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Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education
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EE InfoLink |
Connecting Colorado's Environmental Education Network
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Volume 12, Issue 3 |
March, 2006 |
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CAEE
15260 S. Golden Rd.
Golden, CO 80401
303-273-9527
303-273-5780 (fax)
www.caee.org
info@caee.org
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:
Patrick Tennyson, Butterfly Pavilion
Vice President:
Karen Hardesty, CO Division of Wildlife
Secretary:
Richard Jurin, Univ. of Northern Colorado
Fiscal Officer:
Stephen Garretson, Aurora Academy
Directors:
Dennis Creamer, Suncor Energy USA
Linda Hamilton, Lory State Park
Diane Simmons, Colorado Academy
Skip Spensley, Spensley & Associates
Julie Wrend
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CAEE MEMBERSHIP
Student/Teacher: $15
Individual: $35
Organization: $65 (allows up to 4 contacts)
Visit www.caee.org to join or renew online, or contact CAEE at 303-273-9527.
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Overview:
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CALLING ALL CAEE MEMBERS!!
Join CAEE members for the semi-annual
Statewide Environmental Education Advisory Council Meeting
Wednesday, April 12, 2:30-5:00 pm
Metro Wastewater Reclamation District
Administration Building Board Room
6450 York Street
Denver, CO 80229
The EE Advisory
Council is a twice-yearly assembly of the states EE leaders. Members of the
Alliance are invited to be a part of the EE Advisory Council to lend
knowledge, experience and leadership to this visionary group. CAEEs purpose
is to represent a collective EE voice, so this meeting needs veteran voices, new voices, educator voices, interpreter voices, fundraising voices, advocacy voices
it needs your voice. If you are interested in shaping environmental education or finding out where were going in Colorado, you should be at this meeting.
RSVP to CAEE at 303-273-9527 or info@caee.org by
April 5th
Your chance to help shape the future of EE in Colorado!
On the Agenda:
The Advisory Council will start with an update on CAEE committees and current projects. Then, through small group dialogue, we'll look at the goals, strategies and barriers to success for each of these initiatives:
- Advocating for the field of environmental education
- Audience and needs assessment for the Alliance
- Diversity and inclusiveness in EE
Come prepared to share your vision, voice your concerns, and let your input and ideas be heard!
The statewide Advisory Council is made up of CAEE members
and is the heart and soul of CAEE, setting long-term direction, goals and
objectives. It establishes priorities for organizational activities and
develops the annual workplan and budget. Through its network of committees, the
Advisory Council plays an important role in building EE capacity statewide for
CAEE. The Advisory Council also nominates and elects CAEEs Board of Directors at the fall meeting.
Join the Heart and Soul of CAEE: BE A PART OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL!
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Executive Director's Corner: Ali Goulstone
Sweeney
This Month's Topic: IN DEPTH with the Guidelines for Environmental Educators in Colorado
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These
guidelines could be used for a variety of purposes, including assessing your
own skills, guiding staff hiring, training, and assessment, promoting
professionalism and providing professional development for yourself, your
colleagues, and the field of EE. The next several columns will focus on each
theme in the Guidelines and delve into the knowledge and skills associated with
these themes. These articles will give
you examples and references to expand, enhance, and refresh your knowledge of
these areas. We have also set up a
discussion board at http://www.caee.org/discussion/index.php for each theme.
If you have other resources you have found particularly useful in your
work, please add them to the discussion and please check the discussion board
if you are looking for other resources.
Theme 5 Assessment and
Evaluation
Environmental
educators possess the knowledge, abilities and commitment to make assessment
and evaluation integral to instruction and programs. Proper preparation should
give environmental educators tools for assessing learner progress and
evaluating the effectiveness of their instruction.
5.1
Assessment & Evaluation Defined
5.2
Learner Outcomes
5.3
Assessment that is Part of Instruction
5.4
Improving Instruction
5.5
Evaluating Programs
First things first
the difference
- Assessment is defined as the process of collecting,
synthesizing and interpreting information to determine program effectiveness
and aid evaluation.
- Evaluation is defined as the process of making a subjective
judgment and decision based upon collected information. Tools to use include
assessments, participation rates, program cost, etc.
