banner comments

[Amy Yeakel]

Hello all—below are the compiled comments from the banner feedback.  Some variability to the comments for sure but I think we would like to see a picture with some different age groups, doing some different things. The washing out of the snow picture may be improved if it is not at the top of the banner. I am not sure we can clearly identify the “who” is on the banner as there are so many involved organizations and people…and because we want this message to reach to non-traditional partners we probably need to be sensitive to not associating it too strongly.  I think I am leaning towards the suggested el nh.org…very short

 

 

 

Also- on the pictures- they are all group shots, I think it would be good to have at least one be 1 or 2 kids engaged in something noteworthy. (i.e.: The picture of the kid with the frog on Last Child in the Woods is very eye catching)

Although- in the bottom picture, I get a kick out of the one kid waving to the camera!

 

____________________________________

 

·         Regarding the photos, I agree with Judy. We need to see a variety of ages.

·         Could the banner make it more clear who or what is behind Environmental Literacy in NH? The first section just defines EL, while the bullet points show that some group is implementing it – but unless you go to the web site, you have no idea who or what that is. The heading reads “What is EL in NH?” and I expect the paragraph to say something about who the group behind it is, not just what it is conceptually.

·         For text in the first paragraph (aside from adding something about who’s doing EL) I prefer the simple language that Judy cited below.

·         This might be fussy, but I find that “ings” are distracting. What about making the words more declarative, e.g.  Connect / Promote / Enable for the first three bullets. Of course, then the heading doesn’t seem logical… but that gets to my second point about it being unclear WHO is “Making a World of Difference” and doing the connecting / promoting / enabling…

·         To be extra-fussy – there’s an extraneous period after the 3^rd bullet point in the second section

·         How about www.elnh.org? It appears to be free.

 

I like the overall design; the picture with snow makes it look a little washed out at the top. I would also like to see a photo with older students engaged in some activity. We seem to concentrate a lot on the younger students. It is the older teenagers who can be a more challenging audience to engage. EL is for them, too.

 

For the first section, it seems a bit wordy and lofty. I like the simplicity of the first paragraph of the brochure we developed awhile ago: Environmental literacy is having an understanding of the natural world and the ability to make decisions about the environment based on scientific, economic, aesthetic and ethical considerations. Most people will not understand capacity to interpret environmental systems that is on the banner.

 

I think the website should let folks know what it is about.  I prefer EnvironmentalLiteracyNH.org but I see where the lL in EnvironmentalLiteracy together is confusing. I have no better suggestion.  jt

Looks great!  Is this a stand up banner for a conference (i.e. long and skinny)?  If so, there might be too many words. I can help edit some text if necessary, but understand if this has already been discussed.

I love the graphics and its easy to read.  The QR is for a scanning tag, right? 

 

I agree with you that the website name doesn’t tell us the whole story.  Not sure on other suggestions other that:

 

nhenvlit

envlitnh

environlitnh

nhenvironlit

readingnhenvironment

readnhenvironment

I have to say, I’m not a big fan of using all three of those pictures. In each one, the kids are standing around listening to someone talk. They’re not doing much of anything. I know we have a limited supply of photos, and I think using one of these would be fine. But, it would be great to find a more active photo of kids interacting with something natural or taking measurements, looking at something.

 

I also am concerned about the web address. I don’t know that I have a better solution at the moment. learningoutdoorsnh? I’ll keep thinking.

 

 

[Freeda, Stanley]

Hi folks,

 

Thanks for all the comments.  If you have photos I can use, please send them along.  It is great to ask for certain pictures, but I don’t have an endless catalogue of photos from which to choose.  Please send a photo, or refer to one in the Literacy plan.  Those are the only pictures I have access to and permission to use. 

 

Who is purchasing the domain?  I can do it and charge the NEEEA grant?  Do we have some other group who can manage and maintain the domain?

 

How many more of these go arounds do we have?  As they say, A camel is a horse put together by a committee.  We will never be able to please everyone, so how do we reach final consensus?  Do we have a plan?

 

I am not trying to be difficult, but I see just as many differing ideas here as there was at the meeting. 

 

If the language in our NH ELP is not understandable, why did we write the plan using that language?  Are we intentionally “dumbing down” the content?  Since the banner will be used at conferences and not at a public bus station, why can’t we use technical language?  In my opinion, we should strive to promote relevance and rigor that stresses the importance of attaining environmental literacy.  I guess what I am countering with is that we have defined what environmental literacy is right in the plan.  So if we now use a different definition on a sign promoting the plan, doesn’t that make us look indecisive? Or worse, unaware? 

 

Just a few thoughts….

 

Thanks,

 

Stan Freeda

Educational Technology and Online Learning

NH Department of Education

101 Pleasant Street   Concord, NH   03301

603.271.5132       Stanley...@doe.nh.gov 

www.education.nh.gov/instruction/ed_tech/

www.opennh.org 

www.nheon.org      

 

"By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn" ~ Latin proverb

The contents of this message are confidential. Any unauthorized disclosure, reproduction, use or dissemination (either whole or in part) is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately and delete the message and any attachments from your system.

[Amy Yeakel]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I think Stan has a lot of excellent points below as well. Here is what I would suggest…Judy S has worked a long time as convener of the ELP process and Stan and I are the NH leadership team under the elp grant…so I think the three of us need to take all your input (and no, Mark…there will not be a baby deer J) and move ahead with the banner. So speak now if you object to that idea! J

 

_________________________________

Amy Yeakel

Education Program Director

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

PO Box 173 Holderness NH 03245

603.968.7194 x 14

603.968.2229 (fax)

amy.y...@nhnature.org

www.nhnature.org

[Tumosa, Judy]

Hi all -   I am not suggesting we re-write the ELP, but when we use other communication tools to get our point across, I just prefer that we simplify our message so that people who are not used to our language will understand what we are trying to say and do.  I think the banner is just to peak interest  and the plan is the place to go to get specifics. Most folks will not pause long enough to read a LONG banner.

 

We always have a lot of ideas and it is easier to comment on what others have done - but at least we have the interest and the freedom to express ourselves. The comments are meant as what we hope are helpful suggestions. I support whatever you think is best Amy. 

 

Judy Tumosa

Watershed Education Specialist

NH Fish and Game Department

11 Hazen Drive

Concord, NH  03301

# 603-271-0456

judy.l...@wildlife.nh.gov

 

Did you know? Over 500 teachers a year attend professional development seminars put on by New Hampshire Fish and Game that range from two hours to two weeks.

 

 

---

From: Amy Yeakel [mailto:Amy.Y...@nhnature.org]

Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 2:20 PM
To: Freeda, Stanley; nh...@googlegroups.com; Ruth Smith; judy.si...@gmail.com; alicia....@des.nh.gov; Andy Muller; audrey eisenhauer; Barbara Mauer; jessica...@des.nh.gov; John Slater; joseph corbin; Karen Acerno; Kate York; Relihan, Kenneth; Lara Gengarelly; Laura Kennedy; Libby McCann; Mark Turski; Pat Mattson; Ryder, Laura; Sarah Silverberg; Sarah Thorne; sm...@fs.fed.us; spi...@harriscenter.org; Susan Francher; Tumosa, Judy; Vicki LaForet; mad...@sps.edu; Samantha Clough; vermon...@gmail.com
Subject: RE: banner comments