Carl Pennypacker: Global HOU
Transcript of Carl Pennypacker: Global HOU
Welcome to Astronomy Education
Alliance Meeting and Global
Hands-on Universe 2014
25 Years of Great, Collaborative,
Inquiry Based Science and Education
around the World
Thanks to the Fantastic Local Organizers –
Lina, Ana, Rosa, Thilina, Carlos, and more!
What is Global GHOU?
From Steve Carpenter, US HOU Teacher:
“GHOU is all that is the best in
teaching.”(he is not exaggerating)
• Hands-On • Real Data
• Great Teacher Workshops • Real Discoveries
• Inquiry Based • Learner Centered
• Great Software • Great People
• Real and remote telescopes • Fun!!
--- Growing body of evidence (and we all know
this) – kids get more inspired and get smarter
• The Agenda reflects a huge diversity and richness of
topics, people, nations, cultures, methods and styles of
teaching. GHOU is an amazing example of
independently/jointly developed resources/meta-
resouces (teacher workshops) for the common good.
• Almost everywhere we go – classrooms, villages in
Africa, small towns in Chile – we find people who want
more of us! Success!
The Key Ingredient: The powerful touch which GHOU people have with students and teachers…
HOU exists, succeeds, thrives, and will grow rapidly
because of you and our GHOU colleagues around the
world! Thank so much to you!!! You are all remarkable!
Some Early HOU People
GHOU’ers:
– Teachers
– Scientists
– Program Developers and Leaders
– Educators of all sorts
– People who early on wanted to make a difference in
science education (Anne-Laure, Roger, Michel,Hide and
Hongfeng, Rosa, Leonora!)
– People who want to change the future
– People who want to be part of an exciting, sustainable
collaboration, and associate with very good people.
GHOU and I:
• �Have personal and professional goals to help all of us
succeed
• Sharing what we have learned from around the world,
• Learning from others, and helping others in GHOU succeed.
• Take steps for future growth and strengthening of our
collaboration and internal funding and reaching our mission!
One View of our mission:
Significantly help build effective and powerful science,
technology, engineering, and math education based on modern
astronomy images, tools, methods, for all the world’s teachers
and students. Make the world a better place!!
Working together, sharing resources, sharing
successes, helping each other are the methods
of our mission!
Diversity and similarities of HOU Implementations: Some Typical Some Examples
Nation Core Group of GHOU/GTTP Leaders
Workshops now
Outreach Activities
Embraced by Government
Embraced by Local Schools And teachers
Outreach Activities
Chile Yes Yes Yes! No Yes Yes
Portugal Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
France Yes Yes Yes Yes!!!!! Yes Yes
Nepal Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Australia Yes Yes Yes A bit more Yes Yes
Most of these groups work with very little formal funding!!!
Arguably, we are one of the most successful Global Science
Education Endeavors in the solar system!
Rationale: • In the United States(apologies), movement to simple and clear math standards that are clear to teach to middle school students – proportions, ratios, linear equations • Teachers are not familiar or have the time to teach to such standards, and don’t use inquiry in math • Text books are a mess • Kids are not learning these core skills and most hate math!
ASAMI:
• Twice a week, two hours a week after school
• GHOU activities, some on Salsa J, others off line
• Focused on proportions and ratios
• Gave same test before and after six weeks
• Gain = (Score(post) – Score(pre)/Score(pre)
= 46% + 15 (they learned about half again as much more than they started out with)
Proposed Deep Thought Here (speculative)
• If kids this age are turning off neurological programs in their brains that reject normal, lecture based learning, GHOU materials and methods can access parts of their neurology that is protected, otherwise
• That is, instead of kids having loops running in their head that reject any input, because they detest adult authority, we open up new paths of learning and experience and joy for them.
Conceptual Basis and Rigor
We taught big concepts and we did not teach:
• Algorithms
• Memorization
• Formulae
• We showed how these concepts were applicable in many situations
A New Page for GHOU: A Proposed GHOU Structure
• GHOU HQ in Portugal (already legal capital)
• 7 GHOU Continental coordinators (many exist already)
• Funding for regular teacher workshops for GHOU Lead Teachers = Ambassadors
• Funding for workshops led by Ambassadors
GHOU Structure
GHOU Executive
Committee
Europe North America
South America
GHOU Ambassadors
Classroom Teachers
North Asia
South Asia
Africa