Difference between revisions of "Advice for NITARP teachers and students"

From CoolWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
m (Created page with ' This page is meant to be a collection of advice within NITARP -- from educators to educators, from students to students, and every other possible permutation! The original list…')
 
 
(4 intermediate revisions by one other user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
 
This page is meant to be a collection of advice within NITARP -- from educators to educators, from students to students, and every other possible permutation!  The original list has been assembled from the 2010 and 2011 class discussions at the AAS, but you should all feel free to add to it anytime.
 
This page is meant to be a collection of advice within NITARP -- from educators to educators, from students to students, and every other possible permutation!  The original list has been assembled from the 2010 and 2011 class discussions at the AAS, but you should all feel free to add to it anytime.
  
Line 6: Line 5:
 
==2010 class==
 
==2010 class==
  
Use the wiki early so you are not intimidated by it when you team
+
'''Use the wiki''' early so you are not intimidated by it when you team
 
really needs it to communicate or when you need to find resources that
 
really needs it to communicate or when you need to find resources that
 
are on the wiki. Figure out who on your team loves this sort of stuff
 
are on the wiki. Figure out who on your team loves this sort of stuff
Line 12: Line 11:
 
involved.
 
involved.
  
Meet with your scientist on a regular basis through telecons. From
+
'''Meet with your scientist on a regular basis''' through telecons. From
 
becoming familiar with the science, reading journal articles related
 
becoming familiar with the science, reading journal articles related
 
to your area of study, asking questions because you really don't
 
to your area of study, asking questions because you really don't
Line 23: Line 22:
 
This encourages everyone.
 
This encourages everyone.
  
Try to arrange a virtual meeting with students from all of your
+
Try to arrange a '''virtual meeting''' with students from all of your
 
schools involved so they can get to know each other.
 
schools involved so they can get to know each other.
  
Line 30: Line 29:
 
science.
 
science.
  
Any students you select should possess a strong desire to participate
+
Any '''students you select''' should possess a strong desire to participate and be good at timely communication.  We had a couple enthusiastic students change their minds midstream,
and be good at timely communication.
+
(things like finding a new romance) so emphasize to your students about staying committed to the task.
  
We had a couple enthusiastic students change their minds midstream,
+
The other advice I have is that the teachers/students should try to get started on the data analysis before they go to Pasadena. If there are several programs and mathematical analyses that they will be needing to use to analyze the data, they should learn the basics of these before they come so they can just go ahead with understanding the analysis and not learn multiple programs as well as the science. I think the way you made the video of the routines for the finder charts was helpful. I need to do this myself for the programs that processes that I expect teachers and students to be able to do.
(things like finding a new romance) so emphasize to your students
 
about staying committed to the task.
 
  
Student selection needs to be extraordinarily careful, because getting
+
==2011 class==
a lazy-excuse-making student causes terrible problems and throws
 
unfair burden on all others. Be up-front with requirements and threats
 
for kicking them out of the program, and be sure to make good on your
 
threats, even if travel reservations have already been made.
 
  
 +
'''Use the team wiki.'''
  
Try making a poster and printing a poster early on so you have that
+
'''Meet on a regular basis''' - teachers with scientist on the phone or Skype, and teachers with their students at school.
part of the process under control. It could be the education side,
 
with what the students were learning to prepare to go to Pasadena,
 
what the science proposal is all about with what you anticipate you
 
might find, what you learned at Caltech in the summer or anything else
 
related.
 
  
The one thing I didn't know about making a power point poster was to
+
Talk to people. '''Communicate'''.
look into the preferences when saving the file and make sure that the
 
option for compressing graphics is NOT checked. The default is that
 
the file is saved with graphics compressed, so one has to 'unclick'
 
the radial button for that option. The poster that we displayed was
 
actually saved as a huge jpg (42x42inches), without compression, and
 
printed at the Kinkos/FedEx, or something like that. Trying to save it
 
as a pdf, kept compressing the graphics which would make them fuzzy. I
 
never tried saving it as a pdf without compression because the jpg
 
choice worked.
 
