2007 Continued

 

Additional Highlights of 2007:

 

January 9, 2007, Don Hudson (Treasurer) reported NMEA balances: Checking account (Hancock Bank): $46,379.04; Endowment Fund (Edward Jones): $341,630.18; and Capital Reserve Account (Vanguard): $55,030.38.

Although scheduled to take place in Fiji, due to political instability, the International Pacific Marine Educators Conference took place in Hawaii January 15-18. There was much discussion among Board Members about bringing the issue of Traditional Knowledge and Rights to our consciousness. There was particular interest from those living in Hawaii, the Pacific NW, and the NE coast.

In one e-mail to Board Members, Craig Strang (CA) wrote, “So, rather than deciding between imperfect solutions, I would vote for the "yes and..." solution. Let's form the committee to create a locus of thought and attention, and empower the committee to make recommendations to all other committees regarding the expression of Traditional Knowledge--in our publications, our conferences, our member recruitment strategies, our conservation activities, our definition of Ocean Literacy, etc. The committee doesn't have to tackle all the issues at once, but can choose to make broad recommendations or to focus their energy on one or two initiatives at a time. Rather than deciding in advance, I'd say, let's bring together the right minds and let them deliberate and guide us.”

The Ocean Literacy committee arranged with the Banana Slug Band to make a CD on Ocean Literacy. COSEE Great Lakes and COSEE California met to address the concern that freshwater be included in Ocean Literacy publications.

The Outreach Committee worked on producing a DVD with still shots and video of NMEA members.

February 11-13, the Executive Board held its Winter Retreat in Mississippi at the National Headquarters.

As of March 6, the membership included 1032.

The Mid Year meeting took place in St. Louis, Missouri on March 28th to coincide with the NSTA National Convention (Mar 29-Apr 1). Highlights of the Mid Year Board Minutes are as follows:

The President’s Chain ...President Thaxter Tewksbury (CT), Past President Sarah Schoedinger (NC), and President-Elect Lynn Whitley (CA)... shared their reports. Lynn stated that COSEE has developed a relationship with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. JPL would like to work with NMEA to develop products focused on Ocean Literacy.

Following the Treasurer’s Report, Sarah Schoedinger noted that we are getting close to needing a professional money manager as we are reaching the half million dollar mark in investments.

Standing Committee Reports were made by Awards, Bylaws, Chapters, Conference, Conservation, Executive, Finance, Grants/Funding, History, International, Long Range, Nominating, NSTA Liaison, Ocean Literacy, Outreach, Publications, and Scholarship. A few of the highlights from these reports include:

  • Chapters: A Chapter Survey is being finalized to help determine the composition of membership relative to formal and informal educators, scientists and others. Lynn Whitley has been working with chapters on this membership survey started by Sarah Shedding several years ago. The Chapters have discussed 501.3C status and getting insurance through NMEA.
  • Conservation: A task force, headed by Amy Miller-Gollenburg (HI), has been working on a mission statement about NMEA’s role in Aquatic Conservation.
  • NSTA Liaison: Beth Jewell (VA) moved that NMEA send a letter asking NSTA to endorse, support and promote the Ocean Literacy initiative. Motion passed.
  • Ocean Literacy: Lynn Whitley noted that an Ocean Literacy PowerPoint has been developed for use by NMEA members. It can be found on the NMEA website.
  • Publications: The NMEA style guide CDs are in, contact Johnette Bosarge (MS) to request one.

    New Business:

    The Strategic Planning Meeting is scheduled for a two day workshop during which a five year plan will be crafted.

    A motion was moved, seconded, and passed that after completion, the Chapter Survey and/or the survey questions will become incorporated within NMEA’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP #11), as well as the conference cookbook, the registration form for the annual conference, the membership brochure (once it is revised), and the online membership form. This Chapter Survey form and/or the questions will be given to each chapter for inclusion in their respective membership forms.

 

TEAMS decorated for the NMEA Share-A-Thon at the NSTA Convention that occurred on March 29th.

In May, Amy Gollenberg (HI) sent board members a draft of the NMEA position on aquatic conservation to critic.

During the NMEA Board Conference Call on December 6, 2007:

  • Sharon Walker announced that NMEA had 1133 members.
  • Lynn Whitley, representing the Bylaws Committee, presented the following SOP: "Committee Chairs will serve for a term of three years. At that time the current NMEA President may renew the Chair position or select a new, Committee Chair. Committees will select a Committee Vice-Chair. The committee Vice-Chair term is two years, and should not coincide exactly with the term of the Committee Chair. For continuity, the Vice-Chair may become the Committee Chair if the NMEA President and all parties agree." The SOP passed unanimously.
  • Eric Simms, Chair of the Chapters Committee shared the committee's discussion about chapter 501C status under the NMEA "umbrella." Justine Glenn volunteered to be Chapter Committee Vice-Chair.
  • Amy Miller-Gollenburg, Conservation Chair, shared that Peggy Sloan has agreed to be Vice-Chair of that committee.

