# Presentation: 529372

## EXPLORES! 

- Exploiting Direct Readout and Internet Satellite Imagery in Classrooms
*Satellites in Your Everyday World*
*University of North Carolina / Asheville*
*Paul Ruscher and *
*William Lusher, Kimberly Rogers*

**Notes:**
Thank you for joining us.  Real honor to see participants here with as many great sessions going on. 
Name, Program Assistant for EXPLORES!, Graduate of FSU in Biology 
Worked for EXPLORES for over a year now, under the direction of program manager Rick Lusher.  Rick is also an FSU alumni; he graduated in 1999 with a Master’s in Meteorology and has just begun pursuing his doctorate in science education.  He’ll take over the presentation in a few minutes.
I would also like to introduce our other staff members present.  Our program relies heavily on undergraduate students in many aspects.  They visit schools, maintain and repair our computers, and interpret POES imagery daily.  With us today are Steffanie Kolbus and Matthew Enyedi, both seniors in Meteorology at FSU.  They will be giving a presentation later today on EXPLORES! Satellite Imagery Interpretations.  We also have Michael Porter, a triple major at FSU in Meteorology, _ & _.
Finally, we have some EXPLORES! Teachers here today.  
Steve Tindell, Fort Walton Beach High School, of Fort Walton Beach, FL
Stephanie Stevenson, Douglas Anderson School for the Arts, Jacksonville
Gene Syarto, Eau Gallie High School, Melbourne
Marilyn Spooner, Golden Gate Elementary School, Naples
Mario Junco, Filer Middle School, Miami
Karla Young, Lipscomb Elementary, Pensacola
Mark Mantz, Director, Florida Student Weather Network, Tampa
All mentors

## Presentation Topics

- What is EXPLORES!?
- Sources of support
- Program size
- History
- Impact
- Goals

- What we provide
- Imagery
- How imagery is used in schools
- Our website
- The GLOBE program

**Notes:**
Breath!!!!I will be covering specifically what EXPLORES! is and what EXPLORES! does.
This presentation will teach you a little bit of program history.
Next I’ll cover the impact that the program has had in the education community.
My last topic will be discussing the goals of the programs and how we intend to implement those goals.

Then Rick Lusher will take over.  
He’ll start out discussing what EXPLORES! provides to teachers
Then he’ll talk a little about polar orbiting satellite imagery and how it’s used in the classroom
He’ll take you on a tour of the EXPLORES! website, 
And finally he’ll explain our collaborations with the GLOBE program.
Please make sure you’ve got a handout.  It will make a good reference later.

## EXPLORES!

***EXP***loring and
***L***earning the
***O***perations and
***R***esources of
***E***nvironmental
***S***atellites!

**Notes:**
BREATH
This is our acronym
This is exactly what participants in our program do – they learn about what satellites are and how to use them in the classroom.
Specifically, we train teachers how polar and geostationary orbiting satellites work, what their applications are for society and what their applications are in the classroom.
All of our participants are educators – we have teachers in K-16, planetariums and science centers.

## EXPLORES! – What is it?

- Helps implement the use of weather satellite imagery into K-12 classrooms across Florida and around the nation!
- Implements the NOAA Direct Readout Weather Satellite Program.
- Increases scientific and computer literacy among students and teachers!
- Helps students understand the importance of weather in our world.

**Notes:**

Breath
Bring up one aspect at a time. 
We help implement the use of weather satellite technology in classrooms.  When I say help, I mean that we
Recruit schools in Florida to give ground stations to
Train teachers in other states on how to use their ground stations
Are currently writing curriculum on using weather satellite imagery in classrooms
We implement the NOAA Direct Readout Weather Satellite Program ***ASK
This was one of the original goals of the program
We increase scientific and computer literacy of teachers and students
When we train teachers, we make sure they understand how to use the internet, e-mail, online bulletin boards, how to install hardware and software on their computers.  And if they call with technology problems, we don’t just refer them to a tech specialist, we solve the problem with them so they are ready for such problems in the future.
We help students understand the role of weather in our world. ***ASK
Looking at weather satellite imagery gives students perspective 
Troubleshooting is taught 

## EXPLORES! @ FSU

- An educational outreach program of the Florida State University
- 	Department of Meteorology

**Notes:**
EXPLORES! is an outreach program of the FSU dept of meteorology
Our founders really believed that universities should reach into K-12 classrooms and serve as resources for teachers, role models for students and use the capabilities of college departments to improve education
The FSU department of meteorology has one of the largest undergraduate meteorological programs in the US

## Funding by TRDA

- EXPLORES! has been funded since 1992 by the Technological Research and Development Authority.
- Please see _[http://www.trda.org/](http://www.trda.org/)_.

