Hi All,
While at this moment I can't give my full appeal/rationale, what Roger says below echoes my key point stated during conversations at the recent Symposium; he has hit the nail on the head!! Any of us that are married to K-12 educators (or are themselves one) know this is precisely true:
With all the emphasis on testing and measurable results in the classroom, teachers have scant time to develop interesting science projects that are outside the state and federal "frameworks" and won't be tested for at the end of the year.
If we want to fulfill our (AMSAT's) educational mission, we *must* make it extremely easy and more applicable to the standards our teachers are teaching to. The GOOD NEWS is that most states are coming on board with a common set of core standards for K-12 education. Details are here: http://www.corestandards.org/
Math is specifically addressed: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_Math%20Standards.pdf If you've heard of STEM, the "M" is math.
The connections between us launching satellites and what our nation's teachers are teaching have to made. Right now, he Common Core State Standards are our best hope, because nearly every state has agreed to adopt them!! It's a golden opportunity and timing is perfect--and it's now.
In layman's terms: We desperately need AMSAT folks/satellite operators who are K-12 educators---or are married to them (my wife is a 4th grade teacher in North Carolina) who can work collaboratively to develop specific lesson plans (using satellite telemetry data for example) to meet the mathematics Common Core State Standards. For example, we're talking plotting, graphing, explaining, analyzing data from *any* satellite up there now, or that we'll launch in the future (Fox-1, 2, etc.) Data can be obtained live (copying FM voice telemetry from ARISSat-1), from telemetry servers, from the archives, etc. The challenge is pulling this off. Ideally, we need to partner with ARRL and NASA on this, but we can lead the pack. We have the people to do this---and without it, it's going to be hard to get a "free launch."
Anyhow, I have a reasonable grasp of the big picture--and there is lots to do. But done in a directed and intentional manner, we can establish a framework for fulfilling our educational mission, while at the same time helping justify (and pay for) the launches of our satellites.
Time to go back to my real work for now :) More later---but hopefully you wall see where we're headed....
73,
Mark N8MH
On Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 8:52 AM, Roger Rogerkola@aol.com wrote:
Hi Clint...
As the husband of a Middle School Math/Science teacher, I could use links to Lesson Plans built around any of the receivable satellites that would help garner interest in these kids during their "formative" years.
With all the emphasis on testing and measurable results in the classroom, teachers have scant time to develop interesting science projects that are outside the state and federal "frameworks" and won't be tested for at the end of the year.
There must be a treasure trove of pre-existing lesson plans and incorporation ideas which she could tap into bringing Amateur Satellites or satellites in general into the classroom.
Roger WA1KAT
-----Original Message----- From: Clint Bradford Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 5:39 PM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: In School ARSSat Demos / lessons
... With ARISSat-1's main mission being Educational I would like to hear about people's experiences with schools in using ARISSat-1 as a teaching tool ...
What do you need? Classroom lessons abound for all aspects of amateur radio as it applies to the satellites - from elementary school to college classrooms.
Each ARISS contact has a lot of work "behind the scenes" at the campuses. There are phenomenal teachers and school administrations who really get behinds their ARISS projects.
Be a little more specific with what you need - and I can either assist you, or point you towards excellent resources.
Clint Bradford, K6LCS