Tuesday, January 26, 2010

CoCoRaHS Recruitment Video

If you haven't read it yet, Nolan sent an e-mail that contained a link to a video containing some great information about CoCoRaHS.  This would be a great link to add to websites, signatures on e-mails, and to send to anyone interested.  I'm not sure who created it, but it is well done.

Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKlpFuaLw0I

4 comments:

Josh Herman said...

It is a good one. I sent it to my wife to show to the powers that be at her school to see if they want to be apart of CoCoRaHS during the school year. I think it would be apart of the 5th graders curriculum. Not all school year of course, but regardless. If at least one kid enjoys it, it was worth it right? I've been tossing this idea around for a month or two, about sponsoring a gauge at my wife's school. However, the more I think about it the more I think it's less and less practical. It wouldn't be a station that is monitored everyday of the year... what are you thoughts about an elementary school participating in CoCoRaHS?!

WxWatcher said...

OSNW3, this is the first year I have implemented CoCoRaHS into my curriculum. In years past, I have mentioned the organization and gave a brief overview of what we do, but I incorporated all students in it this year.

I made a Weather Log Book that spans a week, one day per page, where students are asked to record the day's temp, rain, snow, wind, cloud cover, and other important observations. Then the next day, we begin the class by logging onto CoCoRaHS (projected onto a screen in the front of the room), and a volunteer comes up to enter that day's report. The response was very positive. They really enjoyed seeing their data plotted on the map, reading the comments they typed, and the comments from others around the country! At the time we did this, California was getting their deluge, plus we read some reports from Hawaii and Alaska.

We enter reports online for a week, then after that, I invite anyone to come in to my room in the morning if they wish to enter the day's report.

During the unit, I get a feel for the kids that really get into it, and encourage them to get involved (plus I need to recruit someone to enter our reports during the summer!)

Now to answer your question about an elementary school participating: I think any school would benefit from incorporating CoCoRaHS in their weather curriculum. The kids really enjoy reading the rain gauge and being a part of a network of others who are doing the same. The issue would be, as you stated, recording data year-round. I read and enter the data here at school, but I realize that not every school would have someone that would do that.

I would contact Noah (noah@cocorahs.org). He is the one heading up the CoCoRaHS School Network. He could provide some input as far as the station not being monitored all year. I'm sure that's something they've thought about.

Let me know if your wife's school ever gets involved. It would be great for my kids to see other schools' reports!

**I think I did some good recruiting this year. I have a new Special Ed. Aide in my class this year, and she told me that her dad and a bunch of his friends (all farmers) meet every morning for coffee and compare rain fall amounts. I sent her home with a CoCoRaHS brochure!!**

Josh Herman said...

WxWatcher, thank you for the in depth information! I am forwarding this on to the middle man (my wife). I will be coming to you for more advice on implementation strategies if it's OK'd at the school. Is that cool?

WxWatcher said...

Absolutely OSNW3. I'd be happy to help out in any way I can.