the use of interactive data platforms in class or for homework presents several interests:

• Equip the students with data literacy, internet navigation skills and critical thinking

• Provide contextual and timely information to current local to world issues

• Address water-related knowledge gaps

• Illustrate the relevance or application of a skill you are teaching

• Connect with other classes/courses or previous subjects: Discipline silos present a danger for our capacity to face 21st challenges. Water issues can be the bridge between subjects or classes (e.g., living environment and mathematics, food-irrigation-water-climate, ...). 

Each of the goals above contribute towards the empowerment of your students by providing an "e-Authentic Learning Experience" to reinforce learning, open potential career path, equip them with concurrent and regulated tools to address water doubts, issues or disasters, and increase their data literacy and critical thinking to become digital-savvy citizens.

Keeping in mind your reasons for enhancing, what are you teaching this semester/year ahead of you? 

Start by 

1) documenting the classes you are teaching, the number of students and their grades, and 

2) collecting the learning standards,  teaching material, and assessments you plan on using. 

It is almost systematically possible to identify a linkage with water. This may take several forms:

• Are there water- and/or data-related keywords in your learning objectives, standards, or class materials? To assist you, find here a non-exhaustive list of words related to water, data and environmental justice.

• Can the skills and attitudes you are targeting be reinforced with a water data platforms? Are there specific Regents exercises that can be practiced? (Would it be useful to have a thorough analysis of how Regents contents can be linked to water data platforms?--> Sarah says yes)

You can refer to the directory of platforms. They are listed by agency, subjects, geography, grades, level of skills. 

The use of a data platform can take many form:

• In-class or homework

• Individual, pair-wise, group or whole class

• From 5 minutes to several lessons or lab work

• At various phases of a lesson

  • “Do now” / warm-up

  • Explicit instruction

  • Guided practice

  • Independent practice (e.g., lab work)

  • Independent research project (individual or team)

• Through various levels of framing and gamification (e.g., unguided exploration, gradual prompts, treasure hunts, navigation, exploration, extracting information, visualization, comparison, summary)

• With the instruction delivered via printed instructions, projected instructions, gradual fill of a google form, within a software, ...

Consulting a data platform comes with several requirements:

• Internet access: an internet connection, no firewall barriers, and a working/online data platform

• IT hardware: a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet or phones with working screens/projections

• Software: in our case, a browser

• An interface: e.g., a mouse, keyboard, tactile screen, ...

These are the subjects of many frustrations. Take a moment to reflect on what is available to you, what issues you have experienced in the past, what work around you came up with. Then establish the list of what you needs to be tested

Homework versus in class?

Phones, pair-wise work on tablets?

Are the platforms working on a cellphone?

Are they inclusive? E.g., visual impairments, terms used, ...

Schools' may have specific metrics or requirements for you to follow. Furthermore, a lively classroom, tackling current issues, or using technology, may be perceived as a side-step from usual curricular activities. 

Take a moment to pinpoint the specific learning objectives that are aligned with standard tests and your institution's priorities. This is key to defend and promote your approach to your administrators, serve the students interest and answer their guardians potential questions.

Learning objetives: Be specific and make sure it is aligned with the rest and expressed to the students. 

Supporting material >> prepare as a function of point 3 and 5.

Perform a complete dry run of your planned activities and assess the time necessary to perform the planned tasks. Proceed to troubleshoot: battery, internet back-up, chargers, format of apps on phones, stock of tablets/laptops, ...

Before the actual class activity, frame what is happening, express the learning objectives and the desired attitudes from students. 

Consider the time it takes from students sitting at their desks to opening computers, turning them on, load the platforms, ... Depending on the modes, this may be more or less time consuming and several solutions can be chosen to facilitate the process. QR codes, google classroom, using cell phones, central screen are all ways to facilitate the process before the students reach their autonomy. This is why we suggest to gradually infuse to iteratively ease the students ... and you!

Look back and reflect on the class ambiance,  the support material, takeaways from you/students, spontaneity, unforeseen reactions or questions, sense of inquiry, unsolved issues/knowledge gaps, students answers/tests, students' attitude, time taken ... what worked, what needs to be improved.

You may be interested in scaling up by expanding the exploration of the platform, add another one to relate to the first one, design a homework activity, diversify the platforms by forming groups in charge of exploring different facets, ...

Reflect on what we could have done for you! Share your notes with us, your suggestions, cry for help, deception, and hopes.