tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69627575924548021252024-03-13T21:10:24.978-07:00Adventure MomoAdventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-89158061055582332012013-09-27T16:45:00.000-07:002013-09-27T16:45:17.409-07:00New DirectionSo I have a new job at the American Geosciences Institute (<a href="http://www.agiweb.org/">www.agiweb.org</a>). I get to work with around 250,000 geoscientists (I hope to increase that number) to study everything from the core of the Earth to the outer reaches of space. While I care immensely about different causes, I'm going back to the roots about why I like geoscience. Why the Earth and nature is awe-inspiring.<br />
<br />
From now on, I'm going to keep a tally of what I like, and focus on how even in the most dire geoscience news, there's still wonder. It's still okay to take away a silver lining.<br />
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I've talked to a lot of people over the last few years and I think everybody is getting worn down with the weight of reality. To me, everything seems like a mess, and people are at each other's throats. I've decided it's unsustainable for my happiness, and I am going to use my blog to provide a more optimistic outlook on it all.<br />
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I'm going to throw ideas out there to challenge the norms from all sides. When you work with everybody, you realize how impossible it is to make everybody see from the same lens; however, it may be worth trying to celebrate common ground. So I'm going to explore what causes a sense of wonder about the universe I live in, and celebrate it. It's an abstract angle but my first goal is simply to write on a regular basis.<br />
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***Opinions expressed here, although awesome, are not those of my employer but are my own***<br />
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<br />Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-53233910099929047882013-09-15T14:19:00.003-07:002013-09-15T14:19:52.544-07:00Holy cow it's been a year since I posted. Major life changes have left me with more time to focus on blogging and writing, and I'm happy to be back. More to come. :)Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-73560913239900739202012-09-24T17:56:00.000-07:002012-09-24T17:56:06.624-07:00Changes Changes Changes!For all two of my readers - thanks for still following! Sorry for the radio silence. I have have been riding the roller coaster of life (looks like this)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gifs.gifbin.com/062010/1277118253_rollercoaster-pov.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://gifs.gifbin.com/062010/1277118253_rollercoaster-pov.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full Disclosure: I am currently obsessed with GIFs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I have learned a lot, grown a lot, cried a lot and had a lot of time to think about what was important to me. I am happy to report it appears I have weathered the storm. But now the worst has passed and I'm moving forward with some really exciting projects!</div>
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After two years of making the case for social media in my office, we were approved to move forward with this project. So I have spent a lot of free time over the past month establishing these tools in our office and defining our place in the social media sphere! It has been fun, but definitely not as easy as I anticipated. (Story of my professional life)</div>
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The best part has been getting to work with other individuals throughout the American Meteorological Society, and developing relationships with my coworkers outside of my department. I find I really enjoy this level of engagement and I think they're excited to learn about what we do in the Education Program! </div>
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I'm really excited to start working on developing a media kit. I really hope I'm able to make contacts in the press to get them into our workshops. A lot of the soul searching about being a professional led me to one thought: irregardless of how bad I felt, I still believed with the utmost passion in the mission of the AMS Education Program, and I felt proud to be part of a team that makes such a positive impact in the US Education System!</div>
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<b>Cool Reading about Social Media in the Sciences</b>:</div>
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<a href="http://www.labmanager.com/?articles.view/articleNo/30199/article/Social-Media-Gone-Viral">http://www.labmanager.com/?articles.view/articleNo/30199/article/Social-Media-Gone-Viral</a></div>
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<b>My Favorite GIF ever</b>:</div>
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<a href="http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2010/4/21/129163616079429390.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2010/4/21/129163616079429390.gif" /></a></div>
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<br />Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-50813816517160487612012-04-26T08:02:00.002-07:002012-04-26T08:02:48.198-07:00How to talk to kids at #SciFest<div>
<div style="color: #674ea7;">
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<h2 style="color: #674ea7;">
<span style="color: #e69138;">(a how-to for unsure professionals) </span></h2>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #674ea7;">