  
The other advice I have is that the teachers/students should work on
+
Keep a '''lab manual''' with notes - you won't remember what you were thinking when you did your initial analysis. Give them to your students too.
the data analysis before they go to Pasadena. If there are several
+
 
programs and mathematical analyses that they will be needing to use to
+
Make sure '''all software and hardware works''' before the Caltech trip.
analyze the data, they should learn the basics of these before they
+
 
come so they can just go ahead with understanding the analysis and not
+
Try to have a Skype session '''between schools''' between in-person visits.
learn multiple programs as well as the science. I think the way you
+
 
made the video of the routines for the finder charts was helpful. I
+
There are no bad questions. '''Ask your questions''', because someone else is likely to have the same question.
need to do this myself for the programs that processes that I expect
+
 
teachers and students to be able to do.
+
The end of summer is a looooong time. There is brain drain between your summer visit and starting up again in the Fall. Keep good notes.
 +
 
 +
Color-code your xls spreadsheets.
 +
 
 +
Say '''thank-you'''. Thank your principal for letting you go, thank your teachers for rearranging homework, thank your teachers for chaperoning you.  Even just a simple email with a picture of you by your poster would be great.
 +
 
 +
Even though it's been said previously but '''communication''' is the most critical element in the key to success in this project. If you're struggling to complete tasks, speak up. If you're not sure you're understanding what you're doing or why you're doing it, speak up. If you're feeling overwhelmed, speak up.
 +
Don't be afraid to contact your mentor teacher with questions and suggestions. The main point ... communicate with your team.
  
 
=Student to Student=
 
=Student to Student=
==2010==
+
==2010 class==
Expect to need tow ork harder than you ever have in your life.
+
Expect to need to work harder than you ever have in your life.

Latest revision as of 17:36, 27 January 2012

This page is meant to be a collection of advice within NITARP -- from educators to educators, from students to students, and every other possible permutation! The original list has been assembled from the 2010 and 2011 class discussions at the AAS, but you should all feel free to add to it anytime.

Teacher to Teacher

2010 class

Use the wiki early so you are not intimidated by it when you team really needs it to communicate or when you need to find resources that are on the wiki. Figure out who on your team loves this sort of stuff or wants to become good at it and let them get the rest of your team involved.

Meet with your scientist on a regular basis through telecons. From becoming familiar with the science, reading journal articles related to your area of study, asking questions because you really don't understand, etc. Encourage your scientist to share power points that he/she has made, send them to you so each of you can access them on your own computer while there is a discussion via a telecon. Or, vice versa, prepare a power point for your scientist about the learning your students are doing. The scientists love seeing pictures of your students and work and having quotes from you and from your students. This encourages everyone.

Try to arrange a virtual meeting with students from all of your schools involved so they can get to know each other.

Read "How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming" by Mike Brown. The settings include Caltech, and it shows the human side of doing science.

Any students you select should possess a strong desire to participate and be good at timely communication. We had a couple enthusiastic students change their minds midstream, (things like finding a new romance) so emphasize to your students about staying committed to the task.

The other advice I have is that the teachers/students should try to get started on the data analysis before they go to Pasadena. If there are several programs and mathematical analyses that they will be needing to use to analyze the data, they should learn the basics of these before they come so they can just go ahead with understanding the analysis and not learn multiple programs as well as the science. I think the way you made the video of the routines for the finder charts was helpful. I need to do this myself for the programs that processes that I expect teachers and students to be able to do.

2011 class

Use the team wiki.

Meet on a regular basis - teachers with scientist on the phone or Skype, and teachers with their students at school.

Talk to people. Communicate.

Keep a lab manual with notes - you won't remember what you were thinking when you did your initial analysis. Give them to your students too.

Make sure all software and hardware works before the Caltech trip.

Try to have a Skype session between schools between in-person visits.

There are no bad questions. Ask your questions, because someone else is likely to have the same question.

The end of summer is a looooong time. There is brain drain between your summer visit and starting up again in the Fall. Keep good notes.

Color-code your xls spreadsheets.

Say thank-you. Thank your principal for letting you go, thank your teachers for rearranging homework, thank your teachers for chaperoning you. Even just a simple email with a picture of you by your poster would be great.

Even though it's been said previously but communication is the most critical element in the key to success in this project. If you're struggling to complete tasks, speak up. If you're not sure you're understanding what you're doing or why you're doing it, speak up. If you're feeling overwhelmed, speak up. Don't be afraid to contact your mentor teacher with questions and suggestions. The main point ... communicate with your team.

Student to Student

2010 class

Expect to need to work harder than you ever have in your life.