STEM Digital Images in Geoscience Investigations: Teaching Analysis with Light (STEM DIGITAL)

该项目将使高中和初中STEM教师和学生能够通过分析数码相机，扫描仪和互联网的图像进行环境研究。 该项目探讨了如何将数字图像分析应用于环境质量问题，这些问题可以很容易地引入STEM课程，吸引学生并鼓励他们考虑相关的职业。该项目将制定研究议程，将采用各种图像分析工具。空气质量主题将侧重于大气中主要影响可见光、红外线和紫外线的三个组成部分：颗粒物和气溶胶、二氧化碳和臭氧。水质主题将着眼于植物生物量对饮用水质量和全球碳循环的作用。砷在美国被列为对人类健康构成潜在威胁的头号环境污染物;研究课题将包括当地砷污染场地的识别和绘图以及生物修复的可能性。该项目的工作人员包括马萨诸塞大学和学校的教师，他们在教师专业发展和课程设计方面拥有丰富的经验。STEM DIGITAL将使用AnalyzingDigitalImages软件，该软件为空间，时间，光谱和强度测量提供免费，易于使用的工具。将有三批30名教师。稍后将通过传播努力向更多的学生和教师提供信息。前两组将参加2011年和2012年为期一周的暑期培训班。在接下来的每一个学年，工作人员将继续与教师在线工作，大约六个项目分布在秋季和春季学期。2013年的研究所将完全在线，为期6周的暑期课程将成为在线M的一部分。课程材料将反映Pellegrino的“以结构为中心的设计”（CCD）模型，其中评估是其设计和使用的一个组成部分。所有为STEM DIGITAL开发的课程材料和软件都将通过网络免费提供。其他传播将包括期刊文章和会议介绍。评估将包括研究对学生职业兴趣的影响。STEM DIGITAL将使教师和学生能够使用数字图像和图像分析软件进行定性和定量分析，吸引学生，提高他们对基础科学和技术的深入理解，并最终提高他们对STEM和信息技术职业的兴趣。它将增加我们对与砷化合物在环境中的运动和天然有机物的溶解有关的重要环境过程的知识。它还将允许比较面对面和在线专业发展计划的功效。该项目将向教育界证明，现有的计算机和数码相机沿着在线数据可以轻松有效地作为实践科学工具，为STEM学科的教学方式增添新的维度。

This project will enable high school and middle school STEM teachers and students to conduct environmental research aided by the analysis of images from digital cameras, scanners, and the Internet. The project explores how digital image analysis can be applied to environmental quality issues that can readily be introduced into STEM courses, engaging students and encouraging them to think about related careers. The project will develop research agendas that will employ a variety of image analysis tools. The air quality theme will focus on the three components of the atmosphere that primarily affect visible, infrared and ultraviolet light, respectively: particulates and aerosols, carbon dioxide, and ozone. The water quality theme will look at the role of plant biomass on drinking water quality and on global carbon cycling. Arsenic is listed as number one in the US in terms of environmental contaminants that pose a potential threat to human health; research topics will include the identification and mapping of local arsenic contaminated sites and bioremediation possibilities.The project staff includes UMass and school faculty with extensive experience in teacher professional development and curriculum design. STEM DIGITAL will use the AnalyzingDigitalImages software which provides free, easy-to-use tools for spatial, temporal, spectral, and intensity measurements. There will be three cohorts of 30 teachers. More students and teachers will be reached later by the dissemination effort. The first two groups will attend one week summer institutes in 2011 and 2012. During each of the following school years, the staff will continue working online with the teachers on approximately six more projects spread over the fall and spring semesters. The 2013 institute will be entirely online, with a 6 week summer course which will become part of an online M.Ed. program. Curriculum materials will reflect Pellegrino's "Construct-Centered Design" (CCD) model in which assessment is an integral part of their design and use. All the curriculum materials and software developed for STEM DIGITAL will be made freely available via the web. Additional dissemination will include journal articles and conference presentations. The evaluation will include a study of the effects on student career interests. It will also compare the efficacy of the face-to-face and online models.STEM DIGITAL will enable teachers and their students to use digital images and image analysis software for qualitative and quantitative analysis, engaging students, improving their in-depth understanding of fundamental science and technology, and ultimately increasing their interest in STEM and information technology careers. It will add to our knowledge of important environmental processes related to the movement of arsenic compounds in the environment and the dissolution of natural organic matter. It will also allow the comparison of the efficacy of the in-person and online professional development programs. The project will demonstrate to the educational community that already available computers and digital cameras, along with online data, can easily and effectively serve as hands-on scientific instruments, adding a new dimension to the way STEM subjects are taught.