I posted <a href="http://adventuremomo.blogspot.com/2012/04/2012-us-science-and-engineering.html" target="_blank">three questions</a> for students, but I've decided to post three questions for scientists and engineers. I have always happily worked with younger-folk, but I have encountered a lot of professionals who are unsure with their ability to engage and relate to kids and teenagers. Ironically, kids and teenagers are sometimes afraid to approach professionals. Since the US Science and Engineering Festival Expo is only <b style="color: #e69138;">TWO</b> days away, here are: </div>
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<h4 style="color: #3d85c6;">
THREE questions for scientists to get a conversation going!</h4>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://colellaphoto.com/usascience/NASA/content/images/large/SFm_2148.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://colellaphoto.com/usascience/NASA/content/images/large/SFm_2148.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting answers to important questions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: #674ea7;">
<h3>
<ol>
<li>What is their dream job?</li>
<li>What is their favorite class?</li>
<li>Have they considered college?</li>
</ol>
</h3>
</div>
<div style="color: #674ea7;">
These questions appeal to all
ages. It has been my experience that all students, even if it's buried
under shyness or age, still have a dream job. Sometimes you just have to coax it
out of them.<br />
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Classes are another common denominator for students,
and sometimes the answers to this question can be surprising. The number of times I've heard students list math as their favorite class warms my heart. It seems students just aren't sure what jobs are available to mathematicians.<br />
<br />
Lastly, some of these students
may be on a path to become the first person in their family to go to
college. College is typically necessary to be a scientist and this point
should be underscored. Engaging the student, and their
parents/guardians about what college was like can provide valuable
insight about a worthwhile venture. There are many challenges students
face getting to college and first-hand testimony from somebody who
understands it's importance can be invaluable.</div>
<div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br />
</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://colellaphoto.com/usascience/Koshland9-29/content/images/large/IMG_9750.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://colellaphoto.com/usascience/Koshland9-29/content/images/large/IMG_9750.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrate Science!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-35105546717091163362012-04-24T20:53:00.000-07:002012-04-24T20:53:18.550-07:00Back to scheduled programming in a minute<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">but first....</span></h4>
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My volcano, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Etna" target="_blank">Mount Etna</a>, is erupting (again)! I'm seriously in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMyXAlCrKSY" target="_blank">love</a>. I'm not even researching Etna right now and I'm still excited. More importantly, I'm still glad I decided to study it. I knew it was a sexy volcano when I picked it, and I have yet to be disappointed.<br />
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Check out today's paroxysm!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qG6DP3yzEFk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I wish I was there to see it in person, but thank goodness for the digital age. If I could, I would sample the most recent lava flows, run chemical analyses on the mineral phases (aka crystals), and do a full petrographic analysis. I want to do a comparative analysis to <a href="http://melts.ofm-research.org/" target="_blank">MELTS</a> models and further develop a hypothesis about the magmatic plumbing system.</div>
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Sigh.... I miss <a href="http://petrology.oxfordjournals.org/search?submit=yes&pubdate_year=&volume=&firstpage=&doi=&author1=&author2=&title=&andorexacttitle=and&titleabstract=Etna&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=&andorexactfulltext=and&fmonth=&fyear=&tmonth=&tyear=&flag=&format=standard&hits=10&sortspec=relevance&submit=yes&submit=Search" target="_blank">petrology</a>. Oh well, I know someday I'll be back. Once I figure out how to get access to journals cheaply I can start MELTS modeling again, and even branch out to other volcanoes. I positively can't wait. </div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">-MoMo</span></div>Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-47906213684776846722012-04-23T03:08:00.000-07:002012-04-23T06:11:33.300-07:002012 US Science and Engineering Festival Expo<br />
<h2>
</h2>
