How to become freakishly more weather oriented?

Are you ready to learn?

Have you read through the blog thus far, and become even more encouraged to participate in this program? Are you thrilled to learn more and more about the Ocean or Atmosphere? Would you like to earn 3 free graduate credits through SUNY Brockport? Wait, did I just say FREE? YES, I did! Visit the American Meteorological Society's website and browse their information on this program. I will be here to occasionally walk you through some stuff throughout the semester. At the beginning, prior to starting, I will explain the website a little better, and hopefully get some YouTube videos uploaded for your convenience.

If you are a weather freak, but want to go over the edge, you have picked the right program. You are just going to LOVE IT!

Engaged Yet?

Are you ENGAGED YET?

Over the semester of this online graduate level course, I have learned a tremendous amount of information and I have built on an existing foundation of weather studies. The course was so detailed and elaborate that I feel it would be beneficial to any science teacher: elementary or secondary, young or old. In order to provide for my current and future colleagues, I want to designate an online blog describing the course and promoting its existence. To be honest, I am not even sure how I came across it, I believe I was searching how to take Meteorology courses while still working. It would also be helpful to highlight some important parts of the course website for future students of the course and how to use it, with a user friendly guide, an FAQ, and picture assistance. This is the staff plan of action; however, I do feel the blog should entice educators and encourage them to try this course. In order to shout out to them, I want to develop an online slideshow that can be played on the blog to motivate and engage the staff member to take a second look at the course. This plan of action can help promote and establish a larger network of science educators who are interested in Earth systems and want to build on their previous knowledge.

As for the students, I plan to create this blog, which will have a kid friendly page, which would be connected to weather games, interesting science photographs, student contests, and more. I honestly feel it is important to engage the children young and if they feel connected to the science field, they are more likely to follow their childhood dreams in that direction.

Throughout the past four months, I have worked hard to balance three graduate course, including this one, working full time, and coaching a high school varsity sport. It has not been easy and I have yet to have a chance to sit down on a weekend and relax, but usually I perform better under stress and working hard to meet the deadline. I would like to suggest to future students to break down the assignments and I would like to add insight on what they can expect throughout the course. I would also like a page on the blog dedicated to past participants to leave their thoughts, their encouragement, and their suggestions as well. I honestly wish throughout the course I had a chance to read more about the weather occurring within the world and nation, but unfortunately it just did not leave any time in the week to do so. I would encourage all students of the course in the past, in the next semester of the course, read the supplemental information and see where it could fit into your curriculum or classroom.

Datastreme Atmosphere

Have you ever heard of the www.ametsoc.org website? If you have concluded that you are a Weather Freak based on the previous post, you might as well check it out. Are you an educator? Would you like to advance your knowledge and understanding of the atmosphere and weather around us? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may choose to enroll in the Datastreme courses to better your knowledge in weather content. The course is 12 weeks long and you are required to submit weekly investigations, weekly study guides, and weekly activities after studying a particular weather topic. Although, having a basic understanding of the atmosphere is good, it is not pertinent.

Click here to check out the website!

Are you a weather freak?

Top Ten Reasons You Are a Weather Freak

10. You catch yourself staring at the approaching clouds and think to yourself or you might even say it out-loud, "Wow, how cool is that cloud?" or "Look at that storm, it's gonna be a big one."

9. Encourage your students how cool weather is and constantly find yourself discussing weather patterns and current conditions in your classroom. Your students think you are a freak and occasionally tell you that, in the nicest possibly way.

8. You stick up for meteorologists when they are wrong. After all you know the difficulty in predicting weather forecasts.

7. You thrive off of hurricane images.

6. Blizzards and tornadoes get you going as long as no one gets hurt.

5. You can properly read a weather map, Meteogram, Stuve diagram, among other weather related charts, graphs, and diagrams.

4. You enjoy your weather related graduate classes. What?!

3. As you step outside and someone says the current weather conditions, you state, "Well since the Low Pressure System is moving off to the east of us, we should be experiencing some clearing as the High Pressure System enters our area." They look at you strangely.

2. You blog about the weather!

1. Secretly, you want to be a tornado chaser like the one's on The Discovery Channel!