Supporting Climate Science Research With 21st Century Technologies and a Virtual Student Conference for Upper Elementary to High School Students
Abstract
Engaging young science learners today requires a plethora of tools that oftentimes leverages technology in novel ways. This paper describes the use of several 21st century technologies to engage science learners in locally relevant climate science research projects and the presentation of these projects in an entirely online virtual student conference. Case studies demonstrating the use of and effectiveness of 21st century technologies and GLOBE protocols are also included. Through technology, students were able to find out more about distant locations and their own environments, talk to scientists, and make studying climate science personally relevant. Finally, the implementation and structure of the GLOBE Virtual Student Conference is described.