<h4>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Go Interview a Scientist!</span></h4>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.usasciencefestival.org/images/phocagallery/Expo/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_dsc_0140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://www.usasciencefestival.org/images/phocagallery/Expo/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_dsc_0140.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hands-on science!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This weekend is the second <a href="http://www.usasciencefestival.org/">US Science and Engineering Festival Expo</a>, and it sounds even BIGGER, BETTER and MORE EXCITING than the first! It's important to go if you're considering being a scientist or engineer when you grow up. The main event is in Washington DC and there are <a href="http://www.usasciencefestival.org/satellite-event-directory" target="_blank">satellite events</a> nationwide. Scientists from every discipline will be there. Interviewing these professionals can help you figure out what you can do to have an exciting job.<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></h2>
<h4>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Here are three questions to get your interview started:</span></h4>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.usasciencefestival.org/images/phocagallery/Expo2/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_sf-2397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://www.usasciencefestival.org/images/phocagallery/Expo2/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_sf-2397.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Talking to robots!<br />
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</tbody></table>
<h4>
<br /><ol>
<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>What is their job/job title?</b></span></li>
<li><b style="color: #38761d;">What was their major in college?</b></li>
<li><b style="color: #38761d;">Which classes were most helpful?</b></li>
</ol>
</h4>
<h4>
<div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
</h4>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.usasciencefestival.org/images/phocagallery/Expo2/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_sf-2091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.usasciencefestival.org/images/phocagallery/Expo2/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_sf-2091.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Shoot for the moon and even if<br />
you miss, you'll <br />
land among the stars"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="color: #351c75;">How to use this Information:</span></h4>
Asking these questions connects jobs with the majors you should consider in college. Knowing which classes are important gives you time to participate in programs that will help you before you go to college, like enrolling in AP programs, so you start college ready to jump into the fun stuff!<br />
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If you're an older student nearing college or have just started search for jobs using the "job title" and "college major" information from your interviews. Adding a phrase like "entry level" pulls job postings intended for recent college graduates. This can be done using job posting sections of local and major newspaper websites (<a href="http://jobmarket.nytimes.com/pages/jobs/">New York Times</a>, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/classified/jobs/">LA Times</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/jobs/home">Washington Post</a>), <a href="http://www.ac.by/science/societie.html">scientific and professional society websites</a> (follow link, search USA on page), and even <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites">Craigslist</a>. This way you can see what skills/classes employers want to see. This is valuable information to take to college advisers to get further guidance on tailoring your college curriculum.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="color: #990000;">Have fun at the expo and believe in yourself!</span></h2>
<div>
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: x-small;">*all images used with permission from the US National Science and Engineering Festival</span></div>
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</div>Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-57936372890698491842012-04-11T17:49:00.004-07:002012-04-22T13:05:12.425-07:00Tornadoes in CASo my coworker told me about the <a href="http://www.news10.net/images/640/360/2/assetpool/photogallery/189066/callie-garcia-lathrop.jpg">Storm Prediction Center</a> (SPC), and it is a resource to track daily meteorological events. This resource is common knowledge for meteorologists, but as a geologist I was BLOWN away! (tee hee - get the joke?) One cool feature of the SPC site is the "<a href="http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/today.html">reports</a>" tab are all the official logged NOAA reports about tornado, hail, and wind events that have occurred around the United States in the past 24 hours.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.news10.net/images/640/360/2/assetpool/photogallery/189066/callie-garcia-lathrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://www.news10.net/images/640/360/2/assetpool/photogallery/189066/callie-garcia-lathrop.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An image of the April 11, 2012 Stockton CA tornado.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A cool fact: today's only tornado (thus far, there's still 3.5 hours left!) was in Stockton, CA. Just as DC was caught unprepared by an <a href="http://www.howmanyfrogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/va_earthquake.png">earthquake</a>, I'm sure many Californians are blissfully ignorant to the possibility of a tornado (but lets be serious all kinds of severe weather!) striking them. Check it out: <a href="http://www.news10.net/news/article/189069/0/PHOTOS-Tornado-touches-down-near-Stockton?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cbc%7Clarge">there was a tornado near Stockton!</a><br />
