ELEPHANTS TEACHING TEACHERS Here we go... The tale of two middle school teachers, immersing themselves in the scientific community to ensure that our teaching is real and relevant.
Friday, June 13, 2014
The Touchy-Feely Side of Elephants
Who? Cheryle DeLandre (married to Stuart who we featured earlier)
From? Winding, Australia (2 hours south of Sydney along the coast)
Occupation: Sales manager and trainer for Michael Hill Jewelers
Q: How did you first learn about Earthwatch?
A: Stuart, my husband, participated in a couple of other Earthwatch programs, so I knew about Earthwatch through his experiences.
Q: Why did you decide to participate in the Thinking Like an Elephant expedition?
A: We both have always said we wanted to get to do a lot more volunteering when we retired. I knew I wanted to do something involved with animals and Stuart knew he wanted to do something with kids. When we got the Earthwatch Catalog and saw that this program combined both animals and education, we knew it was going to work.
Q: Now that you are coming to the end of your first service learning vacation, how do you feel that this experience has shaped you and your view of the world?
A: I now have a new knowledge of Asian elephants and how important they are to their ecosystem. Back home I assumed that they were safe and had plenty of space to live in. I now have a lot of respect for elephants, their Mahouts, and the community of Earthwatch Volunteers. It has made my heart full to be part of it all. I really want to give more to this cause and find new ways to help these elephants and other species.
I am new to scientific research, but it is clear to me the importance of all parts of the work Think Elephants is doing with research, education and concervation.
Q: What advice would you give to those considering doing a similar expedition or service learning?
A: I have gotten so much out of this experience. I would say that you should just start with something small that you are passionate about. Once you start, if you are like me, you won't be able to stop. I am already starting to look for the next program I can get involved with as well as how I can share what I have learned with others.
I have gotten to see such beauty in the human-animal connections here and the stories of the mahouts and their elephants, and the personal stories of each of the elephants. I say, go out there to see that, and then share it.
Q: What do you plan on doing next?
A: I have already started organizing a presentation for my company. We are an international company and I can't wait to tell the story and hardship of the Asian Elephants.
We have also started to think about the next Earthwatch expedition we would like to do. Right now we are thinking about doing something in Afrca.
The Art of Teaching
So, because I am a science teacher, I feel it is important to feature another one of my teachers this week.
Who? Lisa Barrett
From? Pottstown, PA (suburb of Philadelphia)
Undergraduate Degree: University of Michigan
Degree: Evolutionary Anthropology
Additional education: Semester abroad in London
Q: How did you learn about TEI and why did you decide to move to Thailand to work with them?
A: I heard about TEI from a psychology lab instructor who had done some work with Dr. Plotnick at another university. Josh sent an e-mail to her asking if she knew of any students who might be interesting in working for TEI and she passed the information on to me.
I decided to take the job because of the combination of the work with elephants (one of my favorite animals) and my dream was to research animal cognition. I also liked the education component. In college, I worked at an after-school program and I really liked working with kids.
Q: What personal and professional goals did you hope to gain/ have you gained from working with TEI?
A: I really wanted the opportunity to work through the research process from start to finish, redesign and retrial. I also wanted to work in a university research setting in orderb to gain skills in publication.
My biggest surprise has been getting to work with Earthwatch Volunteers.
I have learned a ton about research, but mostly I have developed my ability to interact with many different types of people. Living in Thailand has also taught me a lot about going with the flow, being patient and understanding people, culture and elephants.
What Do Pianos and Elephants Have in Common?
Name- Deborah Aitken
Home - Redondo Beach, California
Education- Studied at USC, Cal State, Northridge, and in Paris where she studied under a protégée of
Marguerite Marie-Charlotte Long, French pianist and teacher.
Occupation- Classical pianist which encompasses both performance and education. She likens her performances to preparing a gourmet meal. As the different tastes set each other off, so do each of her pieces with dessert serving as the encore.
Q- Is this your first Earthwatch expedition?
A- No, this is my second expedition. The first was in Kenya studying the black rhinos. However, this was just a way for me to get close to my real love - elephants!
Q- Why did you choose Thinking Like an Elephant in Thailand?
A- Again, this was another way for me to be close to the elephants. I wanted to get a glimpse into their minds and actually touch them this time. In Africa, I knew if I touched an elephant, it would be killing me due to their natural wildness and aggression.
Q- Would you consider yourself an animal lover?
A- Most definitely! It I weren't a classical pianist, I would be a Jane Goodall type person. I've always loved animals even as a small child. My family would always say that I had a way with animals. For instance, I could be as close as we are seated from each other to a deer and follow it into the woods. I have a healthy respect for animals but no fear. I totally believe that a person can communicate with animals.
Q- How has this trip changed your perspective on life?
A- The obvious answer is that the Thai people are wonderful and the country is beautiful. I've enjoyed my team members and have fallen even more in love with elephants. I'm not surprised at all about the evidence supporting elephants having great cognitive ability. Also, on a darker note, this trip has underscored my sadness about man's stupidity as it relates to conservation.
Q- What's next?
A- I really want to study mountain gorillas, orangutans and chimps. I'm even considering moving to South Africa.
Q- What advice would you like to pass along to our 7th grade students?