**Notes:**
We receive the majority of funding from the Technological Research and Development Authority.  They’ve funded us since the program’s inception in 1992.
They make it possible for us to hold our annual workshop and provide technical support to teachers throughout the year.
Their mission is to sponsor programs that enhance education, space research and economic development within the state.
The TRDA's education department currently has $1.329 million invested in six educational programs across the State of Florida that use technology to spark student interest in science and math.
Since we are funded by an agency of the State of Florida, we can only directly cover the costs of particpation of Florida teachers.  However, we want more schools across the nation and around the world to begin using satellite imagery in classrooms.  I will discuss this goal more later.

## Supporting EXPLORES!	

- _Challenger license plates_ from the Florida Dept of Motor Vehicles benefit EXPLORES!
- Half of the proceeds are awarded to the TRDA

**Notes:**
A unique funding source is the Challenger license plate.  In Florida, when this license plate is purchased, 50% of the sale goes to Center for Space Education Trust Fund, and 50% goes to the TRDA.
Because the EXPLORES! Program is funded by the state of Florida, what we provide to Florida teachers and what we provide to out of state teachers is different.  Florida teachers receive their hardware and software free.  Out of state teachers currently pay no professional development fee; however, they must purchase their own ground station and pay their own travel expenses.

## EXPLORES! In Florida & the U.S.

- EXPLORES! schools also in:
- Alaska
- Michigan
- Georgia

**Notes:**
We have trained over 240 teachers on using weather satellite receiving ground stations.
In Florida, the majority of our teachers are concentrated in urban areas – Miami, Brevard County or the Space coast, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee.
Fort Lauderdale, Naples, Gainesville and Pensacola are among the areas also well represented.

## EXPLORES! Program History 

- 1991: TRDA solicited proposals for weather satellite education program
- 1992 - Dr. Kevin Kloesel and Dr. Paul Ruscher installed weather satellite ground stations into 30 Florida K-12 schools
- Training workshop of 10 days
- EXPLORES! provided computers

## EXPLORES! Program Impact

- 230 Teachers trained in 4 states.
- 59 Florida counties have ground stations.
- Over 200,000 students exposed to weather satellite and computer technology.
- Over 100,000 users of the EXPLORES! web site annually.

## Distribution of Ground Stations/Trained Teachers 

- Elementary schools: 55
- Middle Schools: 83
- High Schools: 76
- Museums: 8
- Junior Colleges and Universities: 3

## Goals of the EXPLORES! Program:

- To place weather satellite groundstations in every Florida county.
- Increase the number of schools nationwide that use satellite imagery, and to assist them whether they use direct readout or Internet-based imagery
- Increase collaboration with national projects such as GLOBE.
- For students to develop skills to help them succeed at the college level.
- Developing Standards based Curriculum
- Respond to changes in satellite technology

## Goal: To place ground stations in every Florida County

- 59 of 67 counties represented currently
- Lack of participation from rural counties
- Relations efforts
- Mail-outs
- Web
- Conferences
- NSTA
- FETC
- FAST

## Goal: Increase the number of schools nationwide that use satellite imagery.

- Imagery on the web
- University (FSU, CSU, UWM)
- Government (NOAA, NASA)
- Private (Equip. vendors)
- Partners with GLOBE
- Inviting teachers from other states to attend EXPLORES! Workshops

**Notes:**
We have schools in Michigan, Georgia, and Alaska
These schools have used their own financial strength to purchase a ground station, and we provide the training.

