... here is what you need to know!

If you have sign yourself to be a polar researcher to share your experiences on a webinar connectin educators, shools and students you are in the right place.

A few things to consider:

1.The first thing you want to do is connect with your audience. In your powerpoint include a head shot of yourself so that people can picture you as you are speaking.

2. Most the students you are speaking with do not have any direct connection with science or research, you need to make that connection.  Include some fun facts about yourself (where you grew up, where you live, what you liked doing as a kid etc). You need to make the connection between yourself, and the students.

3. You can really only communicate one main idea about your research to the audience, and it has to be a straight forward one.  You can share a neat result, or a cool techinque, just make sure that it is something that you can communicate in a few words in a simple format.  When you are preparing picture yourself explaining things to a thrid grader. This is the level that we are going for to make sure everyone is following.

4. Use lots of picutes, and few words. You want to capture the attention of the audience! You want to wow them!  Make sure that you have fun colouful pictures that are clear and in focus.  Like they say, pictures are worth a thousand words.

You can see a sample presentation here.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences and shape the future of polar research!

The newly engerized Educaiton and Outreach Committee is currently planning Polar Week in March 2012. The goal of collaborative event is to bring together people and groups interested in polar issues in a number of fun and interactive events.  To learn how you can take part or get invovled please visit the Polar Week MArch 2012 page.

The APECS Education and Outreach Committee is currently looking for new committe members and project ideas.  After some downtime for the group after IPY our goal is to reinviogorate the APECS EO community in 2012.  If you want to get involved in a project, have some ideas about new projects you would be interested in leading, or just want some more information please contact the EOC co-chair, Heidi Roop, at info@apecs.is.

The National Film Board of Canada in collaboration with the Inuit Relations Secretariat of Aboriginal Affairs and the Northern Development Canada and the Government of Nunavut, Department of Education, and with the support of Inuit organizations, has selected over 40 films from its collection that represent the four Inuit regions of Canada (Nunasiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut, and Inuvialuit).  These films are now being screened at various locations in Canada, as well as are available to stream online.  These films span many years and have been unaltered from their original versions, and as such are interesting tools for learning about Canadian Inuit culture and the past and present relationships between Inuit and interacting cultures.  

See the playlist for these films at 

http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/unikkausivut/?lg=eng

Launched in June on World Oceans Day, this competition is a celebration of the last wild ocean on Earth – the Ross Sea, Antarctica.

The Last Ocean Charitable Trust values the Ross Sea for the intact qualities of the ecosystem, the unique wildlife and sheer natural beauty. This competition is our way of sharing part of the magic of the Ross Sea with upcoming filmmakers by giving them a chance to edit and craft a short film using supplied footage. Thanks to cameraman Pete Young, photographer John Weller and Natural History New Zealand for providing the beautiful images.

Please enjoy the films and be sure to share your favourites with friends. The number of hits will be considered by the judges so spread the word!

http://lastoceanscreeningroom.co.nz/

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We have posted a new activity to teachers develop in class with students! It is an initiative of Penguins and Skuas project and APECS Brasil.

(It is in portuguese!)

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After its first fifty years, the Antarctic Treaty shines as a rare beacon of international cooperation. To celebrate this milestone of peace in our civilization with hope and inspiration for future generations – ANTARCTICA DAY is hereby recognized to be December 1st.

Find out more!

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What are the penguins doing in Christmas? That was the question that children between 5 and 12 year olds tried to answer during Christmas hollydays at the Museum of Science of the University of Coimbra in Portugal. With the young polar scientist José Xavier, an APECS council and APECS member, just arriving from Antarctica where he studied penguins and albatrosses, nothing could be better.

The morning and afternoon sessions combined good fun talks on the biology of penguins along with hands-on activities on how penguins survive such extreme environments, how climate change is affecting them, and what can we do to help them...of course, everyone also wants to know what most penguins are doing in Christmas...breeding!!!!!

A huge success activity from APECS PORTUGAL, where polar science and education and outreach are intimately linked...

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Education and Outreach Resources

The APECS Education and Outreach group is developing a book for young researchers and teachers that will showcase some of the outreach initiatives that APECS members have been involved in for the IPY.

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Meetings

The APECS EOC group meets regularly via conference calls and communicates via a Google Group. To find out more about APECS Education and Outreach Activities and professional development, please join the APECS Education and Outreach Committee by contacting any of the chairpersons.

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Within APECS, national committees have been networking young polar researchers in their countries and involving these networks in educational outreach to other young people. The national programmes include activities such as contests for secondary school students to learn about the Polar Regions, exhibitions of student art, talks by early career scientists at schools and short videos on the IPY for TV. Visit the following sites or contact national representatives for more information.

Read more...