Education and Outreach  

Teachers involved with ALISON at PFRR and Aurora Pond

Ron Reihl

Ron is a cofounder of the ALISON program and a Physical Science teacher at Tanana Middle School (retired - 2005).

He taught Physical Science now for more than twenty three years and was always looking for new ways to focus the natural curiosity and energy of middle level students on science. That is why he became involved in the development of ALISON. In the fall of 2000, he first met with Martin Jeffries, Research Professor of Geophysics, and Assistant Professor of Education, Delena Norris-Tull, both working at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Initially they talked most about how science teachers could experience professional development by participating in snow and ice research. However, as he personally took part in snow and ice research he also started planning how he could involve my students in these same kinds of research activities.

Through ALISON, he continued to expand his own science research skills and helped facilitate teacher-as-researcher professional development. At the same time he was able to explore and develop ways snow and ice research activities can be transferred to the classroom and then adapted for student participation. In winter 2001-02 a school district grant allowed him to collaborate with science teachers from two other middle schools on snow and ice activities they wanted to conduct with their students. Each teacher was able to take students to field study sites to make snow temperature measurements using remote sensing technology (CBLs and digital thermometers) and snow density measurement using sampling tubes and electronic balances. The measurements contributed to the ALISON data set.

See his 8th grade class' 2002 visit to Aurora Pond in Fairbanks and their 2003 project.