Projects for Wildlife

Posted on 2012/05/05 by Jackie Speicher

In this four part series, we will discuss the process for managing a conservation minded project that will benefit the many stakeholders of the community. What is a project?   Who are stakeholders? What are some of the important components of the project plan and management that will ensure its success?  This instructional series will delve into the realm of initiating the project, project planning, implementation skills, and evaluation of the project.  Let us begin:

Initiating the project:

 What is a project anyway?

A project is a temporary endeavor with a beginning and an end (Cox, 2009, p. 6).  In planning any project, the initial steps should include identifying the timetable, the topic, and the relevant stakeholders. 

 What are the information gaps that this project would address?

 Ask yourself a few questions about the project that is being created.  Who will benefit from this project? What is the timeline for design and implementation? How much assistance will you get from others (National Wildlife Federation, 2012)? “By answering these questions, you establish the scope of the project (Hackett, 2007).” 

 Here is the opportunity to be creative.  Identifying a gap is important at the outset of the project.  Even if the project is given to you by a supervisor, the gap analysis will help to locate and identify the areas of training or skills that need to be addressed within the project document.  Some of the questions that may help in this element of the project management are: What are some issues that need to be resolved.  Where is there a gap in knowledge or skills that needs to be closed? 

Finding the answers could involve several hours of brainstorming.  During the thinking process, it is possible to identify many topics that are needed.  The hardest part may be in narrowing the list to one project.

 Who are the stakeholders?

 The stakeholders are the people (or organizations) with a ‘stake’ or vested interest in the project (Cox, 2011, p. 7).  The initial stages of project management must include a complete listing of the individuals that will be most affected by the design and implementation of the project. Now the project may be focused on supporting the needs of these people.  Using this list will help to refine the scope of the project that will be developed.

 

Researchers are stakeholders

 

How is the timetable created?

 Identifying the timetable is a valuable resource to the project.  When the project must be completed and implemented within a few weeks, the type of management required will be of a different value and scope than one which has a longer timetable.  The elements of the project will also affect the timetable.  In order to create a complete picture of the timetable, there are a few more questions to ask: when and where (Leitrim County Development Board, 2012).  ‘When’ is the timetable for the project to be designed and implemented based on any identified time constraints?  These may include schedule conflicts, seasonal timing of wildlife movement, or other external factors.  ‘Where’ includes the negotiating necessary to find a location for the project to be implemented and for the project events to take place. In some cases, the question of where the project will take place may already have answers if the project will be instituted on work time at the place of employment, but it is important to identify the needs of the project at the outset.

 

Research on these migration pathways is done during the fall months.

 

Personal growth

 My understanding of what comprises a project has been expanded.  Since a project must have a finite end, weekend projects are temporary and fit the description well. The ongoing data collections research ‘projects’ I have initiated over the years will need to be expanded to include a few key elements of analysis such as a definition of stakeholders and an analysis of the data gaps that this project could close should be done prior to the beginning of the project.   A bird banding project to study the migration of songbirds through the Poconos in the spring was unsuccessful.  Stakeholders were not identified, and the need for data capture and benefit to wildlife of the project was never identified.  The project was lacking in the key elements of analysis.  As a result the management did not fill any gaps in the information stream that could make the ongoing pursuit of the research an essential need.  Going forward, timetable, information gaps, and stakeholders should be identified at the outset of the project management. 

 References

 Cox, Dorcas M. T. (2009). Project management skills for instructional designers: A practical guide. Indiana: iUniverse.

Hackett, Scott. (2007). How to write an effective design document. http://blog.slickedit.com/2007/05/how-to-write-an-effective-design-document/

Leitrim County Development Board. (2012). Project Planning. http://www.crossborderpartnerships.com/partnerships/guide-partthree.aspx

National Wildlife Federation. (2012). Research Station: Project Design. Retrieved on May 5, 2012 from http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Campus-Solutions/Get-Involved/Design-a-Project/Design-a-Project.aspx

 

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What a great way to learn about birds: E-learning

Posted on 2012/04/28 by Jackie Speicher

E-learning enhances the traditional instructional system.  In the past decade, e-courses have become important in many facets of our lives.  Many industrial workers participate in an e-learning module to understand techniques for worker safety.  Elementary students use electronic modules in the classroom as a learning station.  Interactive learning programs are also available to facilitate training on many different tools and topics. So, how does this apply to birds?  Though an individual may not travel to the Pocono Mountains, they may be interested in learning more about the birds that live there.  Using an e-learning module is an excellent way to generate an understanding of a new topic or place.

How could we start a lesson on birds without being able to hear them? This lesson has made use of extensive audio files.  Audio sound bites of information, bird calls and songs will help make a complete picture of the birds that are being studied.   When developing an educational module, the modality principal (Clark and Mayer, 2011, p.128) promotes the combination of audio and visual resources to make the learning instruction more effective.  To generate an audio file, the instructor may use recording software such as Audacity (www.audacity.com). This software package is easy to us, just plug the microphone and press ‘record.’  The editing features of the software are easy to access and use.  Audio in the module may be used for adding sound effects such as bird calls or for providing instruction on how to enter contact information.  It is also useful in the quiz sections as a student is presented with three phrases or three bird songs and they must determine the best answer.  This module takes advantage of only a few of the ways audio enhances the instructional design module in flash. 

 

image of audio recording software

Using audio capture for e-learning

 

Personalizing the learning experience will capture the attention of the learner.  The Personalization Principle (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 179) is most effective when the level of adaptation is modest enough to not detract from the lesson.  In this learning module, the opening screen is personalized and then subsequent quiz answers show the same personal effect.  This effect adds connectivity to the instruction and invites the learner nto the classroom.  In the Flash program, several text boxes options are available.  The static text box is a component of the program where the learner is presented with information to read and assimilate.  For a more interactive experience, the learner may choose an input text box.  This type of box asks the visitor to provide information that may be used when generating the third type of text box, the dynamic text.  In the dynamic text box, the module is personalized with the learners input of name, e-mail address, or even level of knowledge on the subject.  The purpose of text boxes is to provide the learner with a personal experience through the learning module.

 

Learner input is important in order to personalize their experience

Thes input text box is a valuable tool

 

 

Bearing on the amount of cognitive load of a new learning situation , the use of consistent navigational techniques will benefit the learner.  Navigation tools that are consistent throughout the learning module provide the learner with a sense of where they are within the site (Gagne, Wager, Golas & Keller, 2005, p. 337).  This helps to reduce the working memory load (Culatta, 2012).  Limiting the navigation of the module to a few buttons, placed consistently through the lesson is beneficial to the learner and allows them to concentrate on the content that is being presented.  The organization should also allow the user the opportunity to return to the beginning at any time. 

 

navigation bar

Allow the learner to control the lesson

 

An e-learning module contains various types of assessments.  The ability to work with text, audio, image, and video files enabled within the program offers limitless combinations.  Using audio files to ask questions limits the cognitive load on the learner and static questions may be enhanced with text feedback or audio response. Additionally, questions may be asked through an audio format, or even an image file.  Using this variety of assessment options, the module should be designed with a combination of audio, visual and text elements in order to minimize the chances of overloading a learner’s visual channel (Clark & Myer, 2011, p. 18).

 

Question using images

Questions may use images to benefit the learner

 

Learner control and interaction is an important component in the design of online learning e-modules.  Instructional designers should incorporate audio into a text based lesson.  In allowing the learner to control the audio, the designer adds a level of flexibility to the lesson (Gagne, Wager, Golas & Keller, 2005, p. 325).  The learner, who is in control of some of the component of the lesson including audio control and sequencing, spent an average of three times longer than those using the program-controlled versions (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 328).  The strategy of creating an online instructional lesson with user controls makes the learner a stakeholder in the educational process.  This is a valuable component of an e-learning module that cannot be overlooked.

 

Ovenbird with audio

Learner has control over audio content

 

In a final assessment of e-learning design, the Flash software is a strong program for creating learner controlled modules about birds.  Using a complementary program for audio such as Audacity has made this process very smooth and it provides great benefits for the learner.

Explore the learning module: “Introduction to bird research studies“

 

Jackie Speicher

 

References

Clark and Mayer. (2011).  E-learning and the science of instruction.  California: Pfeiffer.

Culatta, R. (2012). Cognitive-load theory. Retrieved on April 28, 2012 from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/cognitive-load.html.

Gagne,  R.M., W.W. Wager, K.G. Golas & J.M. Keller.  (2005).   Principles of instructional design. California: Wadsworth/Thompson Press.

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Best Practices in Multimedia Instruction: Owls

Posted on 2012/03/11 by Jackie Speicher

According to Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer (2011, p. 70), “pictures should not be an afterthought.”  When designing the multimedia components of a new instruction, graphics and text play a complementary role in presenting information to the learner.  Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning suggests that “humans can only process a finite amount of information in a channel at a time, and they make sense of incoming information by actively creating mental representations (Learning-theories.com, 2012).”  In essence, we already create our own mental graphics to connect to the information, when presented.  This is a strategy for retaining new information.  When you choose to add visuals to your PowerPoint presentation, be thoughtful in finding images that will benefit the learner and help them to retain the information more easily.

The Multimedia Principle encourages the designer to “include both words and pictures (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 70).”  Words are indicated as both written text (written words on a PowerPoint slide or worksheet) and audio text (lectures and speeches). The use of appropriate visuals with the text lowers the extraneous cognitive load of the lesson.  By thoughtful addition of graphics to the lesson (Figure 1), addition of new information into the working memory is encouraged.  The following example demonstrates some of the benefits to thoughtful use of words and text.

Figure 1. Images retrieved from Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2012).

Clark & Mayer support using “graphics to teach concept types (2011, p 74).”  During a unit lesson, there are a number of concepts to be covered about owls such as their size, food source, habitat needs, and connectivity with other species.  Used correctly, graphics support the instruction by illustrating key concepts of the topic. In an instruction on owls, categories of birds may be illustrated (Figure 2) to underscore the differences between them.  Using a category slide, the instruction uses differences and similarities to direct the learner to the qualities of owls that make them unique.  This is a key to the comparison between bird families.

Figure 2. Images retrieved from Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2012).

Additionally, an instructor needs to “select graphics that support learning (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 72).”  Representational graphics depict a single quality of owls for further exploration.  An in-depth view of the facial disc and underlying bone structure of an owl (Figure 3) will support a lesson on the sight and hearing adaptations of one family of birds.   Representational graphics support a single element of the lesson and should be used in combination with other graphics to organize concepts for the learner and integrate the elements of this single quality into the complete picture of owl biology.

Figure 3. Images retrieved from Nainiger, K. and L. Hall (n.d.) and DuHamel, J. (2010) respectively.

Thoughtful use of graphics can add support to a lesson on owl biology and may benefit students by supporting their ability to retain information and transfer it when making comparison between other bird families.  Remember that “e-learning is a visual medium and relevant graphics will add appeal and improve learning (Clark & Mayer, 2011, p. 87).”

 

By Jackie Speicher

 

References

 

Clark, R.C. and R.E. Mayer. ( 2011). E-learning and the science of instruction.  CA: Pfeiffer.

Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (CLO). (2012). All about birds.  Retrieved on March 10, 2012 from http://www.allaboutbirds.org.

DuHamel, J. (2010). Who is Tyto alba?.  Retrieved on March 10, 2012 from http://tucsoncitizen.com/wryheat/tag/barn-owl/.

Learning-theories.com. (2012). Cognitive theory of multimedia learning. Retrieved on March 10, 2012 from http://www.learning-theories.com/cognitive-theory-of-multimedia-learning-mayer.html.

Nainiger, K. and L. Hall (n.d.). Silent flyers: Owls of Ohio. Retrieved on March 10, 2012 from http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/enewspages/SilentFlyersOwlsofOhio/tabid/23018/Default.aspx

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Spring is in the Air

Posted on 2012/03/09 by Jackie Speicher

We never did get too much snow this winter. A few small storms reminded us that the months of December, January and February are traditionally winter. I have been watchng the night sky, and as the cup of the big dipper begins to pour out, we welcome spring.

I am looking forward to hearing the morning chorus of birds along the trail. This morning I lead a small group of hikers along the creek trail and we heard the spring song of the black-capped chickadee, the ruby-crowned kinglet, and the flight call of hundreds of Canada and Snow geese.

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Winter in the Mountains

Posted on 2012/01/10 by Jackie Speicher

As we await the first strong snowfall of the new year, I am grateful for the beauty around us. Hiking on your local forest trails is a great way to connect to the natural community.

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Nature-Trails on the Horizon

Posted on 2011/03/04 by Jackie Speicher

As we begin to enjoy spring in the northeastern United States, the natural community awakens from a long winters sleep.  Plants and trees grow new leaves, flowers blossom, and our backyards are bathed in many beautiful colors.  This PLE will also bloom with new features. There are many transformations on the horizon. 

Daffodils bloom in the spring.

 “The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators…”  (Johnson, Smith, Willis, Levine and Haywood, 2011).  Creativity and insight are important components in a learning environment.  In order to continue on a path of education and information sharing, this site will be adding several new activities for collaboration.

 On the horizon in the next six months:   I will be adding more interactive content to this PLE such as a new mini course and an information feed.  The new mini course will be housed in the Learning Center of the website.  It will appear at the beginning of June and it will incorporate summertime activities in the outdoors.  We will encourage visitors to explore the changing world.  The course will also incorporate a discussion forum where visitors can share what they see and hear in their neck-of-the-woods. Through this kind of collaboration and sharing of knowledge, we will all become better naturalists.  By the end of August, I envision the addition of a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed of environmental topics, conferences and news.  It will represent the diversity of information and ideas that are being explored in the environmental field.  This RSS feed will be located on the sidebar widgets section of my home page.  There will subsequently be modifications to the Links section to help and enable more opportunities to explore.

 In the next twelve months:  Program ideas and educational resources will change with the seasons and will include multidisciplinary studies (MDS) and collaboration projects.  By the end of August, Nature-Trails.org will be linked to a number of other websites with ideas for group projects.  Many of the environmental programs that are available already have a multidisciplinary approach.  An example of a diverse program is found at the Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education (PCEE) located on the web at http://www.pcee.org/.     PCEE is a great central resource for environmental education that will be linked to the Nature-trails.org website.   We will also begin to explore nature studies with statistics and nature studies in the arts on our site.   One MDS project will encourage elementary students to make artwork that can be uploaded and displayed on the home page. Additional opportunities for collaboration will arrive in December 2011.  A new wiki project will unfold through a discussion forum on the home page.  Tapscott notes that “collaborating can help students gain empathy for people from different cultures” (2009, p.138).  With this in mind, I will ask visitors to identify topics of interest. Once we have several ideas in place, visitors begin to create their own nature wiki.  This will grow and become larger through information sharing from the community.

On the horizon is the opportunity to create the future of this site.  Today’s technology enables us to communicate across the globe.  Collaboration and interaction within the internet community is a unique experience. The educator and the student have access to a lot of information.  Each time I surf the web, I find more information to learn from and to share with others.  The primary expectation is for a community of people to visit and add to this site as we move into the future.

References

 Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., and Haywood, K., (2011). The 2011 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

 Tapscott, Don (2009).  Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world.  New York: McGraw Hill

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Collaboration in Education

Posted on 2011/02/12 by Jackie Speicher

“The Net Geners have grown up digital and they’re living in the twenty-first century, but the education system in many places is lagging at least 100 years behind”(Tapscott, 2009, p.122).  Tapscott offers several options for educators who are working with the students of the Net Generation.  His ideas include creating an environment where students are encouraged to collaborate, to change the classroom focus towards lifelong learning, and to use technology to learn more about individual students in order to offer them a more personal program.   

A learning management system (LMS) is an online classroom, but with a few differences.  The LMS is a collaborative environment where the people involved in the learning, activities, wikis and group blogging sites do not need to be in the same room, or even the same state. The discussion group can encompass a variety of people from different backgrounds and different parts of the globe.  One example of an LMS system is called Moodle, a Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Rice, 2008).  Moodle is a self-contained program for collaboration.    

According to the Horizon Report (Johnson, Levine, Smith, and Stone, 2010) LMS such as Moodle are an important social media workspace with the capability and the tools for customization and personalization as it pertains to communication within the group.  Through the use of a variety of tools, the educator can create an e-learning course that incorporates the needs of the individual student.  The Horizon Report is a great resource which identifies and describes major trends in education.   

http://wp.nmc.org/horizon-k12-2010/chapters/collaborative-environments/   

To shape education you need information resources, communication between students, and talented teachers who are willing to share their knowledge and excite a response from the classroom.  Information resources are readily available through the internet.  Wireless capabilities and the popularity of hand held devices such as the iTouch and cell phones have further increased access to information and communication. Learning Management Systems such as Moodle can provide the framework for the student discussion.  And finally the instructor must “be present” and create a valid learning environment.  “The shared experiences of the lectures and the discussion forums create a shared memory of incidents and events” (Chepya, 2005).  Skeptics may think it will take people a long time to change their habits but access to information on this scale has created a rapid change.  In the 1990s the internet platform was completely integrated and “ten years later there are more than 800 million people on the net” (Friedman, 2007, p. 69).    

Using the variety of resources found in Moodle, this PLE will begin to shape a collaborative environment.  New courses will inspire the visitors to learn more about their own environment.  With the use of mobile computing devices, information is available to the student wherever they may be.  This is an opportunity to incorporate the coursework with field experience.   A variety of activities (such as wikis, quizzes, and forums) will incorporate the language of natural history and will engage the student in a discussion of characteristics of their native animals, plants and birds.    

Yellow Warbler

 

This website aspires to motivate, educate and engage the visitor in an interactive conversation about the natural world.   

     

     

     

     

References   

Chepya, Peter (2005).  E-Personality: The fusion of IT and pedagogical technique.  Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/EPersonalityTheFusionofITandPe/157351.   

Friedman, Thomas L (2007). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York: Picador.   

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., & Stone, S. (2010). The 2010 horizon report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.   

Rice IV, William H. (2008).  Moodle 1.9 e-learning course development.  UK: PACKT Publishing Ltd.   

Tapscott, Don (2009). Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world. New York: McGraw Hill.

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Whooo’s out there????

Posted on 2011/02/03 by Jackie Speicher

One of the most wonderful things about birds is they can be found anywhere on the globe.  Their beautiful plumages add beauty to the harsh cold winter.  Their songs remind us that spring is just around the corner.  Winter is a great time to fill the feeders and provide a little sustenance in exchange for the colorful show you will see.  

Unfortunately, not all birds will come to your feeders in the winter.  Owls remain in the fields and forests and you must venture out to see them.  After bundling yourself up and putting on the snowshoes, you are ready for an owl prowl.  Before you go, it is time to do a little research about what owls you are likely to find.  

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)  

Photo by S. Kloiber

 

These tiny (8”) and secretive owls reside among the dense conifers.  They feed on a variety of rodents including mice (Peromyscus species) and voles (Microtus species).  If they have a particularly good hunt, you may also find the cache of frozen prey that is safely stowed away for tonight’s meal.  Northern Saw-whet Owls are prey for many larger owls, so they will not be vocalizing.  You will have to search the ground for splay and pellets, a sure sign that there is a roosting owl nearby. Saw-whet owls usually roost at eye level.     

Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio)  

Photo by D. Konkoly

 

This owl doesn’t make a screeching noise. Its call is a series of whistles and a long single trill.  When you hear this owl it will always sound far away, even if they are in the tree right over your head.  This is a great trick that has fooled more than one birder.  The Screech Owl will nest in a tree cavity or in a nest box provided for them in a mixed deciduous forest.  In the winter they are often found basking in the sun and peeking out of the tree hollow.  

Barred Owl (Strix varia)  

photo from the web

 

‘Who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all?’  That is the question most often asked by the Barred Owl.  The owl in this video was injured several months ago.  It is being released at the Tannersville Cranberry Bog.  During school field trips to the bog, it is not uncommon to hear a barred owl calling during the day.  A walk through the mixed deciduous/evergreen forest may uncover a winter roost or a summer hideout.    

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)  

photo from the web

 

Pound for pound, the Great Horned Owl is the most voracious predator, eating animals as large as skunks.  Its loud deep hoots (6-8 in a series) give it a common nickname, The Hoot Owl.  The Great Horned Owl begins calling for a mate in the early winter months and by January it is nesting and beginning to raise young.  This owl uses an open nest that it does not build itself.  Upon leaving the nest, the young owlets are called “branchers” because of their habit of sitting on the tree branches.  Observers may worry for the safety of this young owl, but there is no problem.  Mom and dad are both nearby to take care of the young until they are strong enough to fly and find their own food.  

So plan your trip, pick a great trail and get outside for an owl prowl.   

-Jackie Speicher  

References  

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (2009).  All about birds. Retrieved from http://www.allaboutbirds.com.  

National Geographic Society (1999). Field guide to the birds of North America.  National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.

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Hello world!

Posted on 2011/01/25 by Jackie Speicher

This is a great beginning for this web site.  This week temperatures have soared to -5-degrees Fahrenheit.  We have lots of snow and with that come lots of opportunities.  Tracks in the snow from bobcat, red fox, white-tailed deer and, of course, squirrels and rabbits. I also saw tracks of humans.  Would you venture out in the cold?  I know I would.

Check out this website with a chart of the three steps to take to learn more about nature:   http://backyardnature.net/listopen.htm

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