Real-Time Internet Data for K-6 Science

Dr. Ming Zhang, Dr. Xiaoping Li,

Dr. Lundquist

Central Michigan University

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What is Real-Time Data?

• Wikipedia (2006) denotes real-time data as information that is delivered immediately after collection. There is no delay in the timeliness of the information provided.

• Wikipedia (2009) Real-time data is often used for navigation or tracking.

• Sherman and Sherman (2004) in their science methods book defined real-time data as “information about the state of an object at a specific time – now!”

• Versus archive data. Real-time data is different from archive data which is a collection of records which were created during the course of the events.

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Examples of Real-time Data

• Read the time from your watch and the thermostat in the room indicating the room temperature.

• The more complicated real-time data includes the supply-chain system by the Wal-Mart where the moment the cashier scans a product, a signal will be generated. (Friedman, 2005).

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More Examples of Real-time Data

• GPS (Global Positioning System) in some automobiles shows you where your car is on screen in the dashboard.

• Weather website

• Stock mark website

• Can you think of one or two?

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Why Real-time Data are Created and Who Creates it?

Real-time data is created for different purposes. 1. Keep the supply at the optimum conditions. The Wal-

Mart supply-chaining system by the Wal-Mart is for its inventory purpose. The real-time data keeps the manufacture aware of the supply. (By the store.)

2. Keep the most updated information of the supply. The box office of all tickets for sports, performance, and air tickets. (By the sales department)

3. Tracking the shipping item. The tracking system by UPS. It is both internally and externally used. (by the UPS). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) makes real-time data on airplane flights available for free on the Internet. (By FAA) (http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/

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Why Real-time Data are Created and Who Creates it?

4. Collecting weather data to forecast weather. The buoy data by the National Data Buoy Center is created to observe the weather conditions on the sea and used to forecast the weather. (by NDBC)

5. Research. Tracking animals. Pandas, swans. It is really a perfect way to study animals that migrate. (By scientists)

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What is the real-time Data?

• Its Availability – No all real-time data is available to public.

• Is it a new concept?– It is not. The information the meteorologist

gives you on TV is real-time data.• What is new is the availability of the data and the

possibility of sharing them.

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Why Using Real-Time Data in Teaching

1. It is more exciting than archive data.• “Monitoring the ocean from the

classroom” (Petrone, 2006).

• Instant comparison the temperature of any city in the world.

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Why Using Real-Time Data in Teaching

2. No limitation of location of where you are or when the learning and teaching is occurring.

– Both teachers and students is the fact the we can now access the Internet to get these data.

– If you are teaching a lesson about earthquake, you can locate quake data from USGS at here.

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Why Using Real-Time Data in Teaching

3. Real-time data is powerful.– Instead of using the archive data, real data

can be really powerful in teaching science concepts (weather, earth science, life science, physics)

– When planning a virtual travel, weather information is a must.

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Why Using Real-Time Data in Teaching

4. Beyond the basics (Rasmussen & Maguire).– Science inquiry is mostly data oriented. While data

provided by the teachers, the libraries, government documents is mostly archive and can be very basic. With the internet, there is a great variety of real-time data available.

5. Real life situations or events.– It encourages the learning outside the classroom.

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What’s its relation to science standards?

• According to the National Science Education Standards, "inquiry into authentic questions generated from student experiences is the central strategy for teaching science."

• The standards encourage teachers to focus on inquiry as it relates to the real-life experiences of students and to guide students to fashion their own investigations.

• Students formulate their own questions and devise ways to answer them. They also collect data, decide how to represent them, and test the reliability of the knowledge they have generated. They learn to justify their work to themselves and one another.

• This process involves reacting to challenges regarding their conclusions, explaining limitations of their work, making presentations to others, and being willing to receive constructive criticism (NRC, 1996).

• Real-time data seems to provide a special tool for inquiry learning

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Examples of Using Real-time Data in Teaching

Real Earthquake, Real Learning (Schomburg, 2003).

Plotting real earthquake data from the National Information Center

1. Teaching map skills and introducing plate tectonics in a concrete way.

2. United States Geological Survey.

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Examples of Using Real-time Data in Teaching

1. Tracking Animal Migrations (Swans)

2. Your class can "Shadow A Swan" on its migration from Alaska to Montana. The scientists collar the swans and then use satellite technology to follow the swans as they migrate.

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Collaring Process

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A collar is placed around the swan's neck. This collar has a satellite transmitter

attached.

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Release

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Milo

Dorothy

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Dorothy

Date: Mar 3, 2005    Distance: 200.00 Miles Collar ID: 36670    Latitude 43.919Longitude 111.522Idaho  

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Milo

Date: Feb 15, 2005    Distance: 19.20 Miles Collar ID: 41592   Latitude 43.825 Longitude 111.708Idaho     

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Using Google Map

• The distance in between can be seen through Google Map

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Weather Real-Time and Archive DataAt Weather Underground 1. Real-time data:• Tropical Storm Tracking Map

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/2. Archive data:• The 30 deadliest tropical cyclones for the

Atlantic Ocean http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/deadly.asp

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Examples of Using Real-time Data in Teaching

National Data Buoy Center (NDBC)

• Oceanographic and metrological date

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What is NDBC?• The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) is an

agency within the National Weather Service (NWS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NDBC's history can be traced to the late 1960's when buoy development and operation were conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The program was transferred to NOAA in 1970, and its headquarters moved to Mississippi.

• Through a Memorandum of Agreement, the USCG is a critically important partner to NDBC. The USCG is the primary source of transportation for buoy deployments, retrievals, and maintenance. The NDBC Technical Services Contractor (NTSC) performs most of the daily functions involved in keeping the entire system running.

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How do the measured data move from the buoy or C-MAN site to the various users

worldwide?

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There are two types of devices

The First Type

• C-Man stations have been installed on lighthouses, at capes and beaches, on near shore islands, and on offshore platforms.

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C-Man Stations

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The Second Type• Moored buoys NDBC's fleet of moored buoys includes 4 types: 3-

m, 10-m, 12-m discus hulls, and 6-m boat-shaped (NOMAD) hulls. A smaller buoy in shallow coastal waters may be moored using an all-chain mooring. On the other hand, a large discus buoy deployed in the deep ocean may require a combination of chain, nylon, and buoyant polypropylene materials designed for many years of service.

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Moored Buoy Program

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NDBC Standard Mooring Systems

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12-Meter Discus Buoy

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Deployment of a 3-Meter Discus Buoy

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NDBC Station Location Map

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Data from these Two Stations

• Station 41010NDBCLocation: 28.906N 78.471W

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• Station 41009NDBCLocation: 28.519N 80.166W

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It is time to dig into the data

• What are some of your observations?

• What are the things that are worth comparing and contrasting?

• What are some of your questions?

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Sources of Real-Time Data

1. For education only (swans) (can be used directly)

2. With a part specially designed for education (can be used directly)

3. Data for business only (high level of demand on teachers) most difficult but great potential.

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Is there a Model of Learning

• How teachers decide to use real-time data in learning will directly affect the students’ learning.

• The principles of using real-time data should be of inquiry learning

• We recommend 4-E learning cycle model: engage, explore, explain, and evaluation.

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Words of Caution

• Real-time data is relatively new in science teaching and a lot of work needs to be done to provide guidance.

• There is no guarantee that by using real-time data students will learn the science concepts and inquiry skills.

Thank You!

Questions and comments are welcome.