tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74085936033901131072024-03-12T22:01:13.928-07:00Little Maya in the Big Worlda year of local connection, world travel and cosmological wonder.Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-73065921191958949032013-11-19T10:53:00.000-08:002013-11-19T10:59:52.689-08:00Final thank you, and sorry for the delay (aka QR5)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's mid-November. I know that. I know that I left my blog hanging without a final closing post for these past three months. I've been processing my travels, adjusting to living back in the Washington, D.C. area, and getting started on a new life filled with astronomy education. I wish I had a better reason why I haven't written until now, but in all honesty, I've just put it off. Today, however, I am finally putting this blog to rest. I added three other much-delayed posts today -- a <a href="http://littlemayabigworld.blogspot.com/2013/11/ioaa-full-interview-with-team-india.html">full interview with Team India of the IOAA</a>, <a href="http://littlemayabigworld.blogspot.com/2013/11/qr4-final-report.html">my Watson final report</a>, and a <a href="http://littlemayabigworld.blogspot.com/2013/11/one-second-per-day-february-15-august-8.html">video project</a> I worked on the second half of the year -- so feel free to check them out. <br />
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Since coming home, I've gone on some small adventures, like the final Watson conference in Amherst, MA and a 350-mile bike-trip from D.C. to Pittsburgh with some fellow Watson Fellows. I'm living back in my home-town, and exploring parts of nearby D.C. that I've never appreciated before. It feels good to nest and settle, and I'm surprised that I haven't gotten that urge to uproot like I did periodically during my travels.<br />
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I'm getting involved in astronomy and science education in the area, too. I'm tutoring physics and math, teaching Lego Robotics and Engineering to young kids in an afterschool program called <a href="http://thegreatadventurelab.com/">The Great Adventure Lab</a>, and volunteering at the <a href="http://airandspace.si.edu/">Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum</a>. Last week I visited my old high school and talked with the astronomy classes about my journeys before accompanying them to the local planetarium. It's like I said in my QR4 post, which I just uploaded today:<br />
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"<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This year, I’ve learned that through and through, my project
is me. By which I mean that what I
care about, what my life’s direction is, is based in the themes I explored this
year. I love astronomy. I love
that it can be a tool to exercise our brain to stretch any boundary that we
find limiting. I love that it’s something that everyone can experience deeply,
regardless of nationality, age or gender, because as human beings, we are
inevitably affected by the sun, the moon, the seasons, and have undoubtedly
asked ourselves the question, “What’s out there?” I love that it’s both a
science we can know with some amount of certainty, and also a bottomless
mystery, so our imaginations will never be satisfied. And I love that children
posses the ability to know all of this with the clarity, enthusiasm and
elegance that any adult could ever hope to.</i><i> </i>"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I'm trying to stay true to that. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you to everyone who followed my travels and supported this journey. Your insights and perspective guided me when I felt stuck, and you helped to make this year memorable and meaningful. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clear skies,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maya</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDy0HA4jY6R0dZZe_VDdFrqFn9Q0AtJE-Jh54ktuFw2S7gDolpoKtchR_D_-UkDzQ5krMz06FVB4mUDntn2mituFL4rTpr8WZy5KIM8aL1ZjlY43XTCAAeq4CUICz6FaLw1HiPfyjSCLM/s1600/MayaHubble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDy0HA4jY6R0dZZe_VDdFrqFn9Q0AtJE-Jh54ktuFw2S7gDolpoKtchR_D_-UkDzQ5krMz06FVB4mUDntn2mituFL4rTpr8WZy5KIM8aL1ZjlY43XTCAAeq4CUICz6FaLw1HiPfyjSCLM/s320/MayaHubble.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, as the Hubble Space Telescope, for Halloween 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-11761775518593725712013-11-19T10:47:00.002-08:002013-11-19T10:47:44.517-08:00One Second Per Day, February 15 - August 8, 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is a project I did semi-secretly the second half of my year. It's based on <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/cesar_kuriyama_one_second_every_day.html">this TED talk</a> by Cesar Kuriyama.<br />
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From February 15 - August 8, 2013, I took a one second video every day. I tried to capture beautiful places, close friends, and events from each day. I wanted to be able to watch this video 10 years from now and still have that one second trigger an entire memory from each day. After I wrote my second quarterly report, I became increasingly aware that I had to treasure this adventure. Capturing a moment every day reminded me to take advantage of the gift of the Watson and the people and places that made the year so magical.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-27074864138890673282013-11-19T10:17:00.000-08:002013-11-19T10:17:10.187-08:00QR4 / Final Report<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>The Watson Fellowship is phenomenal since, by definition, it is a "non-academic" fellowship. You don't need to produce results, conduct formal surveys or come to any sweeping conclusions about what you explored in the year. They do ask for a final "long letter home" similar to the other quarterly reports I've posted here. Below is most of that report, although some has been cut out to stay concise. </b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b> </b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dear Watson HQ,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here we go – the final report. I just read over all my
previous quarterly reports and your responses and tried to absorb the emotions
from each of the various stages of travel. The small achievements, the
insights, the moments of feeling stuck, the human beings and situations placed
in my path that gave my year direction and meaning, for better or worse. What a
gift it’s been! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know that I’ve said it a million times, but I say sincerely and deeply – <i>thank you. </i>This journey has solidified many things I know about about myself and the world, mostly that those things are never solid at all.
