NOAAs Teacher at Sea Program

1
NOAAs Teacher at Sea Program

• Jennifer Hammond
• NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations
• Education and Teacher at Sea Program Manager
• April 25, 2005
• http//www.tas.noaa.gov

2
Past (1990-2001)

• Began in 1990
• 400 teachers participated
• Averaging 30 teachers per year
• Total applicants per year average 90-100
• Part time staff in the coordinator position
  managed coordinating the teachers time on the
  ship
  
• 0 in funding (1990 2003)

3
Past (2001-2003)

• Established Partnership within NOAA and NSF
• Advertise a Call for Applications for specific
  research projects
  
• Sponsor teachers and increase requirements
• Created more visibility
• enhanced Web presence
• integrated live Web broadcasts
• coordinated events with Capitol Hill

4
Teacher at Sea Participants

• 266 Females
• 134 Males
• 106 Elementary, 114 Middle, 146 High School, 21
  College, 1 Principal, 12 All Levels
  
• Majority are Science teachers (over half
  includes Mathematics)
  
• Other subject areas include English, History,
  Art, Library Sciences, Foreign Languages,
  Technology, Outdoor Education, Counseling
  

5
Teacher at Sea Alumni
Data as of FY 2003
6
Present and Future

• Working with Partners Offices within NOAA, NSF,
  NASA, Universities and Colleges, Museum, Aquaria,
  and Scientists
  
• Managing Teacher at Sea Alumni Association
  (FY03)
  
• Advertise other NOAA opportunities (FY03)
• quarterly newsletter (FY05)
• TAS Ambassador Network (FY05)
• Creating more opportunities for students/school
  involvement with live broadcasts
  
• Expanding program
• Teacher in the Air (FY04)
• Teacher in the Field (FY05)
• Increase in Staff (FY05)
• TAS Program Manager, Jennifer Hammond
• TAS Program Support, Sharron Huff
• Creating 5 year Strategic Plan (FY05)
• Pay for travel and some stipends
• about 2,000 per teacher for travel

7
Lessons Learned

• Make the transition from Operation to
  Program
  
• Foster relationships with alumni
• Establish partnerships
• Create appropriate performance measures
• Support creativity
• Identify outside evaluators
• Teachers are learners too

8
I have truly enjoyed my time aboard the
HI'IALAKAI and I have learned so much about
ships, coral ecosystems, the Hawaiian islands,
scientific data collecting, and those people on
board this cruise. I'm taking back to my
classroom a wealth of resources like maps,
charts, a binder of lessons, and many photographs
and digital movies to weave into science lessons.
But more importantly than those things, I wil
l be bringing back to the classroom real-life
enthusiasm for the application of science in the
real world. I have experienced first hand,
biological ecosystems, weather instruments and
measurements, and map making, in a real life
context. I want my students to know that life is
not a collection of things, but a collection of
experiences. I hope this trip (the resources and
anecdotal stories I bring back to the classroom)
encourages them to explore opportunities as they
arise in their own lives. As a teacher, my
underlying goal is to teach my students that
learning should be a life long adventure!
Melissa Fye April 22, 2005
9
For More Information

• NOAA Teacher at Sea Program Manager
• Jennifer Hammond
• jennifer.hammond_at_noaa.gov
• 301-713-3418 2xt. 138
• www.tas.noaa.gov