Future NMEA Conference Locations :

  • 2008 : Savannah, GA: The meeting dates are July 20-24, with the 21st being the official first day of the conference for general membership. Field trips are scheduled for Thursday, July 24. Keep posted for updates at http://www.uga.edu/game.
  • 2009: Robert Lewis Stevenson residential high school at Pebble Beach, Monterey, California: The conference will be August 3-7. The theme will be "One World Conserving One Ocean."
  • 2010: Gatlinburg, Tennessee: The conference will be July 19-23. The theme is "From the Mountain to the Sea". It will be held in the Gatlinburg Convention Center.
  • 2012: Hosted by GLEAMS. The exact dates, theme, and site are as yet undetermined.

 

 

Left: Post card reminder of the 2008 Conference in Savannah.

 

 

 

 

2007 NMEA News Publications

The first issue of NMEA News (Volume 23, Issue 1, Spring 2007) included the following:

  • “From the Pilot House:” Thaxter Tewksbury wrote about the outstanding organization done by NMEA members who had to do some last minute planning of the International Pacific Marine Educators Conference. The conference had been scheduled for Fiji, but its location had to be changed to Hawaii at the last minute because of political instability.
  • “NMEA 2007:” Don Hudson described the July 23rd-27th Portland, Maine conference planned for this summer. Online Registration began in February. See http://www.gommea.org/downeast2007
  • “The Bridge:” Chris Petrone titled his article “Liven up your summer with the Bridge.” He suggested using the Bridge to find exciting career-building summer opportunities for teachers and their students.
  • “NSTA in Boston 2008:” Beth Jewell asked anyone planning to submit proposals for presentations on marine and aquatic sciences to contact NMEA’s NSTA Liaison Committee. The committee is planning NMEA’s track of sessions for that conference.
  • “Gamming with Mike Spranger:“ Mike titled his column “Ocean Report Card...Found Wanting.” (click to read this entire column) In his column, Mike expounded on the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative’s U.S. Ocean Policy Report Card that was announced January 30th.
  • “National Environmental Education Week:” This article announced the dates for NEEW: April 15-22.
  • “IPMEC Organizing Committee:” Sylvia Spalding summarized the events of the International Pacific Marine Educators Conference. Nearly 100 marine educators from 18 countries participated in the conference. All of the presentations as well as the opening and closing ceremonies are available as web-based streaming video at the College of Exploration website:http://www.coexploration.org/ipmec
  • “NOSB Diversity Initiative:” Courtney Bogle described the National Ocean Sciences Bowl initiative to cultivate increased stewardship of the oceans and to generate next generation marine scientists, technicians, educators, and industry leaders among under-represented communities (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, etc.)
  • “Summer Opportunities for Students:” From Sea Camp to ROV Competition, many opportunities are described for students.
  • “Summer Opportunities for Teachers:” A plethora of research, field trip, and workshop opportunities are described.
  • Nomination forms for NMEA Annual Awards for 2007 are included in this NMEA News.
  • “Chapter Reports:” Twelve chapters gave their updated reports.
  • Article “The Wealth of Our Gulf and Our Oceans Is Linked to Our Own:” Sharon Walker and D. Jay Grimes wrote this article in response to the Sun Herald report on January 31st on the report card released by the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative. In their report, Walker and Grimes stated that local input was an essential part of the worldwide ‘report card.’ Although the nation received a “C- minus”, the Gulf of Mexico states received an “A-minus.” Walker and Grimes believe the single most important action that led to the high marks for the Gulf states was the creation of the “Gulf of Mexico Governors/ Action Plan for Healthy and Resilient Coasts."

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The second issue of NMEA News (Volume 23, Issue 2, Summer 2007) included the following:

  • “From the Pilot House:” Thaxter Tewksbury summarized the many recent successes of NMEA:  the mid-year board meeting, the NMEA Share-a-thon, and the NMEA Marine Education Strand at the NSTA National Conference.
  • “NMEA 2007:”  Don Hudson stated that there is still time to make arrangements to attend the 2007 National Convention.
  • “The Bridge:” Chris Petrone acknowledged that the Bridge and its Teacher Reviewers of On-Line Learning (TROLLS) have been collecting and reviewing many NOAA education resources, which are now included in the Bridge’s new NOAA collection.  “The NOAA collection includes lesson plans, professional development and student opportunities, publications, information on ocean observing systems and research institutes, and much more.”
  • “NMEA Chapter Membership Survey results are in:” Lynn Whitley shared that in an effort to better serve the NMEA membership and attract new members, the NMEA Board contacted each chapter representative for information on details of their members.  Lynn’s article details the breakdown of K-12 teachers, University Instructor/Professors, Informal Educators, State/Government Agencies, and other.
  • “NOSB celebrates 10 Years at Stony Brook:” The National Ocean Sciences Bowl celebrated its 10th year with the national competition at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY.  Details of this event are described in this article.
  • “Summer Opportunities for Students:” Project Marine Discovery: Sea Camp, and Eco-tourism Activities for students are described in this article.
  • “Conservation Committee Update:” Amy Gollenberg, chair of this committee, shared that a Draft Position Statement has been presented to the Board.
  • “Summer Opportunities for Teachers:” A COSEE Exploration Workshop for the Great Lakes will take place Aug. 11-17 this year.
  • “"Gamming:" Lundie Spence’s article is titled “Sharing Our Love of the Ocean.”  Lundie states all marine and aquatic teachers desire to share our love with the sea with friends and especially, our students. She describes opportunities she has had to sail in tall ships and she explains that she feels it is our charge as marine educators to give our students experiences… sailing, marsh mud between their toes, and a sea breeze in the face.  Among her many honors, Lundie is an Honorary Member of NMEA and served as NMEA President 1982-83.
  • “Chapter Reports:” Nine chapters gave their updated reports.

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The third issue of NMEA News (Volume 23, Issue 3, Fall 2007) included the following:

  • “From the Pilot House:” Lynn Whitley discussed highlights of the Downeast 2007 NMEA Annual Conference in Portland, Maine and NMEA Board work on strategic planning.
  • Additional articles were written by Thaxter Tewksbury, Past President of NMEA, by Justine Glynn, Don Hudson, and Jeff Sandler about the NMEA 2007 Conference, and by Lisa Ayers Lawrence about “The Bridge.” The final count from the conference is that there were 408 participants from 38 states and 8 countries. More than $10,000 was made on the auction.
  • An “Awards” article describes the recipients of the 2007 NMEA awards: Outstanding Teacher Award: Mellie Lewis; James Centorino Award: Dr. Rick Tinnin; Marine Education Award: Gary Kreamer; Honorary Member: Dr. Sharon Walker; and The President’s Award: Mickey Weiss.
  • Additional articles included “NOSB Sponsor thanks and updates” by Susan Haynes, “President’s Circle Downeast” by Bill Hastie, “The Conservation Committee” by Amy Gollenberg, and “Student/Teacher Opportunity” sponsored by the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks.
  • "Gamming" was written by Vicki Clark. In her typical "Vicki Clark humorous style," she shared her enthusiasm about teaching others about the creatures at the beach. To read her article, click on " Gamming".
  • The remaining NMEA News articles were written about specific chapter activities.

 

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The fourth issue of NMEA News (Volume 23, Issue 4, Winter 2007) was the first issue to be printed in color. This issue included the following:

  • “From the Pilot House:" Lynn Whitley discussed the new five-year Strategic Plan, a copy of which was inserted into this issue. Whitley reviewed the many steps involved in writing the plan and she discussed the involvement of the membership in this process. Two of the changes resulting from the Strategic Plan include: 1) in the future, Committee Chair positions will be for a three-year term and there will be co-chairs serving on each committee, and 2) a new Ad-Hoc committee on Expanding Audiences is being created.
  • “Opportunity: Great Barrier Reef site selected for the IPMEN 2008 Conference” by Sylvia Spalding describes the International Pacific Marine Educators Network conference to be held in Townsville, Australia October 17-19, 2008.
  • “Conservation Committee:” In her article, Amy Gollenberg, defined NMEA’s role in conservation as encouraging education and best conservation practices by providing leadership and sharing accurate information related to the world of water, both fresh and salt.
  • “Drifting to Extinction:” In his article, Tom Brown discussed why freshwater dolphins are functionally extinct. Habitat degradation is the major cause of their demise.
  • “Gamming” was written by Vicki Osis and is titled, “Climate Change.” She discusses both the gloom and doom of the issue and what we can all do to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Her article in its entirety can be read by clicking on “Gamming.”
  • Inserts included: the 2008 National Marine Educators Association Annual Awards description and nomination form, the NMEA Strategic Plan 2008-2013, and an advertisement for the 2008 NMEA Conference to be held July 21-24 in Savannah, Georgia.
  • An application form for the 2008 NMEA Annual Conference Scholarship Program is included in this issue.
  • “NSTA Liaison Committee,” reported by Beth Jewell, discussed the process of submitting proposals for NSTA conferences.
  • “Chapter Reports:” Eleven chapters gave their updated reports.

2008 Current, The Journal of Marine Education publications

 

Issue one of Current, The Journal of Marine Education (Volume 23, No. 1, 2007) was titled “Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence ... COSEE: Celebrating Five Years.” The issue editor was Susan L. Ganter, National Network Director of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) and Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Clemson. The issue included articles on the evolution of COSEE, its strategic goals, collaborations between formal and informal education, ocean literacy, strategies for engaging scientists in ocean sciences education, ocean sciences and the sensor revolution, professional development efforts to increase diversity, rethinking science teaching, COSEE network evaluation, partnerships, ocean observing systems, and leveraging. A detailed description of the eleven COSEE Centers is included at the end of the journal.

 

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Issue two of Current, The Journal of Marine Education (Volume 23, No. 2, 2007) was a general issue. The managing editor for this issue was Lisa Tooker. Contributing authors wrote articles on a variety of topics including using horseshoe crabs in the classroom to enhance marine education and teaching ocean literacy through real-time data. Handouts and activities from some of the articles in this issue can be downloaded at the NMEA website . The Bridge contributed links for many of the articles in this issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on Current to obtain a complete listing of articles in 1976-2008 journals.

 

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