Newcomers Feedback

[Franklin]

I was a lurker for a long time and joined up last year so that I could enter the debate.

What I found was an absolutely sterling community of amateur astronomers, who are always willing to give excellent, informative advice in a very friendly manner. 

What I also found was that SGL is not just a forum, searching the archives I realised that this is an oustanding resource of astronomical information.

Massive thanks to all who made it happen and to all the community, long may it continue. 👍

 

[Richard_]

Honestly, my biggest praise is towards the website design itself.

• Being able to upload a maximum size of 1GB for a post is amazing. There are forums out there which limit images to something stupid like 500kb, which is rediculous for a hobby like astrophotography where you wish to share high resolution images.
• The website is fully scaleable; it doesn't matter whether I view this website on my smartphone or on my computer, the experience feels the same and I have no issues navigating the website or viewing content
• Grouping of sub-forums by category (e.g. Observing, Imaging) means that it's easier to find the forum you are looking for. When in doubt, there's the search function which doesn't require a degree in computer science to navigate

Then of course there's the members. I'm still relatively new, having joined in July this year and wasn't much of a lurker before, but I've been a member of many different forums over the years on varying topics. I can hands down say that this is the friendliest forum I've visited. All comments are constructive, there doesn't appear to be any slandering or snide remarks which is a great indication of the people on this forum.

[beetm]

Just echoing what others have said; got a warm welcome when joining, and experienced members seem to have no problem passing on advice. It's a great place to spend time browsing around; in fact I think my favorite place is the "Primers and Tutorials" subforum.  Some old posts but mostly still applicable today. Being a beginner my learning curve is steep, but I've learned a lot by reading that subforum. 

Now, could you just do something about the clouds? 

[DavieH]

Yep, what they said!

One thing that sets sgl apart from other forums for me is the complete lack of snobbery and one-upmanship despite the fact that there are a good number of real experts here. I'm new and have already asked my fair share of stupid questions but without exception the replies I have had have all been friendly, patient and helpful. Makes me want to join in and try to be helpful too!

 

[amateur-astro]

Excellent 

[jpoulette]

So far so good. 😎

I've had lots of good advice from members and simply following the threads has been very helpful.

Thank you and keep up the good work.

Jim

[Justin richens]

joined today, posted and already got a helpful reply! 

[Kenneth Spackman]

A massive thanks to FLO for sponsoring this site. I am totally amazed by the kind and generous but more importantly, the sheer knowledge of the members who have given me advice in regards to a maksutov telescope I purchased. I live in a small village in the borders of Scotland and as far as I am aware, I am the only star gazer so have no one to ask for advice. The last couple of days I have been deliberating calling it a day and taking up another hobby due to ongoing problems with the mak and seller I purchased it from however, due to the support and advice from members on this forum, you have inspired me to keep looking up and never give up. I salute you all. 

[Sunshine]

Great to hear new members are having a good time and getting all the help they need, it’s what SGL is all about.

[mango]

Really appreciating the content on this forum right now, as I am still a complete newbie and trying to learn as much as I can about astronomy (and astrology!) at the moment.

[Richard N]

On 13/01/2008 at 12:45, certeza said:

Hi Daz,

I joined the forum in November and since then have learned a lot about my new hobby thanks to the group (as I am not naturally gifted to find objects in the sky).

One of my problems has been to find an area/place where it is really dark. What would really help me and maybe others is if there would be a map (of the UK) indicating where there are specially good spots with no/very low light pollution. I live in Cheshire and although I think I know the area, I would find it very helpful to know, where best to place my telescope. This also could help to optimise travel plans for weekend trips.

Cheers,

Inês

Which part of Cheshire are you in? There are several friendly astronomy clubs who would be happy to help you. MaccAstro has lots of helpful folks and is very active. 

[Cornelius Varley]

On 22/08/2023 at 13:17, Richard N said:

Which part of Cheshire are you in? There are several friendly astronomy clubs who would be happy to help you. MaccAstro has lots of helpful folks and is very active. 

Certeza hasn't visited SGL since 2009. Don't expect a reply any time soon.

[Richard N]

1 hour ago, Cornelius Varley said:

Certeza hasn't visited SGL since 2009. Don't expect a reply any time soon.

Ahhh. Old thread. I really must pay attention to the dates!

[Machinetools1]

Well.... I find this forum very interesting, a wealth of information given from season veterans of the sport.  I have been riding dirt bikes since I was 4 years old. This was my hobby of choice. After many accidents and broken bones, I can honestly say I still ride but no more racing.   I was a machinist for 25 years before moving on to another career. It was great as I worked on my own bikes and made a lot of my own parts.  When I raced or even still ride, people look at what you are riding and then judge your skills by the bike you ride.  I have been put on the trailer more times than not thinking a person is riding a clapped-out bike and his skill must match his bike. Or a person that looks clearly out of shape only to humble you as he beats you back to the pits.