## Goal: Increase collaboration with National Sci Ed Programs

- Currently partners with international sci ed program GLOBE
- We will implement use of visible weather satellite imagery by GLOBE teachers

**Notes:**
We currently are partners with the international science education program GLOBE since 1995
We have worked with GLOBE in revamping cloud protocols and writing new protocols regarding atmospheric pressure and barometric pressure
We will develop a program and/or protocols relating to use of daily weather satellite imagery by GLOBE teachers around the world.
We have also applied to become a franchise; hopefully we will hold our first GLOBE Training Workshop next summer.

## The GLOBE Program

***G***lobal
***L***earning and
***O***bservations to
***B***enefit the
***E***nvironment!

## Goal: For students to develop skills to help them succeed in college

- Problem-solving skills: using imagery to answer scientific questions.
- SST as predictor for fishing, storm intensification
- A new application of computer technology.
- Computer as part of data collection
- Teachers: use weather satellite imagery to teach math and communication skills.
- Calculate diameter: eye of hurricane
- Write school forecasts/imagery interpretations
- Correlate ground-based and satellite-based obs.

**Notes:**
Students can answer scientific questions by use of weather satellite imagery.  They begin to get a more global perspective by studying imagery and seeing that weather systems have a larger influence than just their community.
Students learn a new application of computer technology.  Many of them have only used computers for internet applications, video games, or as educational tools.  Seeing a computer used as a receiver of weather satellite imagery enhances their view of technology.
Teachers can use weather satellite imagery to enhance students’ knowledge of math and writing skills.
Students often use weather satellite imagery in school weather forecasts or in writing assignments; this enhances their communication skills.  Applications that entail math skills include calculating the diameter of the eye of a hurricane or determining the speed of the earth’s rotation.

## Goal: Meeting the National Science Education Standards.

- Teachers use imagery in many ways that meet the Sunshine State Standards as well as the National Science Education Standards.
- Curriculum Writing
-        Workshop

**Notes:**
Breath
We held a workshop this summer to produce a set of curricula that pertain to use of weather satellite technology in K-12 classrooms.  One of the things we are doing in our editing of these lesson plans is determing what standards are most commonly met by use of weather satellite images.  Some of the most common National Science Education standards met relate to these concepts:

## Standards Met

*Unifying concepts and processes in science*
- Systems, order, and organization
- Evidence, models, and explanation
- Constancy, change, and measurement
*Science as Inquiry*
- Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
- Understandings about
- 	scientific inquiry

**Notes:**
Under the area of Unifying concepts and processes in science 
Systems, order, and organization
Evidence, models, and explanation
Constancy, change, and measurement 
Under the area of Science as Inquiry 
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry 

## How EXPLORES! Works...

- What we provide
- Imagery
- How imagery is used in schools
- Our website
- The GLOBE program

## EXPLORES! has provided hardware...

- Receiver Card

- Antenna

**Notes:**
Each teacher that joins the EXPLORES! Program receives all the hardware and software needed to implement the ground-station.  One thing they receive is the computer interface card.  The card, which is inserted inside the computer, is a radio receiver that receives the APT signal which is transmitted in the FM band. The card converts the incoming analog signal to a digital image which is displayed by the software.  The card is capable of receiving both APT and WEFAX imagery.  
Analog-digital converter
Radio frequency

## EXPLORES! provides: Software

## EXPLORES! Provides: Training

- Workshop 2000

## EXPLORES! Provides: Training

- Teachers learn:
- Basic meteorological concepts.
- Components of POES and GOES satellites including orbital mechanics.
- Ground station operation.
- Basic satellite image interpretation
- History of weather satellite imagery

**Notes:**
During the workshop, teachers learn several things.  First of all, in an effort to familiarize them with their computers and to help them with any possible computer phobia, we have them install the hardware and software themselves.  Many people have never opened a computer before so this helps them become more comfortable with them.  We also teach them about POES and GOES weather satellites, including components of each, orbits, and history, operation of the ground station once it is set up, basic meteorological concepts, and weather satellite image interp.  

