HR: 16:05h
AN: IN24A-01 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Thinking like a Teacher: How to connect Virtual Observatories to the Classroom (and Why you should want to)
AU: * CoBabe-Ammann, E
EM: ecobabe@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, 1234 Innovation Drive University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303 United States
AB: The development of virtual observatories and other models of distributed data systems provide unprecedented opportunities for educators to connect their students to authentic data in the classroom. Ask a teacher and they will likely say that bringing these data to their students is a high priority, as it increases both interest and skill level. The caveats, however, are real. To allow teachers to effectively utilize the resources of the virtual observatories, data must be accessible to the non-specialist in a context and a structure that allows for easy understanding and manipulation. In addition, supporting materials can add important dimensions to the user's understanding of where the data came from, what it shows and how it can be used. Lastly, it is important to have an understanding of the constraints that teachers face in the classroom in order to allow data products to meet their needs. This presentation focuses ways that distributed data systems and virtual observatories can connect to educators (and the general public), the barriers that teachers face when coming to these sites (and some simple solutions) and why this connection is so important.
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
SC: Earth and Space Science Informatics [IN]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005