This blog has
been a long time in the works, sitting as a word file on my desktop being
modified little by little for many months, yet with recent news that the
national budget cuts are going to have an impact on NASA's outreach and
education I thought now is a good a time as ever to get this thing finished and
posted. With that said, I’m not exactly sure how all of the changes are
going to go down yet, it kind of seems like the goal of
streamlining/eliminating overlap sounds good, but the execution is not exactly
clear yet. Nevertheless, I'm hoping for the best.
My NASA
Explorer Schools (NES) summer research experience actually started at the
beginning of the 2011-2012 school year when I was part of an online training to
learn how to us the NES virtual campus. (Sidenote: If you're a science teacher,
you should be part of NASA explorer schools... I hope you agree by the time
you're don reading this!) I spent lots of time exploring and used a ton of NES
resources in my classroom, including NASA Now videos and lesson plans. My
favorite lesson plan is Transit Tracks, where the students analyze graphs of
Kepler Telescope data to determine the orbital period and size of extrasolar
planets. In March, the application for teacher recognition was available, and on
April 11th, I found out I'd be spending a week in July in Baltimore at the
Space Telescope Science Institute at Johns Hopkins. The "More to Light
than Meets the Eye" workshop was my first choice, so I was beyond excited.
I spent the whole summer looking forward to my trip.
My flight to
Baltimore was early in the morning, and I was one of the first to arrive. I
picked up one of the rental cars and another attendee, Diana, who had arrived
from Puerto Rico. We found our way to the hotel, which was really nice, and
right across the street from Johns Hopkins, where the Space Telescope Science
Institute is located. In the evening, we all met up for the first time for a
fabulous Italian dinner and lots of fun!
We met each
other and our wonderful NES leader, Jordan.
I was seriously amazed by the amazing group of educators NES was able to
pull together, and I knew we were going to have a ton of fun learning together
for the next few days.
Day one
started bright and early with a full day at the Space Telescope Science
Institute. Here’s the whole group ready to start the day!
Here I am
checking in and probably geeking out about something already…. I think maybe I
was telling the person at the check in table that the picture on the wall would
look really nice in my classroom. :)
We spent the
day learning about Hubble, James Webb, different types of light, infrared
light, and stellar spectra. Here are some cold hands in infrared!
Though I knew
most of the basics already, it was really cool to learn all about the plans for
James Webb years before it even launches, and it’s also always fun to see these
topics from a student point of view.
Day two
Our second
day ran from 9:30-4:00 as well and I don’t think I’ve ever had my brain quite
as full as it was by the end of our second day. More presentations, more
activities… lots of fun! We learned about the search for exoplanets, we did a
Hubble Deep Field activity (which I actually just did in my class with my
students a few weeks ago!) and about World Wide Telescope. Here’s a photo of me
looking real serious about analyzing galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field.
Absolutely
everything was fun, but I think the most fun was learning about the science
from the people who are actually doing the science. I’m so appreciative that
they took their time to talk to us, and many of them seemed to appreciate that
we were there! What’s even cooler though, is that I’ve seen a few of the people
who presented to us on twitter, at the AAS in Long Beach and even as writers
for articles in Astronomy magazine. How cool, right?? Not only did we get to
spend the day at STSci, we got to take a trip to the Inner Harbor to play in
the science center for a few hours.
Me and a tornado!
T-Rex.
MY GIRL FRIZZLE.
keep an eye on that suit on the left….
I’M IN SPACE, Y’ALL.
keep an eye on that helmet…
Mars Group photo!
True story: the COOLEST people work at
the Maryland Science Center.
Story of my life.
Day three was
our day to go to Goddard! I was really really excited about everything… as you
can probably tell from the photos. I decided after being at Goddard, I really
want to try to visit all the NASA centers eventually. I’ll be going to JPL this
summer, and I’m hoping to get to Houston really soon ;)
Learning about exoplanets with Jordan,
the best ever NASA explorer schools guide!
