Using Data in the Classroom 2006 Workshop

Overview of DLESE Data Services Workshops

Data Services Workshops bring together a wide range of professionals who have a stake in getting data used in educational settings: Earth science data providers, data access and analysis tool developers, scientists, curriculum developers, and educators all work together to explore and address issues regarding data use.

Plenary sessions inform attendees about a wide range of issues and proposed solutions regarding data access and analysis. Hands-on sessions give participants a chance to try out new strategies or technologies. The main feature of the meeting is small group work. Teams composed of participants representing the full range of roles at the workshop work together to outline data-rich educational modules. The small working group atmosphere elicits the skills and expertise of each team member, and allows them to see issues of data access, analysis, and educational use from new perspectives.

A report entitled "Facilitating the Use of Data in Education" will be developed using information from the workshops. The report will include descriptions of the characteristics of data sites and analysis tools that are successfully used in educational settings. It will also include tips for researchers, curriculum developers, and educators to help them build their data access and analysis skills.

2006 Data Services Workshop

When? Where?

The 2006 DLESE Data Services Workshop will be held May 15-17, 2006 at the Westward Look Resort in Tucson, Arizona. The workshop provides an opportunity for data representatives, software tool specialists, scientific researchers, curriculum developers, and educators to interact with one another in a variety of sessions, all working toward the common goal of facilitating the use of data in education.

IMPORTANT: You are responsible to make your own hotel reservation by calling the Westward Look at 800-722-2500. You will need to mention the DLESE Data Services Workshop to get the conference rate. If you need to make changes or cancel your reservation please call the hotel by April 30, 2006. Charges for a room canceled after that date or a no-show will be the responsibility of the participant, and your credit card will be charged accordingly.

Who?

We have already identified and invited a range of data providers and analysis tool developers to participate in the meeting. Scientists, educational materials developers, and educators who work with data in the Earth and environmental sciences are invited to identify themselves and register to participate. The complexity of data and analysis tools we have identified make this workshop most appropriate for college and high school educators.

What will happen during the workshop?

In addition to keynote presentations, hands-on lab sessions (Tool Time) and a poster session with the theme "Success Stories: Using Data in Education," attendees will be grouped into teams that include the full range of roles represented at the meeting. Team members will work together to develop an educational module, drawing upon the expertise of individuals in each role on the team. This practical exercise enables team members to learn from each other about the needs, practices, and expectations of the other groups.

Where can I find more details about the workshop?

Participants
Agenda
Presentation Abstracts
Poster Abstracts

Who will pay?

Hotel rooms, lunches, and breaks will be provided for accepted registrants; participants will receive vouchers toward breakfast at the resort. Participants will arrange and pay for their own dinnersthis structure will provide participants with opportunities for networking in small groups as well as the chance to experience the local flavor of Tucson.

A limited amount of funding is also available for airfare and ground transportation stipends; these will be awarded as necessary to ensure that all roles will be represented at the meeting. Participants who would like to arrive a few days early or extend their stay in Tucson can make their own arrangments for rooms at the Westward Look Resort at the conference rate of $111 per night.

What are the travel dates?

We anticipate that attendees will travel on May 14, arriving in Tucson in the mid-day to evening on Sunday. The meeting will begin with an optional dessert reception from 7 to 9 pm the evening of Sunday, May 14. The meeting will end at 2:30 pm. on Wednesday, May 17, facilitating participants' departure in the late afternoon or early evening from Tucson.