2C Caryl Bigenho wrote:<br>>=3B >=3B<br>>=3B >=3B>= =3B Hi Nick=2C<br>>=3B >=3B>=3B<br>>=3B >=3B>=3B<br>>=3B >= =3B>=3B Thanks for the link to the Science For Citizens site. Sounds lik= e<br>>=3B >=3B>=3B most of these projects are for the US only. I won= der if there are<br>>=3B >=3B>=3B similar projects in other countries= ? Some really nice lessons could be<br>>=3B >=3B>=3B developed for st= udents to do with their XOs with web access. Does<br>>=3B >=3B>=3B a= nyone know of others?<br>>=3B >=3B>=3B<br>>=3B >=3B>=3B Caryl<b= r>>=3B <br> </body> </html>= --_88ccfc3e-aaab-4e08-91b8-dc336aeef716_-- --===============1938846375== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline