Re: [Utah-astronomy] Telescope donation
Chuck, When I was an engineer doing school star parties I used to wonder why we couldn't get more teachers involved in astronomy. Now that I am a teacher, I wonder why so many teachers are involved in astronomy!! It takes a really dedicated teacher to make all the arrangements and come back to school ANOTHER evening for a star party. I had lots more free evenings as an engineer to do school star parties that I do now as a teacher! I've found that the same dedicated teachers call me back year after year to do star parties at their schools. Fortunately, I have enough telescopes to do them by myself, so the logistics are easy for me to handle, especially if it's cloudy and I have to reschedule with the teacher. Scheduling and hauling loaner telescopes back and forth from SLAS might make the difference between being able to do a star party and not being able to. For the teachers I serve, they just need to make one phone call or send one email and the arrangements are done. Just a thought. Jay also makes the excellent point that most teachers are not aware of this resource. Wayne A. Sumner Math/Physics/Astronomy/Engineering Boy's Tennis Coach Northridge High School Davis School District (801) 402-8610
Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> 04/13/09 10:10 AM >>> I'm wondering why more teachers aren't making use of the exising SLAS loaner program. It's a heckuva resource.
Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
I can certainly see that a huge committment is needed. I wonder about putting the telescopes directly into the hands of the students themselves? Perhaps SLAS could come up with a mechanism to allow a student non-member to use a scope solo, say under the sponsorship of a teacher who is a member? Maybe that would connect the students with the sky while not stretching the teacher so thin... Just a thought. On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 2:48 PM, Wayne Sumner <wsumner@dsdmail.net> wrote:
Chuck,
When I was an engineer doing school star parties I used to wonder why we couldn't get more teachers involved in astronomy. Now that I am a teacher, I wonder why so many teachers are involved in astronomy!! It takes a really dedicated teacher to make all the arrangements and come back to school ANOTHER evening for a star party. I had lots more free evenings as an engineer to do school star parties that I do now as a teacher! I've found that the same dedicated teachers call me back year after year to do star parties at their schools. Fortunately, I have enough telescopes to do them by myself, so the logistics are easy for me to handle, especially if it's cloudy and I have to reschedule with the teacher. Scheduling and hauling loaner telescopes back and forth from SLAS might make the difference between being able to do a star party and not being able to. For the teachers I serve, they just need to make one phone call or send one email and the arrangements are done. Just a thought. Jay also makes the excellent point that most teachers are not aware of this resource.
Hi all, I spoke with Roger Butz (he's in charge of SLAS's loaner scope program) about this this evening. As he has some opinions on the subject I am CCing this message to him so he'll know the conversation is happening here and can respond (Roger, to respond go to http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy and sign on). patrick On 13 Apr 2009, at 17:18, Chuck Hards wrote:
I can certainly see that a huge committment is needed. I wonder about putting the telescopes directly into the hands of the students themselves? Perhaps SLAS could come up with a mechanism to allow a student non- member to use a scope solo, say under the sponsorship of a teacher who is a member? Maybe that would connect the students with the sky while not stretching the teacher so thin...
Just a thought.
On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 2:48 PM, Wayne Sumner <wsumner@dsdmail.net> wrote:
Chuck,
When I was an engineer doing school star parties I used to wonder why we couldn't get more teachers involved in astronomy. Now that I am a teacher, I wonder why so many teachers are involved in astronomy!! It takes a really dedicated teacher to make all the arrangements and come back to school ANOTHER evening for a star party. I had lots more free evenings as an engineer to do school star parties that I do now as a teacher! I've found that the same dedicated teachers call me back year after year to do star parties at their schools. Fortunately, I have enough telescopes to do them by myself, so the logistics are easy for me to handle, especially if it's cloudy and I have to reschedule with the teacher. Scheduling and hauling loaner telescopes back and forth from SLAS might make the difference between being able to do a star party and not being able to. For the teachers I serve, they just need to make one phone call or send one email and the arrangements are done. Just a thought. Jay also makes the excellent point that most teachers are not aware of this resource.
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Patrick Wiggins NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador to Utah & NE Nevada http://utahastro.info paw@wirelessbeehive.com 435.882.1209
We already have a very generous loaner scope program, perhaps something apart from that with our grant funds, to start some sort of program supplying schools with telescopes or other educational material. I wonder if our teachers have any ideas on that, it would have to be limited to SL County. Maybe some sort of adopt a school program by selecting a couple schools every year.
I imagine Roger is glad that the recent donation is going to be refurbished by someone else. We should be careful what we volunteer him for. Erik Hi all,
I spoke with Roger Butz (he's in charge of SLAS's loaner scope program) about this this evening.
As he has some opinions on the subject I am CCing this message to him so he'll know the conversation is happening here and can respond (Roger, to respond go to http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy and sign on).
patrick
On 13 Apr 2009, at 17:18, Chuck Hards wrote:
I can certainly see that a huge committment is needed. I wonder about putting the telescopes directly into the hands of the students themselves? Perhaps SLAS could come up with a mechanism to allow a student non- member to use a scope solo, say under the sponsorship of a teacher who is a member? Maybe that would connect the students with the sky while not stretching the teacher so thin...
Just a thought.
On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 2:48 PM, Wayne Sumner <wsumner@dsdmail.net> wrote:
Chuck,
When I was an engineer doing school star parties I used to wonder why we couldn't get more teachers involved in astronomy. Now that I am a teacher, I wonder why so many teachers are involved in astronomy!! It takes a really dedicated teacher to make all the arrangements and come back to school ANOTHER evening for a star party. I had lots more free evenings as an engineer to do school star parties that I do now as a teacher! I've found that the same dedicated teachers call me back year after year to do star parties at their schools. Fortunately, I have enough telescopes to do them by myself, so the logistics are easy for me to handle, especially if it's cloudy and I have to reschedule with the teacher. Scheduling and hauling loaner telescopes back and forth from SLAS might make the difference between being able to do a star party and not being able to. For the teachers I serve, they just need to make one phone call or send one email and the arrangements are done. Just a thought. Jay also makes the excellent point that most teachers are not aware of this resource.
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Patrick Wiggins NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador to Utah & NE Nevada http://utahastro.info paw@wirelessbeehive.com 435.882.1209
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Happy to report that Roger just joined this august group so hopefully we'll be getting his take on an evolving loaner scope program soon. patrick On 14 Apr 2009, at 09:22, erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net wrote:
We already have a very generous loaner scope program, perhaps something apart from that with our grant funds, to start some sort of program supplying schools with telescopes or other educational material. I wonder if our teachers have any ideas on that, it would have to be limited to SL County. Maybe some sort of adopt a school program by selecting a couple schools every year.
I imagine Roger is glad that the recent donation is going to be refurbished by someone else. We should be careful what we volunteer him for.
Erik
participants (4)
-
Chuck Hards -
erikhansen＠TheBlueZone.net -
Patrick Wiggins -
Wayne Sumner