## EXPLORES! Provides: Technical Support

- E-mail, phone, and web communication
- Site visits
- Teacher visits to the
-    university
- Workshops at
-    conferences
- Mentor support
- On-line office hours

**Notes:**
One of the strong points of our program that we feel has helped it become successful is our teacher support.  Our goal in EXPLORES! Is that all our teachers are actively receiving imagery and using it in someway in the  classroom.  Therefore, we do our best to be available to our teachers who have technical issues to be resolved.
These are the ways in which we provide teacher support.  The most common way is the first one.  We have several direct lines to EXPLORES!  Typically, if a teacher is having a problem, we’ll receive an email from them about the problem.  Emails are received by the entire EXPLORES! Staff so that everyone can participate in the process.  This allows everyone to become familiar with typical tech. support issues.  Also, we have on our website, a bulletin board that contains a problems category.  We check this each day to see if anyone is having problems.  In addition to these, we have phone support, which is probably the easiest.  If we cannot resolve the problem through email or the BB, we make calls to teachers.  90% of the time, problems are resolvable over the phone.  List typical issues.  However, if we cannot resolve, the problem by one of these methods, we try to arrange a visit.  School visits take place in several different ways.  One way is to simply arrange to drive to the school from TLH to help fix the problem.  Typically, however, we will visit schools, whether they need assistance or not, whenever we’re in a certain area, e.g., for a conference or workshop (mention travel, mini workshops, etc.).  Another way is by mentor support.  In those areas that we have a strong teacher base, we sometimes refer teachers to other teachers for help if we cannot get to an area. 

## EXPLORES! Provides:Additional Opportunities

- Attending launches – GOES L, NOAA L
- Additional training through distance learning and advanced workshops
- FSU On-Line course TBA
- WEFAX Upgrades
- Direct Internet broadcast upgrades

**Notes:**
Some of the other opportunities we offer teachers in EXPLORES!  are, for example, attending launches, like we are doing now.  This is one of the more fun things we do with our teachers.  We also attended the launch of GOES-L in conjunction with our curriculum writing workshop back in May.  Other opportunities offered include refresher workshops, regional workshops, and online courses.  Also, each year we offer active teachers WEFAX upgrades. 

## WEFAX Imagery:

- Allows capturing of GOES 8 imagery
- Students can observe the movement of various weather features both large and small scale

**Notes:**
When a teacher receives a wefax upgrade, they receive a dish similar to this one so they can receive imagery from both GOES 8 and GOES 10.  Explain process.

## WEFAX: GOES 8

- NESDIS sends processed imagery with time delay
- Navigation and enhancement built in
- Will disappear in 2002
- What will replace it?

## WEFAX  GVAR

- GOES Variable Resolution Imagery is directly received at highest resolution (1.1 km)
- Too expensive for typical schools
- Main GVAR system at FSU will redistribute imagery to 15 schools in -test in 2001 via ***Internet***
- Can go to finer areal & temporal coverage

## Direct Readout or Internet?

- Hardware Issues
- Network connectivity
- Antenna installation
- Software Issues
- Image processing issues (web browser vs. image processing software)
- Working with palettes/enhancement curves
- Pedagogical Issues
- Measuring phenomena / use of scale
- Quantifying information
- Reliability

**Notes:**
Some of the other opportunities we offer teachers in EXPLORES!  are, for example, attending launches, like we are doing now.  This is one of the more fun things we do with our teachers.  We also attended the launch of GOES-L in conjunction with our curriculum writing workshop back in May.  Other opportunities offered include refresher workshops, regional workshops, and online courses.  Also, each year we offer active teachers WEFAX upgrades. 

## Imagery in Elementary Schools

- Social Studies
- Science
- Media Center

**Notes:**
Mention imagery showed from here on is all apt imagery from here on out.  Elementary schools use EXPLORES! In .....subjects.  In Social Studies, teachers help students learn how to observe different cloud types and describe what they see.  In science, which is the obvious place it is used, students learn how to identify different weather features such as.... 

## Elementary Schools: Hurricanes

- Hurricane Bonnie

## Elementary Schools: Forest Fires

- Florida Forest Fires

**Notes:**
GAYLE NANCE

## Imagery in Middle Schools

- Earth, Physical Science

**Notes:**
Middle schools use EXPLORES! In the Earth and Physical Sciences.  They learn how to......

## Middle School: VIS vs. IR – Which is which????

**Notes:**
Identify the difference between visible and infrared imagery and why each is useful.

## Middle Schools: Temperature Contrasts

- Land Sea
- Temperature Contrast

**Notes:**
Identify temperature contrasts using ir imagery.

## Imagery in High Schools

- Physical, Earth Science
- Weather Broadcasts

**Notes:**
High schools learn use imagery in much the same way that middle schools do.  They use it in Earth and Physical Science as well as in weather broadcasts.  They learn to identify....

