Floating Classroom Outcomes 2013

1. Basic Information

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* 1. Basic Program Information

Respondent Name

Date of Program

School

Grade Level

Number of Classes Involved

Number of Students

Duration of Cruises/Stream Programs

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* 2. Please identify the activities in which your students/group participated, and note your overall impression of the activity. Activities that were not completed can be left blank.

	Good Presentation	OK	Needs Work
Lake History/Legends	Lake History/Legends Good Presentation	Lake History/Legends OK	Lake History/Legends Needs Work
Secchi Disk	Secchi Disk Good Presentation	Secchi Disk OK	Secchi Disk Needs Work
Plankton Sampling	Plankton Sampling Good Presentation	Plankton Sampling OK	Plankton Sampling Needs Work
Aquatic Plant Sampling	Aquatic Plant Sampling Good Presentation	Aquatic Plant Sampling OK	Aquatic Plant Sampling Needs Work
Fish Sampling (seine net)	Fish Sampling (seine net) Good Presentation	Fish Sampling (seine net) OK	Fish Sampling (seine net) Needs Work
Water Column Profile (Water chemistry)	Water Column Profile (Water chemistry) Good Presentation	Water Column Profile (Water chemistry) OK	Water Column Profile (Water chemistry) Needs Work
Stream Study	Stream Study Good Presentation	Stream Study OK	Stream Study Needs Work
Classroom Orientation Session	Classroom Orientation Session Good Presentation	Classroom Orientation Session OK	Classroom Orientation Session Needs Work

Please add any notes here!

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* 3. How did our instructional staff do in the following areas?

	Excellent	Adequate	Needs Improvement
Explanation of Safety and Behavioral Expectations	Explanation of Safety and Behavioral Expectations Excellent	Explanation of Safety and Behavioral Expectations Adequate	Explanation of Safety and Behavioral Expectations Needs Improvement
Interaction with your group/students, in general	Interaction with your group/students, in general Excellent	Interaction with your group/students, in general Adequate	Interaction with your group/students, in general Needs Improvement
Knowledge of subject matter	Knowledge of subject matter Excellent	Knowledge of subject matter Adequate	Knowledge of subject matter Needs Improvement
Maintaining a safe, appropriately structured environment	Maintaining a safe, appropriately structured environment Excellent	Maintaining a safe, appropriately structured environment Adequate	Maintaining a safe, appropriately structured environment Needs Improvement
Time Management	Time Management Excellent	Time Management Adequate	Time Management Needs Improvement

Additional Comments Welcome!

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* 4. Provide your assessment of the following, in terms of your objectives for your trip (Add text responses in the boxes provided):

	Absolutely!	Yes	Partially	Not At All
Did this program meet your expectations?	Did this program meet your expectations? Absolutely!	Did this program meet your expectations? Yes	Did this program meet your expectations? Partially	Did this program meet your expectations? Not At All
Was the program age/grade-level appropriate?	Was the program age/grade-level appropriate? Absolutely!	Was the program age/grade-level appropriate? Yes	Was the program age/grade-level appropriate? Partially	Was the program age/grade-level appropriate? Not At All
Were your students engaged and learning?	Were your students engaged and learning? Absolutely!	Were your students engaged and learning? Yes	Were your students engaged and learning? Partially	Were your students engaged and learning? Not At All
Did you feel this program was "worth the price"?	Did you feel this program was "worth the price"? Absolutely!	Did you feel this program was "worth the price"? Yes	Did you feel this program was "worth the price"? Partially	Did you feel this program was "worth the price"? Not At All
Would you like to return? (If so, request a reservation date via floatingclassroom@gmail.com )	Would you like to return? (If so, request a reservation date via floatingclassroom@gmail.com ) Absolutely!	Would you like to return? (If so, request a reservation date via floatingclassroom@gmail.com ) Yes	Would you like to return? (If so, request a reservation date via floatingclassroom@gmail.com ) Partially	Would you like to return? (If so, request a reservation date via floatingclassroom@gmail.com ) Not At All

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* 5. We are striving to improve our ability to support learning objectives articulated in the NYS Core Curriculum for Intermediate Level Science. If appropriate, please rank the following Key Ideas (NYS Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology) as prospective areas of emphasis for our programs. Tell us what will be most valuable for your students.

Standard 1, Scientific Inquiry, Key Ideas 1-2: “The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing, creative process…[which] involves the testing of proposed explanations involving the use of conventional techniques and procedures and usually requiring considerable ingenuity.” These key ideas might be achieved by reinforcing the Scientific Method, promoting the use of descriptive writing skills and observations, and having students follow the method through the activities on the cruise. (Use of the Scientific Method also complies with Key Idea #3 of NYS Common Core Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects for Grades 6-8; page 78)

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Standard 4 The Living Environment, Key Idea 6: “Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.” This key idea may be achieved by using the cruise activities to illustrate major understandings such as energy flow, food webs, and photosynthesis. (For students’ conceptual expectations, see top of page 60 of the Next Generation Science Standards under Middle School Physical Science; released April 2013)

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Standard 4, Living Environment, Key Idea 7: “Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environment.” This idea may be addressed by introducing human historical content, and using the cruise activities to develop an understanding that humans alter, and depend upon water systems for survival.