RESOURCES/REFERENCES/HELP
- Herman,
J.L. (ed.) (1987). Program Evaluation
Kit. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
- Houten,
T., M.C. Plantz & M.T. Greenway (1996). Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach. Alexandria, VA: United Way of America.
- Patton,
M.W. (1990). Qualitative Evaluation
Methods. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage
Publications.
- Rossi,
P.H. and Freeman, H.E. (1993). Evaluation
A Systematic Approach (5th Edition). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
- Wells, M.
and Smith, L. (2000). The effectiveness
of non-personal media used in interpretation and informal education: An
annotated bibliography. Fort Collins,
CO: National Association for Interpretation.
Online Resources
EE-Link Info Sheets
These overview pages provide background information and
resources on how to assess formal and nonformal environmental education
programs. Understanding the significance of evaluation is also addressed.
Excellence in EE - Self Assessment Tools These tools were developed to enable educators to
self-assess their environmental education programs. Use them to find out whether you are providing learners with the
entire array of K-12 educational experiences that will enable them to become
environmentally literate.
Applied Environmental Education Program Evaluation Online
Course Learn to evaluate environmental education and outreach
programs by designing evaluation tools such as questionnaires, observation
forms, and interview and focus group guides. This course was designed for
environmental educators, natural resource professionals, and graduate students
who can apply the tools they develop to a specific education program or
research study.
EE Database/Directory: http://www.caee.org Use the guidelines and be a part of the Colorado EE Master
Plan!
Goal II, C.2. for Professional Development states: Commit to using Guidelines for Environmental Educators in Colorado. Check it out at http://www.caee.org/master.html. |
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National EE Week
In the Spotlight |
What is National EE Week?
National Environmental Education (EE) Week will involve thousands of
educators and millions of students. It will enhance the educational impact
of Earth Day and create a full week of educational preparation, learning,
and activities in K-12 classrooms, nature centers, zoos, museums, and
aquariums.
National EE Week 2006 will be the single largest organized environmental
education event in U.S. history. It is coordinated by the National
Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF) in cooperation
with hundreds of outstanding schools, environmental education
organizations, education associations, state and federal agencies.
To Participate:
Sign-Up Now to participate in National Environmental Education Week
2006! Sign-up is free. Go to www.eeweek.org to take part in National
EE Week and to have your organization listed as a supporter.
List Your Events on the CAEE Database/Directory:
Don't forget to list your EE Week activities on CAEE's Online Database/Directory! Go to www.caee.org and click on "EE Database/Directory" to add your programs.
Participation Goals for 2006 are:
400,000 educators
15 million students
150 million hours of learning
10,000 Earth Day service projects
For more information about National Environmental
Education Week, contact:
Samantha Blodgett
NEETF Director of Environmental Education Programs
202-261-6478
blodgett@neetf.org
The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF) is
a private non-profit organization chartered in 1990 by the U.S. Congress to
advance environmental education in America and abroad. For more
information about NEETF, go to www.neetf.org.
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Bulletin Board
Upcoming Events, Workshops, Classes, etc.
Visit www.caee.org/calendar.html for an online listing of upcoming events! Back to Top
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Celinda Reynolds Kaelin: Living
Artifacts Of the Ute People. April 19,
7 pm at Colorado Colleges Tutt Science Center. There are two types of Ute
culturally scarred trees common to the Pikes Peak area; Medicine Trees and
Prayer Trees. Ute Indians inhabited the
Pikes Peak region for thousands of years before the invasion of Europeans. However, their impact on the environment was
negligible, and evidence of their presence is difficult to find. Fortunately, culturally scarred Ponderosa
trees are the exception, for Ponderosas are known to live about 600 to 800
years. Celinda Reynolds Kaelin is a
poet, author, lecturer, and historian who has worked and studied with
indigenous Elders and spiritual leaders from over seventy First Nations. Kaelin is the author of three books, and is
the president and historian of the Pikes Peak Historical Society. Contact: Steven Veatch at 719-748-5010. There is no cost for the program. Presented by The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds.
PLT Basic Workshop. April 22, 2006. 8:30am-5:00pm. Cost: $20. Ridgway State
Park (12 miles north of Ouray and ~ 22 miles south of Montrose
on US Hwy 550). A day of sharing new ideas and materials for teaching social studies,
science and environmental education while integrating with other subjects AND
meeting Colorado Model Content Standards. If that is not enough, the ambience of the San Juan Mountains at Ridgway
State Park will surly entice you. One-Half Semester Credit is
Available from Colorado School of Mines ($34). Contact: Tami Root at (303) 202-4661 or coloradoplt@yahoo.com
Robert Michael Pyle: Butterflies as Windows on Ecology & Adaptation. April 30, 2006, 3:00 p.m. Butterfly Pavilion (Highway 36 & 104th Avenue in Westminster). $14 general admission, $10
students and members of the Butterfly Pavilion & Denver Botanic Gardens. The wings of butterflies have been described
as "windows on evolution." As these most brilliant of insects have
adapted to so many ways of life and escaping their enemies, the scales of their
wings portray the process of natural selection in spectacular fashion. In this
colorfully illustrated talk, Dr. Pyle will guide us into intimate acquaintance
with a great variety of butterflies from New Mexico to New Guinea, from
migratory Monarchs to Magdalena Alpines of Colorado rockslides, and their
elegant devices for life in a challenging world. The presentation begins with a
short slides & music special, "Butterfly Faces," especially
suited for children and their parents. Robert Michael Pyle has published hundreds of papers, essays, stories
and poems, and fourteen award-winning books. Visit www.butterflies.org for details. Space is limited. Reserve your seat in
advance by calling 720-974-1864 or kdelashmit@butterflies.org.
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Career
Note: these announcements are only position highlights and are not intended
to be all-inclusive.
NAAEE/EE-Link offers a jobs database service for EE job seekers or employers
seeking EE staff.
To view job postings, visit:
eelink.net/eejobsdatabase.html
To submit a job to the database:
eelink.net/cgi-bin/ee-link/add_job.cgi
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City of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks department
is now hiring the following seasonal positions: Seasonal
Trails Crew Leader, Seasonal Trail Laborer, Seasonal Trailhead Laborer, Junior
Ranger (ages 14-17), Junior Ranger Crew Leader, Junior Ranger Crew
Leader in Training, Junior Ranger Assistant Coordinator, Junior
Ranger Maintenance Coordinator. Job
descriptions and applications materials at: http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/openspace/jobs/jobs.htm
Colorado
State Parks - Volunteer Program Assistant. Downtown Denver, April 10 (or ASAP thereafter) - October 9,
2006. Applications will be accepted and interviews scheduled immediately. Provide assistance to the statewide
Volunteer Program and staff. Help with
the continued efforts to grow and enhance statewide volunteer efforts. Assist with the recently implemented
database, Volunteer Committee meetings, working groups to update and revise
current forms and handbooks, researching and troubleshooting various volunteer
program issues, updating budget tracking spreadsheets, and developing and
enhancing various marketing tools (web site postings, brochures,
newsletters). Other administrative
tasks and office duties, as assigned. $11-$14/hr. DOE. Contact: Faye
Koeltzow, faye.koeltzow@state.co.us.
Cheyenne
Mountain Zoo is looking for dynamic and motivated people to join it's education
team in the following positions: Youth
and Family Programs Coordinator, Adult and Teen Programs Coordinator and
Education Registrar. Deadline for applications is March 31st. For
more details on the job postings, please visit www.cmzoo.org
Catamount Institute - Paid Summer Fellowship. Deadline: April 1. Work closely with the education staff to
plan, coordinate and run five different environmental summer camps for
youth. $3000 stipend for a full-time
position that will include some weekend days. May 30 - August 8. Friends and
family established the Fellowship to promote the philosophy and passions of
Heather Campbell Chaney, who tragically lost her life in 2001. Heather dreamed
of devoting her energy to creatively using environmental education to make the
world a more sustainable place in which to live. Charlie Campbell, Heathers
father is proud to offer the fellowship at Catamount Institute for the 4th
year in a row. Contact: Kevin Snyder,
Education Director at 471-0910 x103, snyder@catamountinstitute.org
Wild Bear Center for Nature Discovery - Environmental
Educator Positions and EE Internships. Deadline: April 7. Wild Bear
Center for Nature Discovery is seeking up to five environmental educators and
up to five interns for the summer season to assist in the planning and
implementation of our Chautauqua Mornings, Nederbugs, Junior Rangers, Wild
Naturalists, and Mountain Youth Adventure Program summer workshops in
Nederland, CO. Must be responsible,
creative, enthusiastic, and dedicated to providing a safe and age appropriate
learning environment. June 6- August
18. Educator stipend: $100/day;
includes all training, planning, implementation, meetings, evaluations, and
clean-up. Intern stipend: $250/month/40
hrs wk. For more information visit www.wildbear.org or call or e-mail Angie
Francis at: angie@wildbear.org,
303-258-7092 ext. 242.
