Thank you for the post, Tami.  Much of the work done by the International Association for Geoscience Diversity (www.TheIAGD.org) and this project, is founded on the Principles of UDL.  We selected Arizona and Ireland for a number of reasons, but mainly the striking difference in accessibility between domestic and international sites, as a challenge for both the learning community and the technology integration.  We are always interested in working with volunteers.  Please email me if you would like to help!

Chris 

Thank you, Linda.  This is really only the beginning of what is possible!  

Chris 

Hi Dale, please send me an email and we'll be sure that you are aware of any papers and other products we disseminate about the findings of this study.  I'd be happy to speak with you about how any of our findings can relate to what you're wanting to do at the museum.  

Chris 

Thanks!  I just sent you my email!  Eager to see your study. Dale

Hi Rachel, Thank you for your comments.  We have a long road ahead to improve representation, but establishing awareness is a great first step, followed by providing support for inclusive instructional training and making sure resources are readily available.  There are many issues, but diversity isn't one of them.  Diversity is all around us, but we expect all students to conform to traditional expectations of "doing" science.  Expectations that are based on physical rigor do not always represent better learning.  The more STEM faculty, current and future, we can get involved in supporting their students through inclusively-designed pedagogy, the stronger our scientific community becomes.  

Chris 

Well said.

Hi Sharon,

Thanks for stopping by and viewing our project.  Check out this page on Accessible Adventures in the Pacific Northwest by the U.S. Forest Service: http://tinyurl.com/mj699jb.  I'm not sure what they have going on beyond this region, but I would be surprised if they didn't have something happening!  

Chris 

Hi Laura,

We LOVED our time at the Trail of Time.  One of the highlights from our first year.  One of the major findings from our project, however, is that regardless of what we think would be accessible still presented problems for some.  "Wheelchair" accessibility does not mean accessible for all mobility disabilities.  A paved path with a seemingly gradual uphill gradient was quite a challenge for some of our participants.  However, they were all excited to the entire trail with a completed stratigraphic column, and we all learned a TON! Many thanks to you, Karl, Steve Semken, and everyone else involved so much for your work to promote accessibility and public outreach at the park.

Chris 

Thanks Richard, we appreciate you taking the time to view our project.  We've got a long way to go to start to shift traditional perspective of access and inclusion.  However, we're seeing that it is possible! 

They are from all over the U.S., Tami:  Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington, We promoted this opportunity through the International Association for Geoscience Diversity (www.TheIAGD.org), which was also redistributed through many of our organizational partners and social media.  We had over 260 students apply, 30 of whom had a disability of some kind.  Narrowing this down was challenging, to say the least!

Chris 

Wow. 260 applicants. That says a lot about the need for these solutions.

Hi Vivian,

Thank you for taking the time to watch the video and post about our project.  Great questions.  My response could be an entire paper, and in fact it will be after we comb through the data from this second year.  Remember "full participation" is a loaded phrase.  Participation looks differently for each one of us, as we have different abilities, motivators, and personal expectations and values, both intrinsic and extrinsic.  However, completing the field-based activities and assignments requires collaboration.  Some sites are much more difficult than others, but we expect all students to engage with each other, and the instructors, in all observations, discussions, interpretations, and reflections to participate "fully".  

You are very correct in that inclusive design (i.e. UDL) engages and supports all students.  That is what we are trying to use as a foundation of this work.  We will have some great examples of how we are designing our activities through inclusive collaboration, and integrating real-time communication technologies in the field to overcome common barriers to learning.  Realizing that the social barrier is often most significant when working with students with disabilities.  The results on mixed-ability collaboration is what is most outstanding.  I'm going to leave the response at this, for now, mostly because it is midnight for me here in Ireland and I'm expecting my students to be up and ready in the morning... I probably should be, too!  I'd be happy to communicate further with you offline, before the paper is written to discuss specific findings.  

Chris 

Dale, so interesting that you bring this up.  Let's look even deeper into the problem.  From my perspective we are facing this issue in all STEM disciplines.  None of us are getting any younger.  How can we keep everyone engaged in the science they have spent their lives working on?  We have a wealth of knowledge in people who feel they can no longer contribute because of not having specific abilities, either from age-related or other onset disabilities. Just as ONE example of many, how do we remain socially engaged at a conference if we can't hear our colleagues, or even a presenter, is a room full of ambient noise? We're losing valuable role models because our scientific communities are not accessible or inclusive.  We have a lot of work to do!

Chris 

Chris and Dale, One thing I love about the sharing of these ideas and projects is all of the cross pollination and connections that people make about ways to evolve other interests or apply in other areas or domains.  Love this idea!    

Indeed, Mike!  Now we just need time to focus on all of these great ideas.  Comments turn in to conversations; conversations turn in to plans; plans turn into... 

Thanks for chiming in.  

Chris 

Jon, Just as you wrote it, there are here are so many implications for how this model of "teamwork and technology" can work beyond this instance of field-based geology and students with disabilities.  Thanks for taking the time to watch and check-in with us.  

Chris 

Hi Dale, I'm not sure about the number of students graduating versus the number of science practitioners leaving the discipline.  Regardless of the number entering to replace those who are leaving, we are losing experience that could take years, decades, or even a career to learn.  How can we keep these people as active as possible, for as long as they want to be active?  Capturing their knowledge means we need to have a community that is inclusively-designed to accommodate their abilities and needs.  Realizing that not everyone wants to do the "hard work" as they get older, keeping them engaged in person, or even virtually in online communities, at conferences and other meetings allows them the opportunity to transfer their knowledge and experience to the next generations of scientists.  We need to maintain these opportunities for advising and mentoring. 

Chris 

Hi April, while we haven't done anything in the snow, but we are finishing up our project this week in Ireland.  We've had a few wet days, but nothing that has kept us from completing the mapping exercise.  I would be happy to discuss ideas with you for overcoming accessibility-related weather and climate.