Thinking Out Loud

It’s been more than a month since I’ve posted to this blog. Although it has sat here, looking for all intents and purposes abandoned, unwanted, and forgotten, that couldn’t be further from the truth. All this time it has been beckoning to me, calling me “home” to take time for reflection. This fall has been such a whirlwind of activity, it seems like there’s barely been time for breathing, let alone reflecting! So…what’s been keeping me gasping for breath?

Our International Space Station Project seems to have taken on a life of its own, consuming every waking moment I have. Although I’ve had no time to record my reflections, I have learned lots.

• We have visited dozens of classes in Ontario and Alberta, and even one in New Hampshire. These classes have been in such diverse settings – urban, very rural, inner city, upper middle class and everything in between. Although we notice differences in the background knowledge of the various classes, there is virtually no difference in the fascination the students have with space exploration. When we tell students that they are the generation that will be going to the Moon and then on to Mars, you can see magic in their eyes – dreams being born and goals set!
• We have 930 students to date who have been active online. You could call them the web 2.0 group. They are consumers of information but also creators, leaving a lasting legacy of their thinking and learning.
• We have that many more students who are following the blogs and completing investigations in their classrooms, but are not yet active online. This is the web 1.0 group. We have visited quite a few of these classrooms. There’s exciting learning taking place in the classroom, but the teachers haven’t yet taken the leap to have their students collaborate with others beyond their physical walls. They seem content to nurture information consumers. We’ll keep nudging these teachers, bit by bit, beyond the edges of their comfort zones.
• We still have work to do in helping students develop the skills to become reflective writers. Students are using their blogs to ask questions of our astronauts and scientists, and we have had many thoughtful questions. However, we need to keep pushing students to read what others are writing, add their own comments and share their insights.
• Our video conferencing using FlashMeeting is working out very well. Here’s the archive of our recorded sessions. We had of course expected that the webcasts with an astronaut would be very popular. We have been pleasantly surprised at how effective it has been to bring other scientists into classrooms to work with students. We will be doing much more of that as the project continues.
• Last but not least, we can’t underestimate the impact of meeting face to face with our online participants! Schools often feel unsupported in the work they are doing and are extremely appreciative of any outside support they can get. That probably explains the reception we got. We were so warmly and enthusiastically received in all of the schools, it was almost overwhelming. Administration and other staff seemed to appreciate our visits as much as the project participants! For one teacher’s reaction, see Rick Biche’s post, The Power of Connections. It was a good chance for us to see our teachers and classes “where they live”, getting a first-hand look at school organization, priorities, teaching approaches, and access to technology. This has helped us plan meaningful next steps. (Note: for anyone reading this who might be unfamiliar with the organization I work with, YES I Can! Science, there is no cost to schools for participation in our projects. That includes school visits.)

The school visits are over for the moment and we’re glad to be spending less time on the road. Now…on to next steps, and yes, maybe even some time to sort through my thoughts here! For more information about the International Space Station project or to involve your own students visit the project site: iss07.yesican-science.ca.

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