Some of the sessions here are about serious issues facing our communities, some are about improving our work as a Board, and some are about resources available to our districts... information I can't use directly but I can pass along to the instructional people who can.
Share the Skies (www.ShareTheSkies.org) is a program set up by the Virginia Department of Education. It is a statewide initiative to trade the use of research-grade telescopes with children in Australia. Virginia students use a telescope in Australia, Aussies use one in New Mexico. This enables study of astronomy during the daytime for each group.
This program is about "Learning Science by Doing Science”, and among its purposes is to Generate interest in STEP careers, addresses issues of equity and access and provide
SOL-based curriculum support.
The program serves 1.2 Million children in Virginia. The level of interest and sophistication of questions from kids in pilot programs has stunned program leaders. Kids as young as elementary school participate in the program by taking images of different objects. All images are collected and are searchable, in the same format that NASA uses.
If you go on the site, check out the World Sunlight Map showing the stage of day around the world visually.
The presenters demonstrated an image of M42 in the Orion Nebula during the demonstration. The browser showed a sky map, not a real-time image of the telescope’s view, so it isn't like looking through a lens. Instead, you program the telescope to take pictures that are presented to you immediately. The images have long exposures, the demonstration took 15-30 second exposures. Smaller objects use 15 minute and even 60 minute exposures.
The program offered to set attendees up with an account so that we can try it out. There is no cost to school divisions. Cost to DOE is just under $40,000 per year.
The focus is not just on science teachers, also using with math, mythology studies, even poetry. Resource area includes many lesson plans.
0 comments:
Post a Comment