Colorado Division of Wildlife NE Region - Wildlife
Education Assistant. Deadline: April 14. Fort Collins, May 1-
August 31, 2006. Assist Regional Education Coordinator with planning and
implementation of teacher workshops, public events, youth programs and other
wildlife education efforts. $11.68/hr. Contact: Lisa Evans, Colorado Division of
Wildlife, 970-472-4343, lisa.evans@state.co.us
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Grants and Awards Back to Top |
Grant Wrangler Funding Directory: a free
grants listing service that makes it easy for teachers to find funding. See the full list of funding opportunities
and subscribe to the monthly e-newsletter at http://www.grantwrangler.com/index.html
International Paper Conservation Partnership Award and
Environmental Education Award. Deadline: April 17.
International Paper and The Conservation Fund will provide national recognition
and $10,000 cash grants to two conservation/environmental education leaders at
an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. this summer. The $10,000 awards are
unrestricted grants from the International Paper Company Foundation. Nomination
forms at: www.internationalpaper.com
and www.conservationfund.org.
A panel of independent judges will select the winners. The recipients will be
recognized in an awards ceremony on June 20, 2006 at the National Press Club in
Washington, D.C. Contact: forest.conservation@ipaper.com
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Resources Back to Top |
Setting High Standards: EE Builds a Home in Teacher
Education Accreditation. This
article features the work being done by the North American Association for
Environmental Education to have environmental education incorporated into the
accreditation of teacher preparation programs. Educators may read the article online or download it from: http://eetap.org/pages/fetch.php?fid=accreditation.pdf@pdf_url
Northwest Earth Institute offers six self-facilitated
environment and sustainability discussion courses. Course topics include Choices for
Sustainable Living, Discovering a Sense of Place, Globalization and Its
Critics, Exploring Deep Ecology, Voluntary Simplicity and Healthy
Children-Healthy Planet. Courses build
community, foster personal growth and reflection, and provide valuable
education. The courses are a rare
opportunity to offer environmental education to adults, and a welcome source of
inspiration to those who participate. Info at www.nwei.org. Contact: Deborah McNamara, Deborah@nwei.org or (503)227 2807.
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Posting of resources or events does not
constitute endorsement of those materials or activities by the Colorado
Alliance for Environmental Education or sponsors of CAEE.
This list will be used for the sole purpose of distributing the
electronic version of CAEE's monthly newsletter EE InfoLink.
If you would like to subscribe under a different email address, please
send an email to: ee-infolink-subscribe@caee.org
If you have an announcement for EE InfoLink, please send it to info@caee.org by the 10th of each month.
If you would prefer not to receive EE-InfoLink announcements please unsubscribe
by sending a blank email to: EE-InfoLink-unsubscribe@caee.org
If you have problems with the mailing list, please send them to: EE-InfoLink-owner@caee.org
Previous issues of EE-InfoLink can be accessed at: http://www.caee.org/eve.html
This is an announcement-only email list. If you would like to be included
in an interactive listserv of environmental educators, send a blank email to: environmental-ed-subscribe@caee.org
EE InfoLink Editor: Amanda Peterson
Phone: 303-273-9527 Fax: 303-273-5780
E-mail: info@caee.org
http://www.caee.org
This list is hosted and maintained by EE-Link (http://eelink.net),
The site for Environmental Education on the Internet. |
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