A- Follow your bliss and whatever it is, don't put it off. You need to conquer your fears and make your own path. Also, I feel strongly about telling your students that you shouldn't believe people who say there is no evidence for climate change. If a species goes away there is a reason for it. I would encourage your students to vote, read newspapers and even read peoples' opinions who you don't agree with in order to understand fully what you do believe. People all over the world are wonderful and in my opinion it's the governments around the world that cause us to have the problems with conservation that we have today.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Elephant Observations in Pics
Participating in elephant observations is a very peaceful thing for me. One member of the team will record the interactions of the three elephants in the enclosure while the other records the data for a total period of 40 minutes in one minute segments. For the data to become "official", a majority of the team must record that particular behavior during the exact same time period. When there are so many eyes on the elephants, much can be learned!
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Another Amazing Day and a RA with Really Cool Shoes
REBECCA SHOER
Today was another outstanding day of getting to run cognition tests on elephants. Fortunately, after testing I had a moment to get to interview another RA. Just in case you are wondering about the presentation order, it is strictly based on who we were able to corner when. So, I managed to have some time before the van picked us up to squeeze in an interview with Rebecca, and I had a few minutes between lunch and behavioral observation to type it up.Who? Rebecca Shoer
From? Lancaster, Massachusetts
Undergraduate: Williams College
Major: Biology Minor:Neuroscience
Additional Education: Studied abroad through SIT in Queensland Australia. Field biology, rainforest reef, and cultural ecology.
Q; How did you hear about TEI? And why did you decide to move to Thailand to work with them?
A: When I was completing my honors biology thesis, I worked closely with another student who was very interested in Dr. Plotnick's work with Think Elephants. She had contacted him, and he told her about TEI needing four research assistants. She ended up not wanting to do it, but she told me about it. I called my parents before I applied and they were very supportive. I ended up doing a phone interview first then a skype interview.
Q: What were your personal and professional goals as you signed up as an RA with TEI?
A: I knew I wanted to live abroad again, so that fit with the job. I also wanted to figure out if I wanted a career in science research. I liked the idea of getting to do an animal research project that allowed for interaction between the researcher and the animal (elephants). I also am really passionate about animal conservation. This job literally had everything I was looking for. I also now know that my future work needs to have a field research component.
Q: How has your work strengthened you as a future employee, researcher and person?
A: I feel that all of the research I have done here has been very valuable, but I feel like I will leave with skills that are much more important even though they are harder to quantify.
For example I am so much better at things like public speaking, thinking on my feet, being flexible, knowing how to cover the same information with a variety of audiences, and not being so stuck on a plan. When I first came to Thailand I found it very hard to find my plans constantly being dismissed or not working. Now that I am more laid back, I feel like I am able to be flexible enough to learn from all sort of situations. I am no longer limited by my plan.
Also, this work has been my first professional experience with collaborative research. I feel like I have gained great experience in how to work professionally in a group and use our discussions or critiques to design and implement the next level of research.
Q: What is next for you?
A: I have decided to stay on for another year because I have more I want to learn. I am going home in a few weeks to the US then back to Thailand for another year. Long term, I will say that I have been surprised at how important the education component of our work is. I am learning a lot from living in a place like Thailand and seeing locals who are very aware of the importance of elephants, yet their daily struggles end up being more important. Ideally, I will be able to work in the field of conservation that also strongly looks at local human rights and economic stability of the surrounding human communities. I see now how there needs to be local education, ownership and empowerment for real conservation to occur. If I can find work that combines all of this, it would be great.
Q: What advice would you give to my students?
A: Ignore all of the road maps laid out for you by others. It is really not about your AP scores or SAT scores. The really cool opportunities are not going to be in the typical places. Sure, job fairs are good for practice interviews, but really if you find someone's work interesting, go ahead and contact them personally. The worst that can happen is they don't return your e-mail, and the best ...they could offer you a job working in Thailand with elephants.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Even Big Kids Like to Learn
Stuart DeLandre
I had a very nice chat with Stuart this morning and leaned all about his wonderful work in Australia. Read all about this kid at heart below.
Name- Stuart DeLandre
Home - New South Wales, Australia
Education- Trained as a science teacher and began teaching in 1979. He taught for one year and then realized that he wanted to take a different path. Stuart took a course in environmental education and that set his course in motion. This course gave him a more relevant aspect to his teaching and brought out his love for being outdoors and sharing with kids.
Occupation- Principal of Illawarra Educational Center which serves over 10,000 5-18 year-olds each year through day visits and day camps and programs within the schools. Another focus of this school is to provide professional learning for teachers to help them teach their students about energy conservation by providing them with a complete module including all materials.
Q- Is this your first Earthwatch
experience?
A- This is my third Earthwatch experience. The first was 20 years ago as a teacher fellowship in the tropical rainforest in Queensland which focused on arthropod diversity. My second was a teacher scholarship in Brazil's Pantanel, which is the world's biggest wetland. At this conservation center, Eaethwatch had twelve different programs going on concurrently and I got to choose three. I focused on birds, mammals and water quality.
Q- Why did you choose Thinking Like an Elephant in Thailand?
A- I mainly chose this program because of its explicitly strong focus on school education and developing school conservation programs. I wanted to learn how to convey conservation to kids on site as well as digitally. I also wanted to learn how to apply what I learn here to kids at home- and not just at my own school but students all over the state.
I want to make a contribution to what's happening here. Maybe not much while I'm in the country, but more so when I return. I want to share with my students what I've learned here. It might be something as simple as arranging a video conference with Think Elephants. I believe this is just the beginning of our relationship.
Q- What advice would you like to give our students back home?
A- First, I would tell them to try to discover how you learn best. Once that's done, try to find things you're interested in to learn about. I would also tell your students to look for opportunities to share that learning to help other kids. I'm all about kids teaching kids.
Q- What's next for you?