<br />
I just wanted to throw this out there to remind those I love that you should always be ready for anything. Take a moment to review the National Weather Services' <a href="http://www.nws.noaa.gov/stormready/">StormReady</a> website. Also, if you're a science enthusiast remember the SPC is a great way observe what's happening around the country.Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-25271999333204043822012-01-03T22:29:00.000-08:002012-01-03T22:29:44.878-08:00Educational Video Blog: Ocean of Videos!Upon closer inspection, my 5-part geoscience educational video blog idea was a huge endeavor. While trying to set up a matrix of how to compare the the videos, I did a comprehensive search of video resources.<br />
<br />
THERE ARE SO MANY!!!! For better or worse, there is a lot of material out there. Based on the many teachers I have interacted with through my job in an education/outreach office at a scientific society, I have discovered that the majority of K-12 Earth science educators, may not have a formal background in the science. I can't imagine trying to tease out the nuances of which videos to incorporate in a lesson, or in their own informal training, or which may actually be broadcasting an inaccurate message.<br />
<br />
The project in its first iteration seemed too large in scale and could risk misrepresenting the scientific messages, or even worse the educational value. I have found videos produced by major production entities such as Discovery, the Science Channel, or National Geographic, to those heart-felt videos produced by the enthusiastic science teacher. I want to give them all proper credit and not rush my simple analysis.<br />
<br />
The overall concern I have, and one that covers all manner of educational/informational geoscience videos, is that many of them are lacking thoroughness. I find myself getting excited to see an idea demonstrated and its either not shown (perhaps lost in post-production?) or the description is difficult to follow (perhaps a supplemental animation would help?). Which brings me to my biggest concern: how do we, as a scientific/educational community synthesize with artists/media producers to provide educational video producers with these resources.<br />
<br />
If I remember correctly an animation we had done ended up costing upwards of several thousand dollars. We are a formal institution and even that hit us hard. It was totally worth it, but my goodness, the average educator hardly has access to such funds. Do we rely on for-profit entities who may privatize their materials to licensing institutions? Do we rely on the government who lists them on difficult-to-navigate sites, and who are constantly challenged for their funds? Do we rely on passionate educators who bring enthusiasm even if it is at the detriment of some of the major scientific concepts?<br />
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I don't have an answer yet. I may never have an answer, but I've decided I like watching these videos, and maybe a slightly-lost educator out there will find this blog helpful. And maybe it'll be a resource, with connections to the internet-geoscientist community. Its a community I've grown to respect, and now endeavor to be part of. They provide real-time feedback to questions, from experts who make themselves accessible.<br />
<br />
I look forward to feedback and criticism of my analysis. It can only seek to further the discussion on geoscience education. Plus we'll all get to watch some sweet videos!Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-37037973250376129282012-01-03T16:58:00.000-08:002012-01-03T16:58:57.337-08:00Pintrest: Nerding out Volcano-styleCheck out my Volcanoes & Petrology Pintrest board!!! Its a image/video collection of my favorite volcano images. Email me if you're interested in sharing exciting images email me at <a href="mailto:AdventureMoMo@gmail.com">AdventureMoMo@gmail.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pinterest.com/adventuremomo/volcanoes-lava-magma-and-petrology/">http://pinterest.com/adventuremomo/volcanoes-lava-magma-and-petrology/</a><br />
<br />
And don't worry, I wasn't too proud to include phase equilibria!Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-9758333580680027862011-12-25T22:01:00.000-08:002011-12-25T22:04:03.890-08:00Santa brings you an update!Happy Holidays! I have spent the last few days relaxing at home in San Diego, CA. I love being around the family. For Christmas, I received a twitter feed for my blog!<br />
<br />
My twitter feed -----------------------><br />
<br />
Ooooh! Aaaaah!<br />
<br />
New posts about Geoscience Education Videos ASAP! Hope everybody reading is happy, warm, well and surrounded by great people.<br />
<br />
~MoMo<br />
<br />
My current writing space:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EsHk76yuJ3k/TvgNIzmXf_I/AAAAAAAABUY/zZY_UP1OfrA/s1600/Photo+on+12-25-11+at+9.14+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EsHk76yuJ3k/TvgNIzmXf_I/AAAAAAAABUY/zZY_UP1OfrA/s400/Photo+on+12-25-11+at+9.14+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Holidays from my home to yours!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0Black Mountain Open Space Park, San Diego, CA 92129, USA32.982981603824889 -117.109216335937532.967871103824891 -117.1251583359375 32.998092103824888 -117.09327433593751tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-32819963803724469102011-12-14T07:31:00.000-08:002011-12-14T07:31:55.469-08:00Educational Videos #1Little did I know, an idea I had for a post during the AGU meeting would become such a large topic! I have decided to break up the topic of geology educational videos into several posts over the next week, and this will probably be a reoccurring topic from time to time.<br />