The reason I say these things is the person that has the most money or the person that has that one-of-a-kind scope has the most knowledge. This is not necessarily true. Like motorcycle racing, money does not make you fast.....oh it may help but you have to be fast yourself.  A bike is like a scope it enhances your skills.  What they lacked in gear they had to make up for in study, sky knowledge and time. I see this more and more as I get out into the night sky. Once my scope is acclimated to the outside weather it takes less than 3 minutes, and I am stargazing.  Now this is a great tool and speeds up your process, but it is lacking that one very important puzzle piece. Your knowledge of knowing the map of the stars, constellations and their movement. Every aspect of overhead looking at the night sky has to be learned and you have to put the work in to be understand what you're looking at and where it is in the night sky.  

 

Now there are several ways to learn and there are several ways a person understands. The three primary learning styles are visual, auditory and kinesthetic. By understanding the different ways people learn, you can improve your teaching and help learners achieve their goals. 

The 3 Main Learning Styles

While widely accepted, there continues to be much debate about Learning Styles in the field of education. Is it better to teach using a variety of Learning Styles or is it better to use the one best suited to the content or the individual? Despite our improved understanding of psychology and neural physiology since the theory’s inception, a consensus remains unlikely. While multiple styles, models and frameworks exist, this article will only focus on the three primary ones.1

What is a Learning Style?

A Learning Style is an individual’s preferred, most effective method of absorbing new information and learning new skills. It is also referred to as Thinking Styles, Cognitive Styles or Learning Modalities. Learning Styles can be fluid, changing depending on the task to be accomplished. It is not a measure of someone’s ability or intelligence, but rather a preference for one mode over another.2

Advocates of this notion believe that the individual should be taught in the style that best suits them, regardless of content. The opposing view is that the content should be taught in the style that best suits it, regardless of the individual.3

The pioneer of this concept, Robert Sternberg, also interestingly theories that governments are a reflection of how people think; Theory of Mental Self-Government: Thinking Styles.

Learning Style# 1: Tactile or Kinaesthetic

Kinaesthetic is learning through movement or by tactile (touch) memory. Individuals who gravitate towards this thinking style often appear restless or fidgety due to their constant need for movement. An example of this is someone who taps their foot when thinking or frequently gestures when talking.

Kinaesthetic learn best by ‘doing’. For this reason, they can struggle with memorizing lists or have difficulty spelling. Recommended teaching techniques would be;

Experiments and Labs

Gamification

Field trips

Role-playing or Scenarios

Problem-solving; case studies, simulations

Learning Style# 2: Visual

Visual learners need to ‘see’ what is being taught instead of being ‘talked at’. Often reticent, they shy away from active participation, preferring to observe group discussions or projects. Most commonly associated with the concept known as ‘photographic memory’, they are adept at memorizing diagrams, charts and images, tending to ‘visualize’ even abstract concepts in order to understand it.

Visual learners are inclined to daydream, with their mind wandering during conversations. Recommend teaching techniques would be;

Flash cards

Color coding information

Encouraging highlighting of key points in texts

Using diagrams, photographs, charts, maps etc.

Having them write down notes during lectures.

Using acronyms, mnemonics or mind maps

Learning Style# 3: Auditory

Auditory learning is through the act of listening. Often outgoing, these learners revel in conversation and dislike prolonged silences. Easily distracted, it is difficult to hold their attention if they aren’t actively participating in the lecture or discussion. Auditory learners prefer to work or study while listening to music.

These learners require some form of background noise and while this may be intrusive to others, it helps them focus and concentrate. Recommend teaching techniques would be.

Videos or podcasts

Having them read aloud.

Using songs, rhymes or poems

Group discussions or debates

Teaching concepts using rhythmic sounds.

Using word associations or aural word games

 

Now it's Kinaesthetic learning that works for me.  Never was good with textbooks and memory but great at hands on learning.  So, for me looking at all of the star maps and going to the library and trying to learn by reading sometimes is a lost effort.   It's not that I am lazy or uninterested, it's just a harder way for my mind to respond.  So, for me I joined a local Astronomy club, and I am hopping this will be a better learning angle for me.  I go out in the nights sky and pick up where things are with the maps and my pin wheel.  Sometimes it gets a bit confusing for me and I want to ask questions but there is no one standing beside me.  So, I feel a club might be my best bet. You have to put the time in somewhere and somehow. 

 

The great thing about all of this is there is a place you can ask questions without feeling humiliated or unintelligent.  For me I am very grateful to have a place where us newbies can feel safe and comfortable to ask questions that are obvious to seasoned astronomers.  In life sometimes we all do not start on the green flag.  Thank you so much for this forum.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Machinetools1

[LandyJon]

Glad everyone's finding the forum as helpful as I did starting out a few years ago, now I'm able to offer help and advice where I can, keep up the good work admin/mods.

Edit: thought this was a new thread, missed the page numbers at the bottom, maybe there's an improvement, highlight the page numbering a bit in the 'app' version

Edited November 22, 2023 by LandyJon
Out of date help 🙄

[Machinetools1]

Very friendly and very informative.  I get lost in all of the archive information.