A- At the moment, I am collaborating with colleagues in other environmental centers across New South Wales to establish more effective conservation education and sustainability programs. There are 2,200 such schools so this is a huge undertaking. However, with technology such as it is, distance isn't a barrier in establishing conservation programs all over the state and beyond.
RELATED LINKS:
Climate Clever Energy Savers:http://youtu.be/BvYCY01wN-0
The Thai Side of Think Elephants
The Thai Side of Think Elephants
We keep pinching ourselves. Are we really on a sponsored educational field trip to Thailand where we get to work with Asian Elephants? We have had enough time here to have the initial awe wear off, but the notion that we are in the midst of an amazing experience has not faded. The Thai Side of Think ElephantsIf you have been reading the volunteer and research assistant profiles, you might have noticed that this type of lifestyle can become habit forming. Almost all of the other Earthwatch volunteers are repeat participants. They keep coming back for more, and they scour the expeditions offered like some might look through cruise catologs.
When Connie and I shared with them how impressed we have been with the expedition we have been told that we choose an outstanding program, one of the best. When I asked what made it the best, there were a variety of responses, including the tri mission of research, conservation, and education. Also, this non profit is not only passionate about elephants but is willing to try a multitude of ways to ensure their survival. We are fortunate as volunteers to get to see the Thai's at work and protecting their elephants.
Here is a snap shot of different folks I was able to interview (there was a significant language barrier so the depth is missing, but hopefully you will get the idea.)
Ou: Ou just started officially working for Thing Elephants International this May. She is from a different region of Thailand, and originally planned on studying biology at the university. While at university, she took a few classes from Dr. Plotnick (the founder of TEI) and decided to focus her studies on Conversation. She currently helps with all aspects of TEI and plays a large role in the education programs with Thai school children.
Pi Lo: LaKang's Mahout
All of the elephants at the GTAEF site have their own personal mahout. Mahouts are typically born into a culture of caring for elephants. Sons and daughters will work beside their parents (typically fathers) from a very young age. Lo began learning to work with elephants when he was just six years old. As boys become old enough to have their own elephant, they look for an elephant that needs a mahout. Almost all of the elephants at GTAEF are rescued from unemployment, street begging and elephant shows. LaKang was found two years ago with very damaged feet, poor trunk dexterity and very afraid of people and cars. Pi Lo decided to take a chance on her anyway. He is described as the most patient and loving of mahouts. He rarely caries tools to control LaKang and he gets visibly excited, like a proud parent, when she does a task well.
Gay: Vet technician for GTAEF
Gay knew that she wanted to work with animals when she grew up. She started her work with goats and pigs. At some point she was introduced to Dr. Cherry, the head Vet for GTAEF and began apprenticing under her to learn how to care for elephants. She regularly checks on each of the elephants and spends a great deal of time taking care of their feet. She jokes that she gives the elephants regular pedicures.
Kuhn Tomtem: Field research manager (this information is straight from the Earthwatch Briefing)
She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education, and two master's degrees from Chaing Mai University and Sophia University in Italy. As a former primary school teacher who has developed extensive educational activites for northern Thai children, TomTem is very involved in TEI' education outreach program.
All kinds of learning going on
So much learning
Each day I find that there is so much I am learning and doing, that I often don't know which direction to take the blog because it is all happening so fast and on so many different levels. I still have two RA's to feature and three more volunteers, but I want to take a moment to reflect on what it is we are doing daily.
The thing I am most often stuck by, is that every moment here seems to be an intense learning experience. Even simple task like ordering ice tea, require creativity, new language skills and currency decifering. Without trying to sound to sing songy, I will walk you through a day.
We typically wake up early because our jet lag has not totally resolved itself. We do not have internet in our room, so we will typically go into the guest house lobby to check in with family, Facebook and update the blog. One by one we start gathering at the outdoor seating area. I have been in charge of getting fruit to supplement breakfast, so we usually start in on that while enjoying each other's stories. Then, one of the RA's rides up on their motorbike with a large plastic bag with 15 to go boxes hanging from their handle bars. Breakfast is served.
On the days that I am in the research group, two other volunteers and I will he'd up to the research site with a couple of RA's around 8:10. If it is not my morning to do the experiments, I would head into the office about 8:30 and as a group,we would compile data and enter it. Getting to run the test with the elephants is a real treat. I have not been up close to them enough to be jaded about their magnifigance. What is interesting to me though is how causal one can be around a captive elephant. I am used to being around horses, who can cause great injury just because a fly landed on them. These elephants, for the most part are gentle giants. Granted, they have a mahout who is right there who has spent 1000's of hours ensuring that their elephant knows how to behave. They do, however, have very distinct personalities and temperaments. So while I might be running a stop watch, or getting food rewards ready, I find that I am very unscientifically enjoying the sociology observations of each elephant we get to work with. In all seriousness, I love that Connie and I are getting to be participants in a group science experiment. I like seeing how intentional TEI is about the roles of each of the volunteers, how they randomize the trials, and the incredible attention paid to minimizing unintentional variables. Despite the fact that they have been doing this for a while, they always debrief with sincerity. Questions are asked like, "do you think we are asking the question in the right way?" Or, "how could we set up the next trial to show the elephant xxx." Then the research staff deliberates and modifies. I feel like this is something that I will be able to bring back to my classroom consistently and across all units.
On the days we are in the office processing data, I find fascinating as well. I lie seeing how they have devised their protocol and how they deal with discrepancies in subjective observations. We have a lot of group labs that have subjective observations, so I am glad that it am seeing how this is addressed in the current research community.