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</div><div>This post was inspired by a series of videos posted by the <a href="http://www.agiweb.org/geoeducation.html">American Geologic Institute Education Program</a> about the "Big Ideas" in the geosciences. They are a series of ten videos, ranging from 5-7 minutes in length. I was excited about this new development, and to share their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/AGIeducation/videos">YouTube channel</a> with the educational community (the videos mentioned are contained within the YouTube link). [More on their awesome videos in a bit!]</div><div><br />
</div><div>While preparing for this blog post, I read a blog post about <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/12/12/youtube-for-schools/">YouTube for Schools</a> on <a href="http://mashable.com/">Mashable</a><a href="http://mashable.com/2011/12/12/youtube-for-schools/"></a>. Marketing a educational video database was a new concept to me, and Mashable post gave some compelling arguments for it. Check out the commercial below:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/NegRGfGYOwQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br />
</div><div>Apparently I wanted to open Pandora's Box, because curiosity inspired me to check out the competition...</div><div><br />
</div><div>There are soooo many of these sites out there. A quick sweep of the competition revealed videos of varying scientific caliber, audience demographic, and technological quality. I will review YouTube for Schools, and other educational video databases from geoscientist perspective. Also, I would love feedback from teachers, and their experiences using these same sites! </div><div><br />
</div><div><u>Expected Post Schedule</u></div><div>Educational Videos #2 : GamePlan <br />
Educational Videos #3 : Random Sites</div><div>Educational Videos #4 : <a href="http://www.teachertube.com/">TeacherTube</a></div><div>Edcuational Videos #5 : <a href="http://www.youtube.com/education">YouTube.com/Education </a></div><div>Educational Videos #6 : Weekend Thoughts</div><div><br />
This will hopefully be completed over the coming week. Hope to see you back!</div><div><br />
</div>Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-77058447589818099322011-12-10T15:41:00.000-08:002012-04-23T03:27:29.921-07:00Mentors Mentors Everywhere - with great advice to spare!The American Geophysical Union fall meeting (<a href="http://sites.agu.org/fallmeeting/">#AGU2011</a>) has always been a way for me to stay involved with the scientific community, and reconnect with my friends from throughout my scientific career. At a reception early in the week my colleague was discussing a grant she was a co-PI on. She has a similar career working for a scientific non-profit but she is co-PI on a <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12726">diversity grant</a>. At public events I felt she was treated with greater respect by my colleagues, yet I knew how similar our backgrounds were. My knee-jerk reaction was jealousy, even though that emotion was coupled with excitement for her to be involved with something so positive!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/funny-pictures-you-are-jealous-of-tails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/funny-pictures-you-are-jealous-of-tails.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another LOLcat sums it up....</td></tr>
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But then I remembered I was at a meeting with 20,000 geoscientists; a handful of which were my career mentors! (A quick history about myself, I have a tendency to snowball when things aren't exactly to my liking instantly) I decided, instead of getting mad I needed to use this AMAZING opportunity to GET SMART! So I called/emailed all the people I knew were there and asked for help.</div>
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The feedback was immensely helpful. I was first despondent about my failure to write a successful grant of ANY variety in grad school. To my surprise, found out that a vast majority of master's-holding students haven't worked on grants, and sometimes the best way to get into that circuit is to be added as a co-PI by somebody who knows the ropes, and the appropriate phrasing already at hand. I didn't realize that I was potentially in the majority. Another mentor mentioned volunteering to edit a journal, and option that I wasn't aware of.</div>
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Perhaps the most reassuring moment was when I realized what a phenomenal network I have of colleagues. I'm currently trying to set up a mixer between Scientific 20/30-Somethings in the DC Area because of it. My friends had such great advice about how to take my career to the next level, and really helped me feel less discouraged about where I am after about 2 years in the workforce. I felt proud and it quelled my jealousy because my friend who is working on a grant, was one of the first ones to pull me aside and help me out (that is why you NEVER let jealousy get the best of your friendships!). </div>