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Supplement the Science Curriculum with key understandings from the NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for Mathematics: use and develop basic skills in Statistics and Probability by drawing inferences, creating hypotheses, and analyzing results perhaps through the use of mean, average, and graphical representations of sample spaces. (see pages 43-44)

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Other: Please add you thoughts in the comment box.

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* 6. To better support inegrative programs, we are also considering new elements based on the NYS P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy into our program. Please rank the following activities in order of potential importance/relevance to your needs.

We should use more visual portrayals of quantitative or technical information, such as diagrams, graphs, or models, and have them available for classroom use before/after cruises. This would be implemented to support Idea #7 of the Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects Grades 6-8 (page 78).

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We should create an extension in which students prepare a formal concluding statement about findings from the day’s cruise activities, including the data and speculations made from them. This would follow standards 1.c, 1.d, and 1.e of the Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects for Grades 6-8. (page 80).

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Students could be provided wit the results of Cornell and other research on Cayuga Lake, to use as a basis for evaluating statements by Floating Classroom instructors, and then distinguishing “amongst facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text” (Idea #8 from Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6-8 Grade students, page 78).

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Students could be given opportunities to compare other research findings on lake characteristics with their own, which integrates Ideas 1,2,4,5, and 6 of the Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical subjects for Grades 6-8. (page 80)

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[comments and/or suggestions:_____________________________________________]

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* 7. Are there any particular avenues of programming that you would like to see us offer in the future?

	Highly Desirable	Might Be Nice	Not Important for Us
Linkages to other participating schools and their data	Linkages to other participating schools and their data Highly Desirable	Linkages to other participating schools and their data Might Be Nice	Linkages to other participating schools and their data Not Important for Us
Art in combination with scientific activities	Art in combination with scientific activities Highly Desirable	Art in combination with scientific activities Might Be Nice	Art in combination with scientific activities Not Important for Us
Post trip assessment of sampling results/follow-up	Post trip assessment of sampling results/follow-up Highly Desirable	Post trip assessment of sampling results/follow-up Might Be Nice	Post trip assessment of sampling results/follow-up Not Important for Us
More Pre-trip preparatory activities	More Pre-trip preparatory activities Highly Desirable	More Pre-trip preparatory activities Might Be Nice	More Pre-trip preparatory activities Not Important for Us
Evaluations of how students respond/benefit from the program	Evaluations of how students respond/benefit from the program Highly Desirable	Evaluations of how students respond/benefit from the program Might Be Nice	Evaluations of how students respond/benefit from the program Not Important for Us

Curriculum-specific suggestions or other (please specify)

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* 8. Participant contributions on the Floating Classroom Facebook page or blog help us attract new participants, and also create valuable for information-sharing opportunities. Please note your interest/ability in the following on-line options:

	I have already done this	I expect to do this	I might do this	I likely will not do this
Submit a trip report for our blog/Facebook Page	Submit a trip report for our blog/Facebook Page I have already done this	Submit a trip report for our blog/Facebook Page I expect to do this	Submit a trip report for our blog/Facebook Page I might do this	Submit a trip report for our blog/Facebook Page I likely will not do this
Submit pictures with your trip report	Submit pictures with your trip report I have already done this	Submit pictures with your trip report I expect to do this	Submit pictures with your trip report I might do this	Submit pictures with your trip report I likely will not do this
Access and use online data from other trips	Access and use online data from other trips I have already done this	Access and use online data from other trips I expect to do this	Access and use online data from other trips I might do this	Access and use online data from other trips I likely will not do this
Participate in an on-line forum for teachers planning trips	Participate in an on-line forum for teachers planning trips I have already done this	Participate in an on-line forum for teachers planning trips I expect to do this	Participate in an on-line forum for teachers planning trips I might do this	Participate in an on-line forum for teachers planning trips I likely will not do this

Would you be interested in pre-recorded video, or streaming live video?

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* 9. Would you be interested in a single-day summer teacher training and community-building event? This would likely include 1 or 2 hours of discussion, along with 2 hours on the lake. We would like your input on our presentation of key concepts, opportunities for improvement, and ways to help you prepare for a more valuable program. If you are interested, what option would you prefer.

Beginning of the summer (July) in the morning

Beginning of the summer, in the evening/late afternoon

End of the summer (July) in the morning

End of the summer, in the evening/late afternoon

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* 10. LAST QUESTION - THANK YOU!! The Floating Classroom Committee works hard to ensure that scholarship funds are available each year. Please take some time to assess your organization's or school's ability to pay for this program in future years.
** Reserve a Fall 2013/Spring 2014 program date now and avoid cost increases!

I anticipate being able to contribute a larger portion of the total program value next year, with help from community sponsors, our PTO, school budget, independent grants, etc.

I anticipate that we will be able to continue supporting our program at the present level.

I do not think we will be able to contribute as much next year as we did this year.

I am interested in preparing a grant application, with the assistance of the Floating Classroom.

Other (please specify)