I partially decided to post on this article because my friend Nick was featured in the winning video (from the Frog Group on top)! However, I think this article does get at something that is being given a growing importance in ecological research: the ability to use media to teach the general public about our research. Part of this means that we discuss the struggles of long days outside, the days where our organisms choose not to show themselves or cooperate with what we want them to do, and yet the fun we still have and our excitement about collecting data on what we are investigating.
The famous (in the ecology world) Organization for Tropical Studies, or OTS, course, decided this year that for the first time in 50 years of teaching, they would train students in science communication by giving them a camera, showing them how to use video-editing software, and turning them loose to record their research. Students created films that were shared during their student film festival. I think the results are pretty stellar. National Geographic must have thought so, too, since they shared them in this article!
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/01/29/out-of-their-element-science-students-produce-films-in-costa-rica/
The famous (in the ecology world) Organization for Tropical Studies, or OTS, course, decided this year that for the first time in 50 years of teaching, they would train students in science communication by giving them a camera, showing them how to use video-editing software, and turning them loose to record their research. Students created films that were shared during their student film festival. I think the results are pretty stellar. National Geographic must have thought so, too, since they shared them in this article!
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/01/29/out-of-their-element-science-students-produce-films-in-costa-rica/