I’m driving around NASA Goddard. Pretty
sure the people in the car with me were happy when we made it without me
driving off the road from sheer excitement.
I just drove here. I just parked here.
Tweeting. Typical.
Our ridiculously awesome tour guide
DJ.
Big (REALLY BIG) vacuum chamber! Or, because NASA’s fancy, the SES – Space Environment Simulator.
There’s nothing cooler than a group
photo with a tank of -320degree liquid nitrogen behind you.
And, as if 2
days at STSci and a day at Goddard wasn’t awesome enough, why not a few hours
in the Nation’s Capital?! I took a
WHIRLWIND tour of the Smithsonian… aka I ran around like a mad woman to try to
see everything.
But, I did take a break for the
spaceflight academy trivia game. I was player 11- flight ready!
There were lots of cool things at the
Smithsonian, and I hope that one day I get to go back and really look at
everything. Here are some of my favorites!
Wandering around outside for a few
minutes… things were under construction and it did not look quite as pretty as
it did when I’ve seen it on tv!
I was
accepted to another Summer Research Experience this year, but I had to decline
because I already had plans to attend Space Camp, Caltech, and I have a summer
job. I was devastated, because the opportunity was at NASA Glenn in Cleveland
to work with spacecraft engineers, but I’m beyond thrilled for the teachers
that were chosen for that experience and all the others that are happening this
summer. You can check out who they are and what they’ll be doing here: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/home/2013-recognition-awardees.html.
I really am eternally thankful for all the amazing things I learned and did as
part of this summer research experience, and I hope that all of you reading
this see how fantastic NASA education programs truly are.
If the
program continues, and I really hope it does, please sign up to be a NASA
explorer schools teacher… it will be one of the greatest resources you’ll have
for your classroom, and your students will thank you for it.
Here are my tweets from the time I was
there (chronologically starting from the bottom)… so glad I could help some teachers get on twitter!
It's
been fun, Baltimore :) Headed home from #2012NES.
Thanks for everything @NASAExplorerSch
!
@nasaexplorersch thanks for an amazing week.
you make nerd dreams come true. #2012NES
the
awesomeness of my week does not fit into a tweet. stay tuned for my #2012NES
blog, which i can only assume will be a mile long. :)
a
whirlwind tour of DC & #2012NES
team is back @ hotel. I think this means it was a good day :) http://yfrog.com/nvhkjrij
Hi from
the Capitol! #2012NES :)
http://yfrog.com/h29z3qbj
Good
news- #2012NES
made it to @airandspace. Bad news- 2 hours here is not
enough. #supercoolstuffhere
Found
one! Even the electrical outlets are labeled @airandspace. #chargeaholics
http://yfrog.com/h7b8oyoj
V-2,
courtesy of @DrVonBraun #2012NES http://yfrog.com/mmz6maoj
Just
rocked trivia at the "moving beyond earth" exhibit at the air and
space museum. 10/10! :) #2012NES
I spy @DrVonBraun at the new moving beyond earth
exhibit @airandspace museum :) #2012NES http://yfrog.com/h6e5fszj
Did you
know google earth uses data from landsat? #2012NES http://yfrog.com/oci51bfj
Inside
the geodome! :) #2012NES http://yfrog.com/kjijmfytj
Our
geodome guide Alejandro and @JordanS_NES
#2012NES http://yfrog.com/obh4ejqj
#2012NES
headed to the flight dynamics facility @NASAGoddard
http://yfrog.com/es198vsj
Biggest
vacuum chamber at @NASAGoddard.
30ft above ground and 30ft below. #2012NES http://yfrog.com/obncoyfj
The
vibration testing room can shake objects 2000 times per second. #2012NES
The
acoustic simulation test room can produce up to 150 decibels. #2012NES
Thermal
Vacuum testing chambers @NASAGoddard
#2012NES http://yfrog.com/oda9quqlj
The
centrifuge at @NASAGoddard creates
force up to 30g to test spacecraft before launch #2012NES http://yfrog.com/g0bi0llj
The
James Webb unfurls like a transformer. #2012NES http://yfrog.com/kfwp5lvj
The
James Webb sun shield has SPF 1million. #2012NES http://yfrog.com/kjluuacj
The
clean room at goddard is 1000 times cleaner than any hospital operating room. #2012NES http://yfrog.com/oc558vxzj
Goddard
is NASA's first science laboratory. Started in 1959. http://yfrog.com/oesguyij
Soon @Astro_Suni doing 1st Journal entry as part of
experiment on astronaut health & morale. Will do 3x /wk on #ISS. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/Journals.html …
"teaching
our students to solve real world problems by using data analysis will help them
in their future." @jordans_NES
#2012NES
@GrimesCathy you're officially a tweep! don't
forget to use #2012NES :)
It's
hard to tweet in a spacesuit. #2012NES pic.twitter.com/gT1n4ZZc
We made
it to @NASAGoddard ! #2012NES http://yfrog.com/od4xnqhj
Watch
out @NASAGoddard ! The #2012NES @NASAExplorerSch teachers are on the way! :) http://yfrog.com/obohqldij
RT “@Astro_Mike: Getting ready to appear on Good
Day New York on FOX 5 @myfoxny”
Northeast tweeps - NYC enterprise exhibit opens today!
Hey #2012NES -
go to space link to take your picture in SPACE! http://yfrog.com/o07l7ybj
We made
it! #2012NES
invades the maryland science center! Stand back, we're going to do science! http://yfrog.com/kfkdqutj
the
search for life. #2012NES pic.twitter.com/44A4Ft1O
"Prince
should do a song about Titan." -Ray Villard #methanerain
#2012NES
"living
things use mundane elements, common stuff found all over the place: C,H,N,O,P
& S. Life buys everything off the rack." #2012NES
"to
get to closest stars w/ today's tech would take thousands of years. encourage
your students to work on warp drive." #2012NES
RT “@DrVonBraun: Yes. Yes I can. RT @ExploreSpaceKSC: This is the most powerful
rocket ever built: http://ksc.vc/kM
Can you name it?”
We're
taking a trip to Tatooine :) #2012NES http://yfrog.com/odrlkyoj
" @NASAKepler is the world's most expensive light
meter and it's in space." -Ray Villard @spacetelescope #NES2012
"taking
a picture of a planet around another star would be like photographing a gnat
around a searchlight." -Ray Villard #2012NES
Shout
out from Ray Villard to @BadAstronomer
during our #2012NES
workshop http://yfrog.com/kg3npqwj
@emilyfirthdiaz Welcome to twitter! Don't
forget #2012NES :)
Tour the
Hubble Ultra Deep Field. http://hubblesite.org/gallery/tours/tour-hudf/ … #2012NES
Hubble
Ultra Deep Field is the deepest visible light portrait of the universe ever.
The image has 10,000 galaxies. #2012NES
"This
image is the top of the list for scientists." -Dan McCallister, @spacetelescope #2012NES http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Hubble_ultra_deep_field_high_rez_edit1.jpg …
"You
get hundred million pixel Hubble goodness through the World Wide Telescope
interface." -Frank Summers #2012NES http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx
wanna
look at the sky? :) http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx #2012NES
@GrimesCathy Welcome to twitter :) Don't forget
to use #2012NES
when you're tweeting today!
