SCHOOLYARD LTER - WORKSHOP EVALUATION SUMMARY

Konza Environmental Education Program

Schoolyard Long-term Ecological Research

Workshop Evaluation Summary 2007

Did you receive enough information to fully understand the projects and what your students would be involved in? What other information might you need?

Yes, I may need a question or two answered.
Yes, just refining personal knowledge for database use, herbarium procedure, and details of that sort.
I feel that from the duplication of handouts and electronic [material] I have everything I need. I have and will use contact information of Konza and the various associations to gain anything else I may need.
Yes, I can’t think of anything now but know how to get it (email, telephone to Konza).
Yes.
Absolutely, we have all the resources we need as long as we can communicate with Valerie and Annie.
Yes, possibly more grasshopper information for students who want an extension.

Did the activities help you to understand the project and what would be asked of your students?

Yes.
Yes, docents were a great help, too.
Very much so. Since I missed Plant Inventory, I will probably have questions but the electronic information will be enough to help with.
Yes, it is so helpful to do the projects as a student first so that you have the personal experience of what might go wrong or not be understood!
Yes, some things will just be by trial and error, but I’ll call if I need help.
Yes, it’s always good to go through the project ahead of time so you know what to expect.
Yes, I think my students will find the activities exciting and novel.

Was it important to have the researchers give informal lectures? Why or why not?

Yes, it made them seem more approachable. All seemed more than willing to answer questions and provide insight from their experience.
Yes, they are the resource people for contact when questions come up that we can’t answer.
Yes, it provided a forum for discussion and interaction as well as a presentation style to address with our people at home. Felt comfortable.
Yes, science is a process – background is essential before undertaking activities.
Makes us feel like we can interact with them and be involved in the process.
Yes, we may or may not know all the information presented, and it’s a fantastic review!
Yes, it gave a chance to ask more questions, have one-on-one, and made us feel more connected to the class.

Did the workshop allow adequate time to prepare you for addition of these programs into your curriculum? If not, what would be an adequate time period or better method?

Some things will have to be done at home (school), but a core of materials has been established.
Yes.
Yes, you needed to do homework as with any other class, but Darren was a great help in getting us acclimated to how we needed to prepare our students.
Yes, the development of curriculum and activities on-site is a key part. We all have good intentions, but time is often short. This is why it is so important to stay on-site so that home and family do not interfere.
This was good, time wise. It was very intense at first, but then we got to relax and that gave us time to discuss different aspects that we will use and how.
Yes, the first week was really intense. I was ready to get started, but was afraid something else would be better. Then I had so much information, I didn’t know where to start.
That’s a hard one. Yes and no. I think we may tweak our ideas a bit when school starts. That would require some more time. But the allotted time was adequate for the workshop.

What are some suggestions to improve the workshop or Schoolyard LTER program?

I sometimes felt as though an information overload had occurred. I realize why all segments were presented so that we had experiences to make a solid choice from. Thanks for providing speakers, hands-on activities, as well as the “facts”.
Maybe vary lunch a little more - 10 days of sandwiches gets rough. Dividers in the notebook for each of the activities to make it an easier job to organize it into a resource.
Hard to think of any, but you may want to spend a little money on sale items such as memory sticks so each [teacher] gets one when they come as a workshop feature.
I would suggest having the journaling piece moved toward the beginning with the intent of participants journaling their experience here - preconceived ideas to the end with knowledge and how it has changed them.
I wanted to know a little more about the schedule. I wasn’t sure how much time would be for class and how much would be free time. I really didn’t need to bring the extra stuff for filler, there really wasn’t much free time.
Have a volunteer weekend instead of a 10-day workshop. The teachers can go over and practice collection skills with their volunteers.

· Excellent – 7 of 7

· Good - 0

· OK - 0

· Poor - 0

I would recommend this workshop highly. I will recommend it!
Nap time after lunch!
Thank you for supporting teachers and helping us improve our students’ knowledge and experiences. You three are fantastic resources for science education!
The best educational experience I have ever had.
Wow! What a great experience – it will be hard to go back to city life – just thinking about it almost generates claustrophobia. Thanks so much Valerie and Annie.
This was wonderful, I have so many new ideas and how to use them, can’t wait to apply them in class.
This was the most worthwhile teachers’ workshop I have ever taken. Thank you so much!
I really loved the curriculum and camaraderie of the workshop. Kudos to our leaders and the docents that helped us learn. This was like summer camp, a great learning vacation.