We also are participating in a journal club. One of our classes was about "how to read a scientific paper." We then were given a paper published about Asian elephants responsiveness to visual cues to find hidden food. We have also been given another article looking at the same skill but with African elephants and a different result. Yes, the nerdy teacher in me loves the scientific literacy portion of this experience. Yes, future students, you will be seeing these articles, so I will not go into detail about our findings.
After lunch we all load back into the van and back to the research site. Three random elephants are brought into an area about the size of an acer and we spend forty minutes taking detailed nots on the interactions between the three elephants. One of the interesting challenges TEI has is that all of the elephants they work with, have jobs. So, they have to schedule research trials, vet checks, and behavioral observations around the elephants trekking schedule. When we were first trained on how to do the obs, I thought, how am I going to stand doing this for 40 min? Surprisingly, it is so fun to see them in real life that the forty minutes flys by.
After the observations we typically get some time to explore. I often joke that I am at summer camp for grow ups. Each and every little thing is such an adventure. So,e afternoons we go to markets, temples, museums, or nearby towns.
The TEI staff typically arranges a family style dinner at a local restaurant where they order a variety of food, and we try a little bit of everything. Much to Connie's excitement, they even had a couple little pizzas in addition to traditional Thai food last night. After dinner, one the RA's typically does a presentation about an area they have done research in.
By the end of all that, it is morning time in the US. We put in a quick call or text through Viber to our families and call it a night.
In all reality, I feel like I have learned a semesters worth of stuff in a ten day expedition. My goal is to keep this blog going throughout the year as we find ways to apply all this to our 7th grade science classes.
Each day I find that there is so much I am learning and doing, that I often don't know which direction to take the blog because it is all happening so fast and on so many different levels. I still have two RA's to feature and three more volunteers, but I want to take a moment to reflect on what it is we are doing daily.
The thing I am most often stuck by, is that every moment here seems to be an intense learning experience. Even simple task like ordering ice tea, require creativity, new language skills and currency decifering. Without trying to sound to sing songy, I will walk you through a day.
We typically wake up early because our jet lag has not totally resolved itself. We do not have internet in our room, so we will typically go into the guest house lobby to check in with family, Facebook and update the blog. One by one we start gathering at the outdoor seating area. I have been in charge of getting fruit to supplement breakfast, so we usually start in on that while enjoying each other's stories. Then, one of the RA's rides up on their motorbike with a large plastic bag with 15 to go boxes hanging from their handle bars. Breakfast is served.
On the days that I am in the research group, two other volunteers and I will he'd up to the research site with a couple of RA's around 8:10. If it is not my morning to do the experiments, I would head into the office about 8:30 and as a group,we would compile data and enter it. Getting to run the test with the elephants is a real treat. I have not been up close to them enough to be jaded about their magnifigance. What is interesting to me though is how causal one can be around a captive elephant. I am used to being around horses, who can cause great injury just because a fly landed on them. These elephants, for the most part are gentle giants. Granted, they have a mahout who is right there who has spent 1000's of hours ensuring that their elephant knows how to behave. They do, however, have very distinct personalities and temperaments. So while I might be running a stop watch, or getting food rewards ready, I find that I am very unscientifically enjoying the sociology observations of each elephant we get to work with. In all seriousness, I love that Connie and I are getting to be participants in a group science experiment. I like seeing how intentional TEI is about the roles of each of the volunteers, how they randomize the trials, and the incredible attention paid to minimizing unintentional variables. Despite the fact that they have been doing this for a while, they always debrief with sincerity. Questions are asked like, "do you think we are asking the question in the right way?" Or, "how could we set up the next trial to show the elephant xxx." Then the research staff deliberates and modifies. I feel like this is something that I will be able to bring back to my classroom consistently and across all units.
On the days we are in the office processing data, I find fascinating as well. I lie seeing how they have devised their protocol and how they deal with discrepancies in subjective observations. We have a lot of group labs that have subjective observations, so I am glad that it am seeing how this is addressed in the current research community.
We also are participating in a journal club. One of our classes was about "how to read a scientific paper." We then were given a paper published about Asian elephants responsiveness to visual cues to find hidden food. We have also been given another article looking at the same skill but with African elephants and a different result. Yes, the nerdy teacher in me loves the scientific literacy portion of this experience. Yes, future students, you will be seeing these articles, so I will not go into detail about our findings.
After lunch we all load back into the van and back to the research site. Three random elephants are brought into an area about the size of an acer and we spend forty minutes taking detailed nots on the interactions between the three elephants. One of the interesting challenges TEI has is that all of the elephants they work with, have jobs. So, they have to schedule research trials, vet checks, and behavioral observations around the elephants trekking schedule. When we were first trained on how to do the obs, I thought, how am I going to stand doing this for 40 min? Surprisingly, it is so fun to see them in real life that the forty minutes flys by.
After the observations we typically get some time to explore. I often joke that I am at summer camp for grow ups. Each and every little thing is such an adventure. So,e afternoons we go to markets, temples, museums, or nearby towns.
The TEI staff typically arranges a family style dinner at a local restaurant where they order a variety of food, and we try a little bit of everything. Much to Connie's excitement, they even had a couple little pizzas in addition to traditional Thai food last night. After dinner, one the RA's typically does a presentation about an area they have done research in.
By the end of all that, it is morning time in the US. We put in a quick call or text through Viber to our families and call it a night.
In all reality, I feel like I have learned a semesters worth of stuff in a ten day expedition. My goal is to keep this blog going throughout the year as we find ways to apply all this to our 7th grade science classes.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Take Two -Coming Back for More
James Weckerle
We arrived in Chaing Rai from Bangkok at 9am, but we were not scheduled to be picked up by Earthwatch until 3pm. We did this because of light cost and availability, and at the time it seemed like we would not mind a little calm and airport exploration before officially starting our expedition.
To make a long story short, this was a bad plan. The Chaing Rai airport is about 100m long, has just a handful of shops, and a Dairy Queen (that served great curry.). While this was fun to look at for the first 15 minutes, it lost its charm well before we reached the 7th hour of waiting. Fortunately, during this time Connie and I were able to meet up with our first team mate.
So, yesterday, I managed to corner James for a another volunteer profile.
Who? James Weckerle
From? Pasadena, CA
Occupation: Hazardous Material Specialist and teaches chemistry in the fire technology department at Pasadena College
Interesting Fact: This is James' 6th Earthwatch Expedition and 7th Eco tourism service learning vacation.
Q; How did you find out about Earthwatch and their expeditions?
A: I found it by accident. I was fascinated by orcas at the time and I was searching for an experience where I could work with them. Then I came across their website.
Q: Why did you decide to spend your vacation time doing scientific research through Earthwatch?
A: I have science genes and I wanted to use them. I wanted my vacations to mean something more than me just dumping money into the local economy. I also liked the idea of going off the beaten path and working in places I could not have seen if I was just a tourist.
Q: What editions have you participated with?
A: 1) Desert dwelling giraffes in Namibia
2) American crocodile researcher in Cuba
3) Mammals on the Mongolian Step
4) Sharks in Belize
5) Elephants in Thailand
6) Marine mammals and basking sharks in Scotland (currently not an Earthwatch program)
7). Back to Thailand to see "my" elephants. I knew the second I left two years ago that I had to come back.
Q: How has volunteering through Earthwatch changed you?
A: At work, I am a project manager. I find that when I go home from an expedition I feel refreshed from getting to be part of a research team. While my work involves science, it is most applying what others figured out. I also find that the interaction with other Earth Watchers, the travel and the science broadens my perspective on the world around me. I now find I am much better at looking at issues and conflicts from many sides.
Q: What advice would you give to my students about being a life-long learner?
A: I have found that it is not so much about "if opportunity knocks open the door." I have found that it is important to be willing to walk the path so that opportunity can find you. Put yourself into a position where you give yourself a chance to be discovered.
Also, don't worry so much about your career title, money, or prestige. Find something to do that you love, and all that other stuff will come along.
Q: What is your next adventure?
A: I want to do an Earthwatch adventure in Australia because I have never been there.
You Had Me at Comparative Brain Anatomy
Sophie Wasserman (on left)
You had me at comparative brain anatomy... I must say that in four days of our Earthwatch expedition, I have soaked up more learning, enthusiasm and passion than I would have gleamed from a semester long college course. The expedition is set up in way that allows round the clock learning from a variety of mediums and sources, that keep my brain engaged and open for more.Sunday night proved to be no different. We had a lovely family style dinner with all of the Earthwatch volunteers and the Think Elephant staff. Here we are at the end of a long day of research, data analysis, science journal reading and with our bellies full. Sophie, one of the RA's apologetically announced her lecture topic for the night: "neuroanatomy comparative analysis of human vs. elephant brains." My heart lept a little, I whipped out my notebook and pen, moved my chair closer and sat with rapt attention.
Name: Sophie Wasserman
From: San Diego, CA
Undergraduate: Hartford College, PA
Degree: Biology and Neuroscience with a concentration in neurological behavioral sciences.
Additional Learning Experiences: Year abroad studying in Australia. Internship at the Birch Aquarium in San Diego, CA
Q: How did you end up in Thailand working for Think Elephants International?
A: During my senior year, I started to contemplate what I wanted to do next. I knew that I wanted to do something that involved both conservation and education. While looking for work, I saw a position with TEI on the "Animal Behavioral Society's job postings and contacted Josh. I was interested right away because of my love of animals research, education and conservation.
Q: What were your expectations personally and professionally when you decided to come to Thailand and work for TEI?
A: Professionally, I wanted to figure out what field I liked most, education, conservation or research. What I have found is that I like how closely they all tie together and how much I like using education as a tool for conservation.
Personally, I wanted to explore the world before getting tied down. My experience studying abroad in Australia helped me see the value in living in a culture different from mine. Daily task were not mundane, and therefore I got to feel alive and alert all the time. I wanted to experience that more in depth, and Thailand has given me that opportunity.
Q: Because you have spent a year in Thailand working with TEI, what unique talents and experiences do you feel you have to offer future employers?
A: Well, I know a ton about elephants. Seriously though, I feel like I have gained a vast amount of people skills through my TEI work, and skills for how to communicate to a huge variety of audiences.
I also feel much more confident in my research skills. I now know the importance in stepping back and looking at my work from a distance so that I always keep going back to the big picture. Once I do that, I can revise the details of how to ask a question in a way that an elephant can understand.
Q: What advice would you give to my students who would like to do something similar?
A: Don't be afraid to reach out to people you find interesting. It might be a professor, a teacher, a guest speaker, or an author. Contact them and speak to them. It might be awkward and they might not want to talk, but the ones you connect with will really help open doors for you.
Also, don't be afraid to take risk. You don't know your limits until you have pushed. And, when you push yourself when you are passionate about something, you will often find you are much more capable than you thought.
Q: What is next?
A: I know now that I love having a job where I feel like I am making a difference. I want to find something that combines my interest in conservation and animals and allows me to be constantly engaging with people around me.
