Seattle + 10 Seattle

The Open Science Network is completing its first year of development in its effort to create a new paradigm in science education. The Open Science Network grant, funded by the National Science Foundation, encourages students, faculty and practicing ethnobiologists to participate in its annual meeting June 5, in conjunction with the Society for Economic Botany meeting, scheduled for June 6-10, 2010 in Xalapa, Mexico.  

Travel Awards

A number of participants have contributed to the web site and entered competition for full travel and subsistence. The first round of competition for full travel, hotel and meals through the week of the SEB meeting has been completed, and winners will be notified the week of February 20.  Additional supplemental travel funds are available to network participants.

How to Participate

Progress has been made in posting curricula to the website, while help is needed in evaluating the materials and building the network.  There are several ways to get involved in the project and become eligible for travel funds to attend the meeting.

If you are an interested participant, please read the following rules and guidelines for this particular competition. Note that in order to list a curriculum module, a basic summary, or to evaluate a module, you will need to register with WiserEarth, following the directions on the Open Science Network front page, and you will need to register with the OSN working wiki page, following the directions on that page: http://sites.google.com/site/ethnobiologycenter/Home

1.   This competition is open to all ethno-educators, ethnobiologists, and students.
2.   All interested participants need to submit one of the following:

• Develop a list of 10 questions you would ask a re-known Ethnobiologist during an interview that will be conducted at the SEB 2010 Conference.
•  At least 5 evaluations of existing curriculum modules.  Please view the following link for an example of a module evaluation template: http://sites.google.com/site/ethnobiologycenter/Home  Scroll down to the Module Index section for an explanation of what to do and where to find what.
•   Create a document that explains how the Network could enhance the various websites that are used for managing, sharing, and publishing educational tools for university level courses.
• A Curriculm module that can be posted on the OSN Wiki site.  Please view the following link for examples of modules: http://sites.google.com/site/ethnobiologycenter/. In addition to posting a curriculum module, you will need to post a basic summary of your module under the OSN Module Index.  Find instructions for posting a basic summary here: http://sites.google.com/site/ethnobiologycenter/Home/module-index 

        All materials will be reviewed by the co-PI's of the grant and winners will be decided by April 5, 2010. 

What do you win, you may ask?

If chosen, you will win travel funds to Xalapa, Mexico to participate in the 2^nd Annual Open Science Network Meetings. This award will help defray costs of travel to Mexico.  

For Further information about this competition, contact Keri McNew (mcnewfrog@gmail.com). 

Good Luck!

FURTHER DETAILS:

1. Curriculum modules: these are broadly defined from a complete lesson plan to a unit of study.

• All modules will be subject to evaluations in the spirit of the open science concept.
• All educators who apply for travel assistance are encouraged to submit at least one brief module, regardless of whether they choose to do evaluations or a curriculum development plan.
• Examples of modules are listed on the OSN site http://sites.google.com/site/ethnobiologycenter/.  However, you are not limited by the types of modules posted here.
• Modules can be web pages that discuss specific topics in ethnobiology and ask questions that students could try to answer.
• Modules can be a web page that has suggested content for specific types of courses based on people's experiences working in different types of jobs. For example, for an ethnobiologist, the question may relate to what kind of training the job requires and how does that relate to the educational process?  How do the learning objectives relate to the needs in the workplace?

2. Evaluations of existing modules: examples of evaluations can be viewed at http://sites.google.com/site/ethnobiologycenter/Home and scroll to Module Index.

Additional comments:  

How well does the module meet the objectives (if no learning objectives are listed, create a list)?

How is success measured (if a success measure is not specified, can you specify ways in which it might be measured)?

From your perspective, what is missing from the module?
How can you adapt the module to your needs?

Include feedback that is useful for both the potential users and the producer.