Report from Headquarters
Space Foundation Inspires, Enables, and Propels Educators with Summer Programs
Written by: developer
The Space Foundation recently completed the first two courses in the 2008 Colorado Springs Space Discovery Institute series. “Rocketry and the Biology of Living in Space: Living Aboard the International Space Station” demonstrated an effective way for PreK – 12th grade educators to inspire their students to learn about the fundamental processes of propulsion. The educators also took part in activities and discussions about the laws and conventions that govern space, the history and future of space travel, and living aboard the International Space Station. “Biological and Physical Research: Long-Term Space Travel” enabled teachers to search for answers about maximizing the benefits of space exploration. Through experiments in immunology, brain research, and the cardiovascular system they discovered the effects space travel can have on the human body.
From examining the many fascinating aspects of living aboard the International Space Station and its relationship to advances in biology to simulating a microgravity environment in water, the teachers left eager to incorporate the new subject matter into their classroom lessons. The Space Discovery Institute courses provide educators with the skills and techniques to capture the imagination and interest of their students by using space to inspire, enable, and propel them to study the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
The week-long graduate level courses for educators are held at the campus of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS.) Three additional courses will be held in July: “Astronomy Principles for the Classroom: Kinesthetic Astronomy”, “Space Technologies in the Classroom: Imagery and High-Tech Science”, and “Earth Systems Science: Our Earth Revealed.” Participating teachers can earn continuing education credits, graduate credits, or work toward a master’s degree with a space studies science emphasis.
In addition to the Colorado Springs courses, the Space Foundation, for a second year, is offering courses for the Charles County Public Schools in Charles County, Md., near Washington, D.C. Increasing from the two courses offered in 2007 to four courses in 2008, more than 100 educators are expected to attend. PreK – 12th grade teachers may choose between courses on biological and physical research, earth systems science, kinesthetic astronomy, and rocketry held from July 21st – August 1st.
This article is part of Space Watch: July 2008 (Volume: 7, Issue: 7).