A Wonderful Day of Exploring
We have had another incredible day of exploring. Today was technically our "day off." We started our day at the base of the Doi Tung mountains. There we saw several factories (paper, ceramics and coffee) that the Queen started when opium trade became illegal. Rather than put manpower out of work, she created these factories for her people. You'll see pics of the coffee and paper making factories in this blog. In one of the pics, you'll see them sorting coffee beans. In the other, you'll see a snapshot of a woman making paper. The finished product was beautiful. We also visited a textile factory where women were using looms to make all forms of fabric, however no pictures were allowed there. We were also able to tour a beautiful garden while in this area. From the factories and the gardens, we traveled north to a border town of Burma where we were able to shop. Several incredible finds were made! Now it's back to the hotel for dinner and a Thai massage! I'm sure there will be stories about this coming up! 
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Confessions of a Habitual Learner
As I mentioned in our previous posts, the quality of minds we are surrounded by on this expedition is outstanding. It is such a joy to participate in discussions, listen to presentations and conduct experiments with a group of people who are intensely motivated to be actively engaged with the world around them.
This evening prior to dinner, I managed to get some time to interview one of the Earthwatch volunteers. Here are my notes:
Name: Pat McKay
Home: Melbourne, Australia
Occupation: Retired elementary school teacher and librarian
Current Work: Part time foreign exchange student coordinator
Interesting Fact: This is Pat's 18th Earthwatch Expedition.
Q: What led you to start participating in Earthwatch programs?
A: In 1993, I did a teacher exchange program and I taught in Arizonia for a year. While there, I met a Navajo archeologist and became very interested in learning more about South Western anthropology. When I returned to Austraila, I began searching for opportunities to participate in archeogy digs and I came across Earthwatch.
Q: Why did you choose to come on the "Thinking Like an Elephant" expedition?
Q: When you look back at how you have grown as a person, how has service learning Eco-tourism impacted your perception of the world?
A: I have always been a passionate person, and I loved to travel. Prior to going on Earthwatch Expeditions, I was more of a voyager and a passive observer of the world around me.
After my first expedition, I found myself altering the way I taught my students. I was more "real". I had the confidence to scrap the boxed science curriculum and my science classes became much more practical. I no longer poured information into kids heads but instead, I was confident enough to let my students experiment and explore.
One of my favorite teacher memories was of a student who was a very reluctant learner. He was always into trouble and really did not want to do his work. I taught him for two years in a row, and at the start of our second year together I shared my summer archeology experience with my students. Fast forward 14 years, and this student invited me to his 21st birthday party. When I got there, I learned that he had become an archeologist. He told me how listening to my stories about the Earthwatch expedition had made him realize that he better learn how to read and do math, so he could grow up and do that kind of cool work.
Q: What is your most memorable experience from an Earthwatch expedition?
A: I was in Uganda doing behavioral observations of chimpanzees. I was intensely watching a pair of chimps grooming and recording data. Another researcher began trying to get my attention. "Pat, look to your left and right." When I did, there were two chimps looking over my shoulders watching me watching the other chimps.
Q: What advice would you like to share with my students?
A: You have got to be a risk taker. Be willing to go with the flow when plans don't work out exactly like you planned. You don't need to wait to get involved until you have all of the skills, you just need to be willing to learn as you go. Be willing to be uncomfortable. Celebrate all of your experiences and be prepared to share your newfound knowledge.
Q: What is next?
A: I am doing two more Earthwatch programs this year. I will be researching climate change in the Hudson Bay Area of Canada and an archeology project in Colorado.
How to use this experience in the classroom
Initial thoughts on how to use what we are learning in our classroom next year:
I am constantly thinking about how to share this incredible experience with our students next year. I can picture the simple hooks like having a picture of Baby Sam on my screen saver knowing that a baby elephant picture is a great way to get them to look at the board. But, in all seriousness, how can we use our experience and the intensive work and conservation model of Think Elephants International to inspirer our students to take on a species of their choice to advocate for.
As of right now, we are imagining that we will start off the year by explaining the basic biology of Asian Elephants. Their role in their larger ecosystem, threats to their survival, and conservation efforts. Ideally our students would then choose an animal that is a threatened keystone species that they track throughout the year. I am imagining that when we go over the eight characteristics of life, students will go into detail about how there chosen species meets each of these criteria. When we discuss human genetics, students can compare and contrast the number of chromosomes, inherited and acquired traits and whether their species is domestic, captive or wild.
I can envision anatomical comparison as well during our human body systems unit. Reproduction comparisons would be fascinating, as well as parenting styles of their species, but then maybe they can pick one other system to compare and contrast. For example it might be more appropriate for a student focusing on a daulphin to compare their brains and cognition to humans, while a student focusing on a shark might want to compare and contrast the skeletal or respiratory systems.
Right now, we are just in the dreaming stage. Something I, Karon, am very good at. Fortunately Connie does a great job of turning my lofty brainstorms into a meaningful project, and Kim, the other part of our department, is outstanding at word smithing and formatting all of the task in a way that parents and students know what it is we are trying to communicate.
I am constantly thinking about how to share this incredible experience with our students next year. I can picture the simple hooks like having a picture of Baby Sam on my screen saver knowing that a baby elephant picture is a great way to get them to look at the board. But, in all seriousness, how can we use our experience and the intensive work and conservation model of Think Elephants International to inspirer our students to take on a species of their choice to advocate for.
As of right now, we are imagining that we will start off the year by explaining the basic biology of Asian Elephants. Their role in their larger ecosystem, threats to their survival, and conservation efforts. Ideally our students would then choose an animal that is a threatened keystone species that they track throughout the year. I am imagining that when we go over the eight characteristics of life, students will go into detail about how there chosen species meets each of these criteria. When we discuss human genetics, students can compare and contrast the number of chromosomes, inherited and acquired traits and whether their species is domestic, captive or wild.