## High School: Winter storms

- Cold Front!

**Notes:**
Embedded thunderstorms - scale

## High School: Sea Breeze

- Sea Breeze

**Notes:**
How important sea breeze is for fl precip

## Teachers have access to many resources on our web site!

**Notes:**
One other aspect of the program I would like to mention is our website.  We have a website that contains much information regarding weather satellites as well as other educational information, etc...It is a great resource for all persons interested in weather satellite imagery.

## The EXPLORES! Website

## EXPLORES! and GLOBE

- EXPLORES! is a partner with GLOBE, an international science education program.

**Notes:**
As Kim mentioned, EXPLORES! Also is a partner with the GLOBE program.  EXPLORES! Was commissioned in 1998 to help develop protocols for taking atmospheric measurements.

## GLOBE

- Making Observations
- Visualizations of student and reference data
- EXPLORES! Involvement
- Relative Humidity, Pressure, Cloud Protocols, quality control of data, Visible Satellite Imagery

**Notes:**
The GLOBE program gets students involved in taking environmental measurements.  Through the GLOBE website, visitors can generate visualizations of both student and reference data, which are used for quality control.  Anyone can use the GLOBE website!  

## EXPLORES! Involvement

- Relative Humidity
- Atmospheric Pressure
- Cloud Type and Cover
- Visible Satellite Imagery

**Notes:**
EXPLORES!, as I previously mentioned, has been charged with developing protocols for making observations.  These include...  Cloud Type and Cover and Relative Humidity are protocols already in use.  In fact, RH within the past month was officially introduced as a new protocol.  Atmospheric pressure and vis imagery are under development.  The vis imagery protocol will allow schools worldwide to obtain daily visible satellite imagery of their location at the time they are taking their observations.

## Making Observations

- Students taking Cloud
- Type Observations

- Student submitting data
- To website

**Notes:**
Students make Cloud Type identifications with a GLOBE cloud chart like this one.  Using it, they identify the different cloud types in the atmosphere and then submit these data to the GLOBE website.  All GLOBE observations are made within an hour of solar noon.  Also, students use ....other observations – sling, digital hygro., barometer, etc..

## Visualizations of Student Data

- GLOBE
- Daily Cloud Cover

**Notes:**
At the GLOBE website, visualizations can be generated of either student collected data or reference data, which is used for quality control.  This is an example of cloud cover.  Plots of data can be generated for all data that exist on the GLOBE server for any area in the world that has GLOBE schools.  Remember that anyone can use the GLOBE website and scientists actually use these data!

## Quality Control of data

- Comparing data

**Notes:**
One of ongoing tasks we have is conducting quality control experiments of the data we helped develop the protocols for.  We do this by comparing the data collected to other data sets, such as those collected by the NWS.  That way, we are sure that data being collected are as accurate as possible.

## Visible Satellite Imagery

**Notes:**
In addition to developing the pressure protocol, EXPLORES! Will be involved in developing a protocol by which schools worldwide can obtain daily visible geo-stationary imagery of their area at local solar noon.  This allows students to observe clouds from two different perspectives, the ground and the satellite.  EXPLORES! Recently obtained a high resolution GVAR (define) receiver which receives 1 km real-time imagery, and also received this image, so that we can provide data from GOES 8.

## GLOBE Website 

- Student data
- Protocols
- Training schedule
- Chats

- _[http://www.globe.gov/](http://www.globe.gov/)_

**Notes:**
GLOBE website.

## Websites

- EXPLORES! -_[http://www.met.fsu.edu/explores](http://www.met.fsu.edu/explores)_
- GLOBE – _[http://www.globe.gov](http://www.globe.gov/)_
- TRDA – _[http://www.trda.org](http://www.trda.org/)__                                                           _