Student Generated Data (continued)


the Wisconsin Water Youth Stories Summit brought together students from across the state of Wisconsin who are interested in not only environment and ecosystems, but also water quality and sharing their “water stories”. Supported by an EPA grant, this Summit was a culminating experience for many of the youth, getting to collect and share their findings over their 3 day period at Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center (Grant Number: EPA- 00E02045). This two year grant has trained and equipped educa- tors with DOTS tool with an emphasis on water quality monitor- ing. Throughout the year, youth from around Wisconsin collect data and share their findings with others in real time on the web. At the Water Stories Summit, each group brought their DOTS kit to explore the environment and compare collected data sets. This experience not only brought together young scientists with a vested interest in the future of water, but also allowed students to share stories of local wa- ter quality that affects their own communities around the state. Many shared stories about urban run-off pollution, such as lawn fertilizers and road salt, E. coli contamination, and they discussed the ways in which humans alter natural waterways. At the end of their experience one student said they learned that, “science is being precise and unbiased about nature and numbers.” Another student said of a different Upham experience, “We went to Blackhawk Island for our project. The tools helped us take photos of what was under the rock. The tools help to see what animals were living there. We came up with a lot of new questions after we did our research and we can’t wait to find out things like, if the temperature affects what animals we will find living under a rock, and what animals live at different depths.” Through these collaborations of student generated data, participants were able to make connections be- tween each other and drive further inquiry questions such as how to improve water use and consumption, and how the water affects all other life.


While the kits themselves are certainly an enhancement to a variety of curriculum, the training that accompanies the deploy- ment is just as important as the tools themselves. Educators that partner on DOTS projects are supported with (1) Equipment, (2) Training and (3) a Web platform for collaboration. It is the interre- lationship between the inquiry tools, inquiry methods and inquiry


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artifacts that provide the support for transformative outdoor sci- ence experiences. A DOTS kit consists of a select set of digital tools to equip youth and educators with everything they need to take a basic data set of an ecosystem and microclimate. Contained in a water- proof, heavy-duty case, the tools selected are chosen for their utility, cost effectiveness, and ease of use. Any suite of tools can be selected for an individual’s classroom purposes, this is first and foremost, a framework to scaffold inquiry and observational skills. DOTS users gain field experience with hand held weather stations, thermal imagers, digital field microscopes, GPS units, and cameras to contribute to local citizen science monitoring (Hougham and Kerlin, 2016). A DOTS program training is facili- tated by program staff and has evolved over time to include these six goals. While these are used in DOTS, nearly any technology implementation would benefit from these goals being outlined. 1. Establish functional and technical familiarity with DOTS


A student uses a water quality test to find the amount of phosphorus at a Wisconsin River location. Photo credit: DOTS participant.


Kit hardware 2. Orientation to DOTS Kit web interface, data uploading, and site visualizations 3. Examination of mo- bile, digital pedagogies in historical as well as applied contexts 4. Advance instruc- tional capacities in appli- cation of observation and inquiry facilitation appli- cable to experiences outside the classroom 5. Production of digi- tal artifacts that contribute to Scientific Storytelling 6. Facilitation of initial curricular design consider- ations for integrating kits into existing programs After the training, edu- cators have access to a suite of tools that can be lent out for deeper science connec-


tions in outdoor spaces. Further, trained educators can use grab- and-go lessons from the project website to launch the concepts with their students and watch videos produced and hosted on the site that provide further instruction on applications of the tools. Lastly, a web-based collaboration platform is hosted to support the development of additional inquiry. To continue this mission of enhancing student inquiry and promoting col- laboration, data sets can be uploaded to an online public access platform. As users enter their data online, the map displays in real time the coordinates and information of each data point. View- ers can easily navigate a Google map with their and other’s data points for comparison and post-experience observation. This immediate viewership not only falls in line with today’s student’s understanding of a fast-paced, immediately available world, but also allows no stagnation in the learning process as inquiry can continue instantaneously. Through engagement by use of digital


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