I can envision anatomical comparison as well during our human body systems unit. Reproduction comparisons would be fascinating, as well as parenting styles of their species, but then maybe they can pick one other system to compare and contrast. For example it might be more appropriate for a student focusing on a daulphin to compare their brains and cognition to humans, while a student focusing on a shark might want to compare and contrast the skeletal or respiratory systems.
Right now, we are just in the dreaming stage. Something I, Karon, am very good at. Fortunately Connie does a great job of turning my lofty brainstorms into a meaningful project, and Kim, the other part of our department, is outstanding at word smithing and formatting all of the task in a way that parents and students know what it is we are trying to communicate.
Who Does This Kind of Thing?
Who does this kind of thing?
One of the numerous things I am gleaning from this expedition is the quality of people I am surrounded by each day. Currently, there are four primary groups (a fifth one will hopefully come before we depart.).
1). The Research assistants (RA's.) There are currently four recent college graduates in this role for Think Elephants International (TEI)
2). The Earthwatch volunteers: there are seven of us who have chosen consciously to participate in two weeks of science service leaning projects
3) The Mahouts and Thai staff at TEI. We have already been fortunate enough to have a wonderful class on Thai culture, language and Buddhist basics. We also get to see the Mahouts with their elephants.
4) The elephants themselves
5). We should by the end of the program get to meet Josh Plotnick who is the lead researcher.
As a teacher, I am constantly looking at my experiences here with a slant of "what would my students want to know about this" or "how can I transfer this skill or concept to my classroom". One thing that keeps coming up for me is how fascinating the company is here. Everyone here has such depth to their life and a willingness to explore, learn and act that I have found myself longing to share these folks with my readers.
Our goal is to profile as many of the participants and staff as possible. So, like all great journeys a starting point had to be picked. That point happens to be the RA Elise Gillchrist
from Connecticut, USA. Her
undergraduate degree is from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA.
Her degree is in Animal Behavior.
Additional Schooling includes a semester abroad through the School for Field Studies
A summary of her of abroad experience includes 3 months spent in the Caribbean on Turks and Caicos with a focus on marine resource management. Two of these months were spent taking academic classes in the morning, with lab practicums in the afternoon doing data collection and experiment design. The last month she was able to pick one of twelve ongoing research projects. She worked on a behavioral project on the spotted eagle rays.
Elise'a Think Elephant International Experience - Elise moved to Thailand two weeks after graduating from collage last year. She heard about the research through word of mouth and contacted Dr. Josh Plotnik directly to inquire about working with TEI. The position was not ever posted. Because she has enjoyed the research so much, she has decided to commit to working for TEI for another year.
Why this internship and professional goal?
Elise came into the program recognizing the TEI had a trifold mission. 1) research 2) environmental education and 3) conservation. She wanted to start her career having the opportunity to see how much she liked each facet of science before deciding on an area of focus for graduate school. What she has learned is that she is passionate about conservation work and has learned a tremendous amount about how to apply research findings to conservation efforts.
Advice to students who wish to do this kind of work:
She wishes she had paid a lot more attention to writing skills, techniques and semantics as her work now requires a variety of writing styles for a variety of audience.
Her other hindsight advice was doing more of the "dorky" things while in college. By this she meant going to free lectures, visiting guest speakers cultural programs... She also felt like it was incredibly important to make personal connections with the presenters. Go up and ask them a question, e-mail them your thoughts as well as get to know your professors. The connections and ability to connect with professionals is the key to getting really cool opportunities.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
First full day
Where to begin? I have drafted this blog post in my head throughout the day, and each time, there has been a different theme. Yesterday was our first full day of our Earthwatch expedition, and the variety of experiences is making it hard for me to decide what to share with the readers of the blog.
Yet, as i am slowly waking up this Sunday mining in Thailand, there is one key experience that beckons sharing. Before I dive into that, here is a quick overview of the types of things I (Karon) did yesterday.
7:00. Connie and I took a walk through Sub Ruk and dropped off laundry and bought fruit for the groups breakfast.
7:30. At breakfast as a team
8:00 I packed my bag in perpetration for heading up to the research sight.
8:15 my team (3 Earthwatch volunteers and two Think Elephant International research assistants) drove to the elephant camp.
8:30-11:30. We did three different cognition experiments on three different elephants. For each experiment I was able to assist in a different way which helped me to expand my skill set in data collection, and also to see a "group lab" set up as a student. (There will be more about this in future post)
11:45-12:15 we returned to the office and met up with the other volunteers. We watched the first 30 min of the BBC special Super Smart, which showed cognition evidence in a variety of species.
12:30 lunch
1:00-2:00 we all traveled back up to the field sight and did 40 minutes,of behavioral observations. This is where volunteers watch in detail the interaction of three elephants in a large area.
2:00-4:00 we returned to the office and had a class on elephant cognition and a summary of what type of research has already need published about the work done by Think Elephant and what kinds of things they are trying to figure out.
4:00-5:00 we took a walk through town and picked up a few souvenirs.
5:00-6:00 showers, e-mail get ready for dinner
6:00-7:00 we ate dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Mekong river and we could see Laos, Burma and China.
7:00-9:00 we drove up to the very nice 5 star resort Anatara and listened to a presentation about marine mosaic ecosystems.
9:30 called it a day
So, as you can guess there was an overwhelming amount of things that were new powerful and intriguing that I wanted to share. But one particular part of my day stood out as worth sharing in detail.
