Transcript SOFIA’s Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors: Partnerships at 43,000 Feet D. Backman, P. Harman, C.

SOFIA’s Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors:
Partnerships at 43,000 Feet
D. Backman, P. Harman, C. Clark
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FOSTER
It’s 3 AM onboard
theDirector
KAO
Flight
Staff ...
Mission
Scientists
Reporter
Teachers
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AAA = Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors
GOALS:
(1)Educators achieve better understanding of scientific research
processes;
(2)Pass understanding along to their students, colleagues, and
fellow citizens.
• Teams of 2 educators selected to fly on SOFIA
(One team member must be an in-service grade 7-12 science teacher.)
• National annual calls for applications
• Applications must describe post-flight plans; peer reviewed
• Ambassadors trained to understand flight research project
• Ambassadors supported afterward by SOFIA E/PO to fulfill proposals
• Ambassadors become a growing on-line support community.
Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors
2011 “Pilot” Program
May 26, 2011
June 1, 2011
June 3, 2011
• Six educators from across the U.S. were chosen in May 2011 to serve
as the first class of SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAAs).
• Each AAA proposed specific plans for using their SOFIA experiences to
inform their teaching and to share their knowledge with other
educators.
• We provided a DVD with AAA program information video & slide files to
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at his request.
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U.S. AAA flights – May 26, June 1, June 3, 2011
M. Beard
San Jose, CA
K. J. Fredette
Palmdale,CA
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M. Blessing
Herdon, VA
T. Paulsen
Mellen, WI
C. DeWolf
Remus, MI
M. Piper
Frankfort, IL
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Deutsches SOFIA Institut
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
German AAA flight -- July 14
Dr. Wolfgang Vieser
Christoph-ProbstGymnasium, Gilching @
Munich
Slide prepared by
Dr. Dörte Mehlert,
DSI
Jörg Trebs
Thomas Mann Oberschule Berlin Reinickendorf
Some results from WestEd
Post-AAA pilot program evaluation report
• All six teachers felt highly engaged throughout
• All six received important science content knowledge
• All six felt strong enthusiasm & and empowerment to:
– Be ambassadors of the SOFIA mission and NASA
– Develop revised/additional curricula
• Teachers were surprised by diverse range of personnel and career
paths involved in “big mission” science
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Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors
Cycle 1 Schedule & Plans
• January, 2012: AAA 2012-13 educator teams selection were publicly
announced (NASA news release)
• February-May 2012: AAA educators received on-line course
instruction
• August 2012: AAA educators begin communicating with their
astronomer partners (Guest Investigators = GIs)
• December 2012 – December 2013: Cycle 1 GI & AAA flights
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SOFIA E/PO Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors
Cycle 1 cohort selections announced Jan. 2012 (to fly in 2012-13):
Melvin Gorman & Gordon Serkis, Chinle JHS, Chinle, Ariz.
Ira Harden & Vincente Washington, City Honors CS, Inglewood, Calif.
Clifford Gerstman & Susan Groff, Middle College HS, Santa Ana, Calif.
Mike Cimino (Heritage MS) & John Clark (Deltona HS), Deltona, Fla.
Randi Brennon (Hawaii Acad. of Arts & Sci., Pahoa, Hawaii) &
James Johnson (Children’s Center for Treatment & Education, Custer City, Penn.).
Jo Dodds (Twin Falls HS, Twin Falls, Idaho) & Ralph Peterson (North Gem HS, Bancroft, Idaho).
Jennifer Carter & Claudett Edie, Rowan County HS, Morehead, Ky.
Chelen Johnson (Breck School, Golden Valley, Minn.) &
Constance Gartner (Wisconsin School for the Deaf, Delavan, Wisc.).
Matt Oates (Dilworth STEM Academy, Sparks, Nev.) &
Dan Ruby (Fleischmann Planetarium & Science Center, Reno, Nev.).
Ryan Munkwitz & John Walsh, Southampton MS & HS, Southampton, N.Y.
Adriana Alvarez & Mariela Aguirre, Alicia R. Chacon International School, El Paso, Texas.
Sarah Scoles (National Radio Astronomy Observatory) &
Anne Smith (Green Bank MS), Green Bank, W.V.
David V. Black (Walden School of Liberal Arts, Provo, Utah) &
Carolyn Bushman (Wendover Jr./Sr. HS, Wendover, Utah).
Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors – Cycle 1 cohort
SOFIA’s Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors:
Opportunities for Informal Educators
and Amateur Astronomers
C. Clark, P. Harman, D. Backman
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Recognizing the Informal Educator Contribution &
Opportunities for Unique Partnerships
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Kuiper Airborne Observatory:
Building on an E/PO Prototype
• September, 1995
• First live link from plane in flight to ground
• Tested equipment for Live From the
Stratosphere
• Over 250 students participated in event at
the Exploratorium
C. Clark, P. Harman, D. Backman
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AAA = Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors
Goal: Educators to better understand scientific research
processes and pass that understanding along to their students,
colleagues, and fellow citizens
• Teams of 2 educators: formal (classroom) educators, informal (museum,
etc.) educators, and public outreach specialists (e.g. amateur astronomers)
selected to fly and work on SOFIA as partners with teams of researchers.
• Chosen via national call for proposals, aligned with GI calls
• Criteria in peer review of AAA proposals:
– Quality of plans for post-flight impact back home
– Geographic and demographic diversity
• Ambassadors trained to understand flight research project, involved in
SOFIA flight series w/ research partners.
• Ambassadors supported by SOFIA Outreach after flights to fulfill their
proposed STEM education initiatives back in their home communities.
• Ambassadors become a growing on-line support community.
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Goals of Including Informal Educators
in AAA Program
• Recognize the Significant Contribution of the
Informal Educator
• Foster the Ability for Innovative Partnerships
with Spectrum of Educators
• Increase Potential Educational Impact on
Participants/Students
• Utilize existing infrastructure/networks
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Who is Eligible for AAA?
Amateur Astronomer
views skies once a week
in their backyard
NO
NO
Engineer volunteers once a
year with a local rocket club
Amateur Astronomer active with
local club, volunteering with public
events and in classrooms
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SOFIA E/PO Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors
Cycle 1 Cohort Teams with Informal Educators
Matt Oates
(Dilworth STEM Academy, Sparks, Nev.)
Dan Ruby
(Fleischmann Planetarium & Science
Center, Reno, Nev.).
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Sarah Scoles
(National Radio Astronomy Observatory)
Anne Smith
(Green Bank MS), Green Bank, W.V.
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SOFIA Needs YOU!
• Spreading the News
• Informing of deadlines
• Empowering innovative
partnerships
• Encouraging applications
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> Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors
- About 60 educators per year
will fly on SOFIA in full-scale program
- Classroom teachers
- Planetarium & science center staff
- Community college faculty
- Amateur astronomers with robust public
outreach programs
> Next application opportunity: spring 2013
(to be announced via SOFIA website, e-mail
newsletter, and other media)
> Apply as teams of 2; one member of the team
must be a currently active middle- or high
school science teacher.
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Further information:
 SOFIA Science Center home page
– http://www.sofia.usra.edu
 SETI Institute
– http://www.seti.org
 Astronomical Society of the Pacific
– http://www.astrosociety.org
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