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The conversation I most dreaded was with my advisor. I've always been insecure (although conversations over the past two years have helped assuage my fears) about the quality of work I produced as a graduate student. I measured myself against my colleagues who wrote successful grants, and I constantly worried about the quality of my technical writing. Some of the feedback still haunts me. In retrospect, I recognize how much work has helped me further develop my professionalism. I never worried about the science though, I was always steadfast in the quality of it. </div>
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I was however, hesitant of approaching the subject of working on my <a href="http://melts.ofm-research.org/">MELTS</a> research again. To my surprise my advisor, and constant mentor didn't let me down (not because of her letting me down ever, I was just convinced of my utter suckage as a student). She expressed it was a great idea, if nothing else than to keep in the game. I know its ridiculous to put a lot of weight in what other people's opinions, but I always will. The unofficial blessing made me excited and confident about getting back into the research game, but in a way that won't require me to leave my work in science education outreach. I'm getting my cake and eating it too!</div>
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PS This post was written from 37,000 ft! HUZZAH!</div>
</div>Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962757592454802125.post-4835337625272075102011-12-08T21:47:00.000-08:002011-12-10T15:46:53.432-08:00Walking the Line<div>I have had an amazing two years. I finished my masters degree in geology (ahem volcanology!) from an amazing <a href="http://www.geology.cwu.edu/">university</a> in the most idyllic Washington town, and moved across the country to the capitol of the United States, the other Washington; Washington DC. I worked in Congress covering <a href="http://www.agiweb.org/gap/interns/index.html">Earth science legislation</a>. However did I get so lucky? Not long after my internship ended, and I was gainfully employed as a science educator focused on marketing education. The exact job I had envisioned for myself.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Two years later something happened, my advisor's current student called and needed some information related to my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Etna">master's thesis</a>. I spent an hour in our basement pouring over papers and notes from my thesis. We kibitzed over hypotheses; synthesizing the ideas of others, and reconciling them with our own. We mused about technological limitations, and what the impact of certain tests could do to our expected results. I looked over images and graphs, which upon first glance would mean nothing to most people, but to a select few they reveal important information about the <a href="http://rimg.geoscienceworld.org/content/69/1/595.extract">experiences of tiny crystals</a> - feldspar, olivine and clinopyroxene, in their host magmas. I started flirting with the idea of trying to "stay involved." </div><div><br />
</div><div>Last Friday's blog post from <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/12/unravelling-a-volcano-using/">The Eruptions Blog</a> took a break from the Friday tradition of looking at volcanoes from space, looked instead at the crystals frozen-in-time in solidified lava flows. The textures of these tiny crystals betray the mysteries volcanoes conceal, and reveal clues why and eruption may have happened. This post woke me up from dormancy. This post reminded me of something I'm intensely curious about and worked very hard to understand.</div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.worldsstrangest.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/wscache23/20c7e_cataniaeruption-690255-ga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://www.worldsstrangest.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/wscache23/20c7e_cataniaeruption-690255-ga.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The image that started it all. Copyright National Geographic<br />
Image taken by Carsten Peter. Carsten, if you are ever on Etna <br />
the same time as me, we're going out for wine. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>This post turned my "idea" into a "crusade."</div><div><br />
</div><div>That's why I'm determined to walk the line. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) describes <a href="http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/pdf/career_basics_2009/career_basics_book.pdf">four career types</a>, three of which have career pathways that fit in packages with nice bows on top (Government, Industry, PhD/Research). The fourth is less defined, and appears to be where you place the people who can't ever be at peace with what they do. They are the people who work for non-profits, are freelance science writers, and who are invariably bound to education and communication. These individuals take "non-traditional" scientific career paths.</div><div><br />
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As I have progressed in my non-traditional career, removing myself from traditional research I have learned what the phrase "early career" means. While I love what I do, I've found the scientific aspects of my endeavor lacking. I miss using that part of my brain I spent so long developing, challenging, and engaging. The part of my brain where true science lies, where you think critically is no longer being engaged. I miss the adventure of research and somehow I intend to get back into it.</div><div><br />
</div>Adventure MoMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185148316519778511noreply@blogger.com0