While up at the research site, we worked with three different elephants. Two elephants were part of new studies, but one was being tested on her ability to be presented with two buckets, one with food, the other without. Then the buckets would be pulled away, the lids unfastened, and represented to her. She the. Had to choose which bucket to swipe the lid off to get to the food.
The experiment itself was fairly basic and strait forward, but the elephants personal story is what I found compelling. He name is LeKang, and she has only been at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant preserve for about a year. She was found injured and it is assumed that she was hit by a car. She clearly favorites one leg, has very clumsy dexterity with her trunk and is very skittish and nervousness. In Thailand, it appears that all captive elephants have their own personal Mahots. This is a person (typically male) who is the elephants trainer and keeper. Mahots are becoming a rarity as the demand for captive elephants as workers has decreased due to logging banns. Elephants are also costly complicated animals to keep. So, a Mahot has a big decision to make when it purchases an elephant, because they need to earn a living with the elephant in order to maintain it and sport their own family.
Yet, despite all of that, LeKang's Mahot took her, and over the past year has patiently and lovingly worked with her. She sweetly causal ambled to the sight. Her Mahot did not carry any tools to manage her, but his voice and presence. When she got to her spot, he reassured her then moved off to the side. As we worked with her for the trials, I could see his glee and pride when she made the correct choice.
What struck me was that here was this elephant and her Mahot, and they were reinventing themselves outside of the norm and taking a huge risk. The goal with LeKang is to have her confident enough to do presentations for school and tourist groups so that they can see elephant cognition up close. Because of her injuries she is not able to do treks, but this program has found a way to use this elephant in a way that she brings value to her species, her Mahot, and hopeful to herself.
Yet, as i am slowly waking up this Sunday mining in Thailand, there is one key experience that beckons sharing. Before I dive into that, here is a quick overview of the types of things I (Karon) did yesterday.
7:00. Connie and I took a walk through Sub Ruk and dropped off laundry and bought fruit for the groups breakfast.
7:30. At breakfast as a team
8:00 I packed my bag in perpetration for heading up to the research sight.
8:15 my team (3 Earthwatch volunteers and two Think Elephant International research assistants) drove to the elephant camp.
8:30-11:30. We did three different cognition experiments on three different elephants. For each experiment I was able to assist in a different way which helped me to expand my skill set in data collection, and also to see a "group lab" set up as a student. (There will be more about this in future post)
11:45-12:15 we returned to the office and met up with the other volunteers. We watched the first 30 min of the BBC special Super Smart, which showed cognition evidence in a variety of species.
12:30 lunch
1:00-2:00 we all traveled back up to the field sight and did 40 minutes,of behavioral observations. This is where volunteers watch in detail the interaction of three elephants in a large area.
2:00-4:00 we returned to the office and had a class on elephant cognition and a summary of what type of research has already need published about the work done by Think Elephant and what kinds of things they are trying to figure out.
4:00-5:00 we took a walk through town and picked up a few souvenirs.
5:00-6:00 showers, e-mail get ready for dinner
6:00-7:00 we ate dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Mekong river and we could see Laos, Burma and China.
7:00-9:00 we drove up to the very nice 5 star resort Anatara and listened to a presentation about marine mosaic ecosystems.
9:30 called it a day
So, as you can guess there was an overwhelming amount of things that were new powerful and intriguing that I wanted to share. But one particular part of my day stood out as worth sharing in detail.
While up at the research site, we worked with three different elephants. Two elephants were part of new studies, but one was being tested on her ability to be presented with two buckets, one with food, the other without. Then the buckets would be pulled away, the lids unfastened, and represented to her. She the. Had to choose which bucket to swipe the lid off to get to the food.
The experiment itself was fairly basic and strait forward, but the elephants personal story is what I found compelling. He name is LeKang, and she has only been at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant preserve for about a year. She was found injured and it is assumed that she was hit by a car. She clearly favorites one leg, has very clumsy dexterity with her trunk and is very skittish and nervousness. In Thailand, it appears that all captive elephants have their own personal Mahots. This is a person (typically male) who is the elephants trainer and keeper. Mahots are becoming a rarity as the demand for captive elephants as workers has decreased due to logging banns. Elephants are also costly complicated animals to keep. So, a Mahot has a big decision to make when it purchases an elephant, because they need to earn a living with the elephant in order to maintain it and sport their own family.
Yet, despite all of that, LeKang's Mahot took her, and over the past year has patiently and lovingly worked with her. She sweetly causal ambled to the sight. Her Mahot did not carry any tools to manage her, but his voice and presence. When she got to her spot, he reassured her then moved off to the side. As we worked with her for the trials, I could see his glee and pride when she made the correct choice.
What struck me was that here was this elephant and her Mahot, and they were reinventing themselves outside of the norm and taking a huge risk. The goal with LeKang is to have her confident enough to do presentations for school and tourist groups so that they can see elephant cognition up close. Because of her injuries she is not able to do treks, but this program has found a way to use this elephant in a way that she brings value to her species, her Mahot, and hopeful to herself.
Yet Another Amazing Day
We've had yet another amazing day of learning. This morning our group was divided into two teams. Karon's group was in the field doing behavior test trials while my group was involved in data entry in the office. In the afternoon, we we're able to participate in behavioral observations. Afterwards, we had fun giving the elephants a bath to cool off! Tonight we went to an amazing place- the Anantara Hotel - to hear Elise present a talk on "Keeping our Planet Blue". I think you'll agree with me that this was one swanky joint! 
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