Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b83b14cd4142fe10848741bb2a14c66b.jpg

Greetings from the Desert!

Ad Astra

By Ad Astra
in Welcome

Recommended Posts

Ad Astra

Ad Astra

Posted
Posted

Hello folks!

I found this forum while searching out some reviews on equipment, then lurked around for awhile and decided to join!

I'm an astronomy teacher by trade, so I get paid for the hobby we all love so much! :)

I teach astronomy and physics at our local high school and then I also run the astronomy program for our local college (Mt. San Jacinto College). I'm a big advocate of improving astronomy education at all levels! I also have provided lots of free curriculum and support for teachers at all levels, scout leaders, and astro club members wishing to step up their outreach efforts. If anyone here is interested in that sort of thing, let me know and you'll be bombarded with loads of stuff to help you teach astronomy (and maybe learn something new, too!).

The workhorse scope of my astro program is the Orion 6" dob (we have 12 of them!) and the Orion 7x50 binos (24 pairs), we also have a couple of NexStar 6's, a 120 ED refractor (unpowered EQ mount for that one), and a CGEM-1100. The absolute star of our program is the RB-10 'reverse' binoculars made by JMI -- 250mm aperture on each eye and up to 160x or better! These a amazing!!! ;)

My personal scope is a 133mm f/12 Apomax (currently looking for a good mount!), and an old 80mm Celestron fluorite on a Super Polaris mount.

My regular observing site (with students) is at the local football pitch (ok, we call it a "stadium" ;) ) It is built into a small box canyon which screens the light and wind - and we get to set scopes up on astroturf! It isn't the darkest site, but the skies are usually clear here (less than 8" of rain per year usually) and the ground is never damp!

Looking forward to hanging out and meeting you all!

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 40
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Hedgerow

Hedgerow

Posted
Posted

Hello and welcome to SGL. Sounds like a great set up for teaching astronomy. I agree about the need for good asto-education. My experience is that I come across teachers of Under 11's who have to do 'The Earth in Space' as part on National Curriculum Science. They are not always fully informed themselves and can get things wrong and thereby propagate mis-information. I do love the 'hands-on approach which brings the subject to life. Keep up the good work!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ad Astra

Ad Astra

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Hello and welcome to SGL. Sounds like a great set up for teaching astronomy. I agree about the need for good asto-education. My experience is that I come across teachers of Under 11's who have to do 'The Earth in Space' as part on National Curriculum Science. They are not always fully informed themselves and can get things wrong and thereby propagate mis-information. I do love the 'hands-on approach which brings the subject to life. Keep up the good work!

Hello Hedgerow!

We have no 'national curriculum' here in the States, it varies a lot by state, and sometimes even by county. Still, most children get some Earth and Space science between ages 9-12, although as you say, much of what they get is not exactly first rate! I actually did my PhD work on improving astro education for kids in this age range, lots of schools across the US and a few in Britain actually use my books and methods now. (My "brilliant" idea was to get kids interested in a great science fiction story, and use the adventures of the characters to teach lessons about Earth and Space science).

If you know of teachers who are struggling with these subjects, you can put them in touch with me. I consult and assist teachers all over the world on these sorts of things. I generally give away the curriculum, and I never charge a penny for my help.

Like you, I do this stuff because I love it, and have since childhood!

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.