Addressing Concerns (6/18-6/22)

In conferencing with our Wickiup naturalist hosts, we had a hard time ferreting out their concerns regarding our externships.  The only slight worry we could force out of them was the possibility that they would not have sufficient work for us to complete this summer.  Although they did state this as a concern after a considerable amount of prodding, up to this point, adequate work demand has not been a problem.
We've been working solidly every day, finding new sites to test water quality, and working with the data we've collected thus far for comparison's sake.  We've also begun to help the naturalists (albeit in a limited capacity) with their programs, working as crowd control, extra instructors, and sometimes just as observers.

One thing slowing us down thus far-- the heat.  The heat has been absolutely oppressive, and it has kept us, in some cases, from the water sampling that we need to do to complete our project.  Luckily, my partners and I are in decent shape and have been able to brave the heat on a number of occasions, making sure to drink enough water and limit any strenuous activity.

The technical side of the project has begun to pick up.  We’ve started working with Google documents to streamline the collection of our data.  We’ve gone essentially paperless. Through the creation of a form on Google docs, we’ve opened up the data entry process to allow anyone with a smartphone internet connection record the answers to the various questions in the habitat assessment in iowater testing, and also the physical and chemical assessment.  Disappointingly, we have not yet figured out how to successfully add  the biological monitoring to our online form, but we’re working on it.  Once the data has been entered into the online form, it drops itself conveniently into a tidy little spreadsheet on Google docs, where it then can be downloaded and transformed as needed to meet our data analysis goals.

I can think of a number of other ways to incorporate the use of Google doc forms in the classroom.  I think surveys sometimes bore students, but practice quizzes modeled on Google forms could be a good tool for formative assessment.  We’ll have to see how students would react the Google forms, if I brought them into the classroom.

My partners in this externship have been great to work with thus far.  Both maintain a great balance between focus and good humor.  It also feels as though we’ve hit our stride with respect to efficient water monitoring.  While I record data and answer habitat questions on the form, Kathy and Angie perform most of the chemical tests.  By the time I’m finished with the habitat questions, Kathy and Angie usually have numbers ready for me to enter for chlorine, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, nitrate and nitrite, and water temperature.
There are only minimal concerns with our project moving forward.  I’m sure that we will overcome any challenges to our project ambitions in the days and weeks ahead.