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Service-Learning in Science:
Astronomy Camp-Ins
A collaboration supported by NASA's
IDEAS program:
Maryland Science Center
Space Telescope Science Institute
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Maryland State Department of Education
Baltimore City Public Schools
Project history:
- Proposal submitted to IDEAS program on 15 Oct 1999
- Project approved by IDEAS program on 24 Jan 2000
- Flyer to recruit Baltimore City teachers, circulated Feb 16
- Revised budget submitted Feb 24, grant number ED-90209.01-99A
- Training workshop on March 11
- 12 camp-ins from March 18 to May 5, see photos
- Maryland's service-learning conference, and our session, at UMBC on March 23
- Preliminary evaluation by Caren Oberg, Aug 20
- National Science Teachers Association meeting, Nov 16
- Final Report to the IDEAS program, Jan 2001
- Final evaluation by Caren Oberg, pending
- American Astronomical Society meeting on ???
Abstract:
We will train 16 pre-service teachers to engage elementary school students in hands-on learning experiences at the Maryland Science Center (MSC). They will receive training in informal teaching techniques, service-learning, and in general astronomy with an emphasis on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) research and results.The pre-service teachers will receive training in the use of the new interactive astronomy exhibits at MSC: the Hubble Space Telescope National Visitor Center, and the SpaceLink update center. They will then get direct experience in interactive science teaching with hundreds of elementary school children during weekly overnight "camp-ins" at MSC. They will receive training by our group in an innovative educational reform philosophy called "service-learning", which has been pioneered in Maryland. They will be modeling a high-quality example of the type of activity that their future students will need to perform to satisfy Maryland's service-learning graduation requirement. The pre-service teachers will be better prepared to incorporate high-quality science related service-learning projects in their classes, once they have experienced it themselves.
Our primary goal is to transmit our enthusiasm for the scientific process to pre-service teachers at the beginning of their careers, so that they will have a base of knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to transmit to their peers and future students.