Sharing the Adventure with the Student: Exploring the Intersections of NASA Space Science and Education: A Workshop Summary by Dwayne Day

Author:Dwayne Day
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The National Academies Press
Published: 2015-06-24T00:00:00+00:00

PANEL DISCUSSION

Sheri Klug-Boonstra, director of Mars Education at Arizona State University; Mariel Milano, director of digital curriculum and instructional design for Orange County Public Schools in Florida; and Annette DeCharon, senior marine education scientist at the University of Maine, joined Penuel and Byers for the panel discussion. The organizing committee developed the following guiding questions to provide focus to the panel discussion:

• How are standards for professional development used in NASA professional development programs?

• How do the mechanisms and programs by which NASA programs meet the needs of in-service teachers, and how does this differ from the ways NASA programs meet the needs of pre-service teachers?

• What are the most effective and widely used delivery models (e.g., online, train the trainers, professional learning communities, summer seminars, internships) for NASA professional development programs?

• What are example strategies for partnering scientists and educators?

Klug-Boonstra explained that she was classically trained as a science education teacher, and she wanted to find a way to engage students. She ran after-school programs and modeled professional development for elementary teachers. She also previously ran the NASA undergraduate internship program across all NASA centers and eventually returned to K-12.

Mariel Milano stated that she began her career teaching and also served as a science coach, curriculum developer, and a professional development facilitator. She is currently working on developing NGSS-based curriculum with Hofstra University. She also oversees the implementation and conversion of the Digital Learning program in her district. Milano explained that she was on the NGSS elementary and engineering writing team. She emphasized that she believes that NASA’s role is uniquely positioned as a professional development agency in collaboration with districts.

Annette DeCharon explained that her background is in geology and oceanography. She worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a mission planner on Earth and space science missions, and she was the lead for education and public outreach for the TOPEX/Poseidon Mission. She currently does communication and public engagement for the NASA Aquarius Mission, which measures global sea surface salinity.

Moderator Albert Byers began the panel discussion by referencing Penuel’s presentation and the three strategies that he provided. Byers said, “Professional development is ongoing. It’s not a one in, done, one-shot opportunity . . . during the 1-week summer institutes only.” He asked the panelists to provide their impressions on how these strategies might inform their current efforts or knowledge of NASA. He stated that the first strategy was to simply focus on the framework. Teachers would do well to spend some time reading, developing, and understanding key ideas. Byers asked the panelists how they would apply this strategy, given their experience and relation with NASA.

Klug-Boonstra explained that she and her colleagues have had to reassess the issue of evaluations. They conduct deep evaluations with their conferences and workshops to understand what will be helpful, and they have learned that incremental and small things are paying off. They make an attempt to understand who the audience will be in terms of teachers, the grade groups, the level, and local knowledge. They also ensure that they reconnect with teachers.

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