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An international, cross-curricular exploration of Space Science, through on-line learning tools
STAR has global lift-off
“But, you’re a scientist, so you MUST know!”“No. I am scientist, because I DON’T know. But I do know how to find things out.”
These words, by Joe Kolecki, NASA Mars Pathfinder scientist, form the basis of the scientific thinking behind the latest ICT project being developed at the Holy Cross School, in partnership with the NASA Glenn Learning Technologies Project (LTP), Cleveland, Ohio:
STAR - Science Through ARts
Yes, there is a capital R in ARts: it ensures that you can find us very easily through Google.
STAR is an exciting, new, multi-disciplinary, multi-lingual, science-based ICT project. It has been designed to increase students’ enthusiasm for “Real World” science, by using NASA on-line materials as the stimulus for creative activities across the whole secondary school curriculum. Mars exploration was chosen as the topic.
The pilot project, which ran from September 2002 to May 2003, included junior and secondary schools: Mound Elementary, Ohio; Southfield, Michigan; Octorara, Pennsylvania; Holy Cross, London; and Ikeda, Osaka.
The students, over 200 in all, used NASA web materials and virtual mentors as a source of science information, word processing to assemble their research, and PowerPoint, desktop publishing, music software, email, email attachments, and videoconferencing equipment, to develop their creative narrative, musical, and artistic skills.
Joe Kolecki, NASA Mars Pathfinder scientist, provided the professional scientific teaching, through videoconferences with all of the schools involved; by direct email to some of the students and their teachers; and through the detailed annotation of Word documents, and PowerPoint files, exchanged across “The Pond” as email attachments.
Ruth Petersen (LTP) developed the content of the STAR web site, and co-ordinated and guided the work of the US schools, as well as the final presentations. She commented, “Students today see little connection between the science they learn in school and science in the real world. Through the horizontal integration of science with the arts in the year-long STAR project, students began to see the relevance of science to the world at large. The technologically-charged learning experience allowed students to collaborate while being guided by online mentors and their teachers as access providers, giving students the opportunity to use technologies both in and outside of the classroom to complete learning activities. Studies in U.S. schools show that students want more input in deciding how learning will take place and how technology will play a part. STAR allows that to happen. In most of the pilot schools, the students were the drivers for participation in STAR. They were allowed flexibility in the creation of their ‘stories’ and demonstrated proficiency in use of ICT tools to get the job done.”
The pilot project culminated in a technical tour de force: an amazing global exchange (live across three continents) of the scientific learning outcomes by the students, in a final presentation session using combined ISDN and IP video-conferencing, and web-casting. Joe Radke at Baylor University, Texas, kindly provided vital, and brilliant, technical bridging support for this aspect of the project.
One of the Holy Cross Year 7 students, In-Sun Tribe, describes what she actually did in her lessons:
• ICT We searched the NASA web sites about Mars. We used PowerPoint
and Microsoft Word to create stories. We downloaded music, pictures, and data,
and linked pages together with the music. We learnt how to use Flaming Text,
clip art, email, video-conferencing, and animation.
• English We wrote scientific Mars stories. We improved our sentences,
and learnt some hot tips for our writing. We looked at sentence and story
endings, and the use of descriptive language. We also read a copy of Joe Kolecki’s
story, “The Once and Noble Race”, and studied his science notes
about it.
• Art We made landscape pictures of Mars in groups, and in different
ways, such as with pastels, paint, collage, and mosaic. We also discussed
the different textures of the surface of Mars.
• Science In Science, we checked the facts in our Mars stories, and
learned new facts about Mars and space. We used the Internet, science books,
and Joe Kolecki (live!) to find and check out the facts.
• Music We used music keyboards to make our own different tunes and
songs, to show things happening on Mars, and in space.
• Religious Education We debated whether people should go to Mars, and
if we found life there, would we bring it back? Also, if it were safe for
us to live on Mars, what religion would it become?
The thing I liked doing best was the PowerPoint story, because it was fun to download sounds and animations. I learnt a lot of new things, especially in Science, English, and ICT. I am pleased with the final result, and I enjoyed doing it very much.”
One of the stories, “Mars, Lost and Found”, written by eleven-year-old Katie Noon, is now proudly displayed on the NASA STAR web site, along with full instructions on how other schools can become involved.
The Ikeda Senior High School, Osaka (the Japanese “sister school” to Holy Cross) contributed PowerPoint stories, both in English and in Japanese. Head of Music at Ikeda, Ryuzo Tanaka-san was “moved to tears” by the sharing of ideas across the world in this new way. “I am convinced of the greatness of this project,” he said, “ and the wonderful international network of members.”
Students at Holy Cross were given advice, “live” from their friends in Japan by video-conference, on the sort of music which might be added to their PowerPoint science fiction stories. “It was great fun working on the music together with the Ikeda students,” said Lizzie Mason, Y7.
The American schools presented a range of scientific work, using word-processed and PowerPoint documents, and Mike Terrell summed up the reaction in Michigan: “We definitely want to continue our involvement with STAR in the future. It’s a great way to learn science.”
And there are wider issues, too. As Prof. Hiro Tanaka of Osaka Kyoiku University remarked, “ I do hope, with this special experience, the Ikeda students will become a new type of scientist in the near future, and contribute to the development of science, and to world peace, as well.” The Ikeda students have also become aware of the importance of the bridge between Science and Art.” And Ayako Amano and Erika Fujimura agreed. “This project gave us a very special and rare experience, especially for one of our members, because his dream changed. He wants to work at NASA in the future.”
Endorsement of the project has come from The British Council, who kindly published an article about STAR in their international “Science Education Newsletter “ edition 158, and from the Computer Based Learning in Science group, who are publishing the background papers in the proceedings of their Cyprus Conference (CBLIS 2003). BECTA, too, kindly decided to include STAR in their June teachers’ Newsletter.
The STAR web site was launched in Europe, in April, at the international Poskole Conference 2003 (Charles University, Prague) and will be launched in the USA jointly by Ruth and myself, at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC 2003) in June / July.
Why not join us? Have fun learning “Real World” Science, and maybe see your students’ best, creative, science-based work published by NASA.
You can email the Project Directors direct from the STAR web addresses listed.
Web addresses:
Katie’s delightful science fiction story, with an Art backdrop, is at:
[www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/STAR/HolyCrossProjects.htm]
The title page for STAR, featuring some of the Japanese students’ music is at:
[www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/STAR/]
General information for schools wishing to participate in STAR is at:
[www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/STAR/main.htm]
Previous collaborative project work in Science and ICT between Holy Cross and NASA LTP, (the Science ,Creativity and the Young Mind Workshop, with Dr. Eric Albone, Bristol), can be seen at:
[www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/MarsV/poskole.htm]
Various ICT papers, detailing the development of the educational concepts behind STAR, are posted on the MirandaNet web site at:
[www.mirandanet.org.uk/publications/williams.htm]
Lawrence Williams is Assistant Head Teacher at The Holy Cross School, New Malden, Surrey, where he teaches English, Music and ICT.
Go to the Holy Cross School Integrated Web Site for more information.
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