@Judith_Odom Welcome to twitter! Don't forget
to use #2012NES
today :)
RT “@NASAhistory: "Zero G and I feel
fine." #happybirthday
to space pioneer John Glenn, 1st American to orbit Earth http://go.nasa.gov/OFXEwM ”
Crab
stuffed shrimp @PhillipsSeafood
in Baltimore! Yay Maryland! #2012NES pic.twitter.com/iC9j5oXi
#2012NES
teachers @PhillipsSeafood in Baltimore! pic.twitter.com/ZrBpkQbI
I won a @LibertyLaunch tshirt! go to Facebook to enter
their contest & win yours! :)
While we
spent the day learning at the @spacetelescope
science institute, @NASA_Hubble
orbited the earth 4 times. #2012NES
3
minutes. 800 @NASA_Hubble images. Revelations: 15 years of
Hubble (from 2005) http://hubblesite.org/gallery/movie_theater/revelations/ … #2012NES
Favorite
term of the day: Galactic Train Wreck. Here's the photo from Hubble! #2012NES http://yfrog.com/j2iv7ixj
Shout
out to @CassiniSaturn (and Cassini the man) during our
#2012NES
workshop today! http://yfrog.com/kiahbchj
@JordanS_NES of course! :)
@ccorrie1 @anthonyfitch what?!?! I've been at a workshop
all day! Did I win!? :D
@ST4music - yay Hubble! can't wait to chat with
you about all kinds of physical science awesomeness :) #2012NES
super
cool hubble video. http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2010/28/video/d/ … #2012NES
"figuring
out what's going on in galaxies is a big mystery. We need all the data to
really understand it" -denise smith #2012NES
NASA's
great observatories! http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_NASA_Great_Observatories_PS.html … #2012NES
it's
official. this website is awesome. http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ #2012NES
Your
eyes are like Hubble. JWST is like an infrared camera. It can see the stars
forming in clouds that Hubble can't. #2012NES
A reason
for our dry Earth: http://hbbl.us/Kwh
#hubblesite
Cold
hands in infrared! #2012NES http://yfrog.com/kge83moj
We're in
infrared!! #2012NES http://yfrog.com/nvyqrlaj
JWST
will orbit 4 times farther than the moon. Hot side: 185F cold side: -388F #2012NES
JWST
movie trailer. #awesome http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=11914081 … #2012NES
"If
your students were born after 1990, they have never known a time without
Hubble." -Frank Summers #2012NES
"Why
Webb? With astronomers, bigger is better." #2012NES http://yfrog.com/kjtpylihj
Our
presenter just called the Webb Telescope sexy. I agree. #2012NES
"If
you could go out tonight and had Hubble's eyes, you'd see a sea of galaxies.
You'd see this:" http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/hubble_UDF.html … #2012NES
"Hubble
can see galaxies colliding. Even though the universe is expanding, gravity
rules locally." -Ray Villard, STSci #2012NES
"We've
only known there are other galaxies for the past century. Hubble's contribution
is we can see galaxies evolve over time" #2012NES
"Hubble
is the most productive of all the NASA science missions" - Ray Villard,
Space Telescope Science Institute #2012NES
@plugusin I'll be sure to share! thanks! :)
Help!
Teachers @ wrkshp asked to use soc media, only 3/15 on twitter. Good thoughts
on twitter I could share would be appreciated! Thanks!
Trying
to convince some teachers @ workshop to use twitter! What has twitter done for
you, #SpaceTweeps?
I'd love to share w/ them!
Ready
for the #2012NES
agenda meeting! Can't wait to hear about all the space-y goodness coming up! :)
http://yfrog.com/gz61klcsj
Dinner
with the more to light than meets the eye #2012NES
crew! http://yfrog.com/kj74bzgj
4 more #2012NES
teachers just arrived!! Time for dinner :)
the
other cool thing about @nasaexplorersch?
you could end up at a summer research experience like me! #2012NES http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/recognition/2012-teacher-selection-announcement.html …
are you
a teacher? want to have access to some cool NASA lessons? become a @nasaexplorersch teacher! http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/home/index.html …
Good
Morning (afternoon) Baltimore!! #2012NES
cc: @Katherina_D http://yfrog.com/h7pisunj
I liked
flying with @southwestair but apparently my luggage did
not. RIP suitcase front pocket. http://yfrog.com/mo73005312j
Lots of
tweets this week from the @NASAExplorerSch
summer research experience in baltimore! Follow #2012NES :)
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/recognition/2012-teacher-selection-announcement.html …
