Teachers’ Creativity Soars at NASA Science Workshop

More than two dozen educators from 14 states are attending a 10-day
workshop for teachers at the NASA Ames Research Center in
California’s Silicon Valley from June 23 through July 6, 2002.

This year nearly 250 other educators will attend similar workshops at
10 NASA centers across the nation. The National Science Teachers’
Association is a partner with NASA in this teacher workshop program.

“The NASA Education Workshop (NEW) is the best-kept secret in
education,” said JoAnn Arthur, a mathematics teacher at Richey High
School in Richey, Mont. “All teachers should fight for an opportunity
to attend.” Arthur successfully competed with hundreds of other
educators for one of 25 spots in the NASA educational workshop at
NASA Ames.

“NASA is about inspiring the next generation of explorers,” said
Donald James, chief of the NASA Ames Education Branch. “These
educators are partners on the front lines.”

“I have seen various technologies not available in Montana. I hope to
be able to bring back content to be implemented in my classroom and
awareness of what scientists do at NASA,” said Frank Hallett, a
physics and chemistry teacher at Fergus High School in Lewistown,
Mont. “The giant wind tunnels used for the development of aviation
advancement were most impressive.”

“I also was impressed with NASA’s commitment and dedication to
education,” he added. “They are making a tremendous effort to help
teachers understand the technology of the future. I want to gain
knowledge and information not available in textbooks.”

“The NASA education workshop program is a unique combination of
scientific and technological information and hands-on experience,”
said NASA Ames educational specialist Tom Clausen, who organized the
workshop at Ames.

During the two weeks, the teachers learn about cutting-edge NASA
projects, visit NASA facilities, attend seminars by NASA researchers,
engineers and technicians, and study topics ranging from aeronautics
to interplanetary exploration.

Components of the workshop are devoted to professional collaboration,
in which teachers share ideas and strategies for translating their
experiences into valuable classroom activities and materials.

The Ames program includes educators from 14 states including Arizona,
California, Colorado, Kansas, Hawaii, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Besides
Arthur and Hallett, other teachers involved in the workshop include: