Uses & Users

Land Based Education

Agri/Horti speciality

More so now than ever with addition of Spectrum Technologies range of agricultural and growing weather stations and environmental sensors and data loggers.

Electronic V's Traditional in Education

We often receive calls from schools who remember having a Stephenson Screen in their school grounds as a child which is where they went to get the temperature reading. We still agree that this is a valuable way of enhancing your students experience of weather, however there is only so much you can meaure in this way - temperature and humidity!

Therefore the benefit that electronic, or Automated Weather Stations (AWS), provide students is enormous. Each year Weather Shop exhibit at BETT the world’s largest educational technology event. Here each year we find a growing interest in using Weather to teach a variety of subjects and themes in our education. As discussed earlier AWS can be used in meteorology (as part of Geography), science and technology, maths, communications and media, and ICT.

We are often informed that weather data for all areas of the UK and world can be gained so easily from the world-wide web, so why would education used their budgets to purchase their own AWS? Last year at BETT one teacher who visited our stand summed it up well. He had been using an online weather data source for several years and when he went to it in 2008 it was no longer there. It was at this point that he realised that if he had purchase an AWS for the school they would have their own records which would have been backed-up and able to access for years to come to provide comparisons for future students. Also, there is a key aspect of learning weather where you can see what is going on outside and relate it to data you are collecting at your site.....it is a different story if you are looking out the window where it is rainig and then looking at data collected on the web for somewhere only 5 miles up the road where it is not raining...this is not teaching the 'world of weather'.

For what Education Level are Automatic Weather Station's Suitable?

We offer a range of instruments for each educational level. For nursery's and pre-schools we have a range of Invicta products which are hand-held non-electronic systems. For primary and secondary schools, and outdoor education centres the Davis Vantage Pro 2 followed by Oregon Scientific's WMR200 are most suitable. We have supplied some of the more basic weather stations to primary schools who are on a budget such as the Irox ProX2 or La Crosse Technology WS2350.

What Use Would an Automatic Weather Station give?

Each year at BETT we are energised by even more ways an AWS can be used in educational establishments. Over the years we have been adding to the list below:

Use Meso Map Live to view data around the world

Covers data harvesting section of National Curriculum

Provides interesting information to collect - the data means something tangible rather than lots of digits

Geography lessons

Maths / Stats lessons - again interesting data to analyse

Software can assist with ICT programming / using flash

Media - weather reports, such as local students get from Eastbourne Youth Radio

Serve the community by having local weather on your schools website

Meteorological Group can be in charge of collating data into the spreadsheets saved on your intranets to provide people with access to the data

If a Davis station can join GLOBE programme enables students to measure the local environment at their school, and compare it with other schools around the world

This information will be compared to the information collected from the School BMS system offering the students an overview of weather patterns and their effect on the building and energy usage.

Weather Software for Education

Software explanations

The Weather Display family of software gets the most from your weather station. Not only does it support a huge range of stations from all the major manufacturers but it's also stacked with features and options. Adding Weather Display Live enhances website’s, whilst Meso Map Live provides you with a way of displaying weather data on a map via your website for just about anywhere in the world.

Weather Display 32

Weather Display Live may also be added to provide the "Wow" factor and attract more viewers to your website See our website for an example

MesoMap - put your local group of schools on one map, such as we have done for EASTBOURNE

GLOBE

Installations: Weather Shop can offer installations for your establishment after completion of a questionnaire to establish your needs and requirements.

Links - Education

Weather Shop sells to many educational establishments both within the UK and outside. We have collated a selection of these establishments to showcase the value added to websites:

Bellerive FCJ Catholic College

Bickley Park School

Central Manchester CLC (Multiple Weather Stations)

Cavendish School

Golspie High School

Hackney Free and Parocial C of E School

Hallam CLC

John Smeaton School

Kingsdown School

Lochinver House School

Northumbrian Water (on GLOBE website)

Royds Hall High School

Seaton Primary School

St John Payne School

Westfield Community School

Wolverley CE Secondary School

To add your school to our list, please contact us.