Lab VI – Best of the Web (http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/workshops/ShapingFuture/BestOtheWeb/BestOtheESSWeb.htm)

Ben Domenico (Unidata) was joined by Mel Shapiro (NCAR/MMM) for this lab to present a collection of Web sites that could be used for teaching geosciences.  The session got off to a rocky start when the power failed in the classroom just as Ben was about to start the participants on their virtual tour.  Mel was able to step in with an “old-fashioned” viewgraph presentation of charts he had produced using the Climate Diagnostics Center’s map maker web page (http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/PublicData/web_tools.html) once it was discovered that a single power outlet in the calssroom was still working.  Power was restored after about 30 minutes and the participants were able to explore the Best of  the Web list.

Lab V – Severe Weather Learning

Bill Gallus (Iowa State University), assisted by Doug Yarger, presented his web-based training module on severe weather forecasting.  Bill presents three level of forecasting exercises, based on the student’s level of expertise, for both warm-season and cold-season severe weather events.  Set as a true forecasting exercise, students are presented data sequentially during the exercise, as would happen while forecasting for severe weather.  At each “hour” through the exercise, students are presented with new data which they can map and analyze, as well as questions for them to answer.  After several “hours”, the student must forecast what type of severe weather they expect and when and where they expect it to occur.  The module then steps through the following hours, presenting students with the evolving weather events and, finally, verifies their forecast.

Lab VII – Hands-on MetApps

Don Murray (Unidata) presented three MetApps prototypes: Image Viewer, Gridded Data Viewer, and Interactive Sounding. Following Don’s overview of each application, participants were able to test drive them. After a short learning preiod for each application, participants were, for the most part, able to utilize much of the capability of the three prototypes.  The participants made several suggestions for changes and improvements, which were noted by Unidata staff.

Lab IV – Use of CODIAC Case Studies

Lynn McMurdie (University of Washington) presented how she makes use of CODIAC case studies in her classes.  For the workshop, Lynn presented two case studies (cases 14 and 23)for which she has developed two lab exercises per case.  Novice gempak users were paired with more experienced users to facilitate the labs during the workshop.  Using GARP, participants were able to analyze surface, upper-air and model data as well as satellite images to investigate the development of two extratropical cyclones.  Additional lab exercises for these cases focused on comparisons of geostrophic and observed winds (Case 14)  and  the formation and structure of upper level fronts (Case 23).

Jeff Weber (unidata) also gave an overview of the CODIAC case study library, its contents and how to obtain the data (http://www.comet.ucar.edu/resources/cases )