Without your belief in me and without your support throughout the year, it just
wouldn’t have been possible. So without further ado…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Report from the
Fourth Quarter:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I spent the majority of my fourth quarter in New Zealand, a
country where I felt inspired by the resources of the education system and positively
overwhelmed by the hospitality of the astronomy community. My main reason for visiting New Zealand was to explore the intersection between a high-achieving science education and traditional Maori cultural beliefs about the Universe.<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I noted in my Q3 report, I felt that I “hit the ground
running” in Christchurch because of the openness and enthusiasm from people committed
to making my project come to life. This felt so refreshing after moments in the
year that felt stagnant, that during my three months in New Zealand, I
sometimes had to re-focus my vision and goals towards what I wanted from my
project, as opposed to what others wanted from me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The astronomy community in New Zealand is comprised mostly
of hobby or “amateur” astronomers... Their
passion and knowledge for the subject is striking, especially as many of them
are self-taught. They seemed equally fascinated with me, since as a young woman
interested in astronomy, I struck them as a bit of an anomaly. They invited me
to their society meetings, their clubhouses and to see their personal
telescopes. They shared their contacts across the country with me and gave
endless suggestions for whom I should visit next. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">While I continued to work with these communities
throughout my stay in New Zealand, I pushed myself to enter astronomical spaces
that are specifically designed for children, as well as spaces that emphasize Maori
culture. The best moments happened when these places effortlessly overlapped.
Two of New Zealand’s major astronomy education centers, Carter Observatory in
Wellington and Stardome Observatory and Planetarium in Auckland, showcased
exhibits and events about Maori and Pasifika astronomy. At Carter, for example,
there is an exhibit that describes the Big Bang in parallel with the Maori
creation story. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was refreshing to see “scientific” astronomy working
alongside “cultural” astronomy and even more invigorating to see that this was
an approach that helped children engage with our Universe on multiple levels.
It makes sense to kids that there are many stories that explain our Universe,
and this plurality of ideas allows for their imaginations to construct new
stories. Making things up and imagining different realities is really at the
heart of why I love and connect so much with astronomy after all. The
creativity to push an idea to something previously unimaginable – that’s what
science is at its core. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The theme of my time in New Zealand starting in about
mid-May was <i>Matariki</i>, the Maori New Year and also the Maori name for the Pleiades
star cluster. I found it fascinating that there were many different
explanations for what Matariki is and how the holiday is celebrated. The
telling and re-telling of a story across many generations by many different
people with different histories will inevitably change the details and the perspective
of that story. There is a lot of debate and sometimes anger at how people teach
Matariki incorrectly and how children hear a washed out Euro-centric version,
which does injustice to an already oppressed culture. Regardless of the
variations, however, I heard some dialogue about Matariki in almost
every classroom, observatory and planetarium I visited from late May to early
July. And without a doubt, I loved that every child I spoke with instantly
recognized the bluish star cluster as a part of their national history and therefore
as a part of themselves. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In New Zealand, I was also greatly inspired by schools and
how they function. In other times during my Watson year, the schools I visited
were downright depressing with a dearth of educational and human resources to
create effective learning spaces. My mother, who is a teacher, always says that
the condition of a school sends a message to students immediately about their
self-worth in the eyes of their community and society. With this in mind, I
couldn’t help but notice that New Zealand was doing a fairly good job sending a
positive message to its children. Victory Primary School in the town of Nelson was
doing an especially beautiful job: the school infrastructure, and also the stable
support from educators and the intentional, inclusive community-based school
philosophy made Victory my favorite school from the whole year. For a fairly
diverse community, too, it was beautiful to see a plurality of needs being met
and cared for. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But don’t worry, Watson folks! My time in New Zealand was
well balanced in terms of achieving project goals, challenging myself and
having some fun. New Zealand’s scenery is unbelievably stunning, and I took
time to explore the country’s landscapes. Additionally, I improved my skills in
bikram yoga, chocolate-chip-oat-espresso-cookie-making, hitchhiking, night
photography, express-friendship and icey-water-jumps. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">By mid-July, it was time to pack up and go for one final
adventure. My plans for the last chunk of my year changed so many times due to
shifting contacts and feasibility, but I can happily report that going to
Greece for my final 3.5 weeks was absolutely the right decision. After my contact
in Indonesia gave me the final “this isn’t a good time” message, I was feeling
lost and unsure of what to do next. Then I met a teacher in New Zealand who was
preparing a team of students for the International Olympiad of Astronomy and
Astrophysics, to take place in Volos, Greece, July 29 – August 5, and then everything
clicked into place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a week or so exploring Athens and a few Greek islands,
I arrived at the Olympiad geared up and ready for one last astronomy education
adventure. It was the perfect way to end my year. These kids were an
inspiration. They trained, raised funds, and took time away from school to
travel for the sole purpose of sitting through astronomy examinations and being
in community with other young astronomers. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">On top of all of this, many of them are exceptionally
self-aware and articulate. While I may not consider them “children” really,
since they were between 14 and 18 years old, they are just on the cusp of
adulthood, with all of their childhood still fresh in their memories and all of
the anticipation for what’s to come still exciting and unclear. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was technically a journalist for the event, which allowed
me the time to interview teams individually. Some of them said things that will
stay with me forever. Most memorably, one of the participants from India, in
explaining why he loves astronomy, said:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span>“In [some sciences] you create an experiment. You...
judge the outcomes and make predictions. But in astronomy the experiment is
always going on. You cannot change anything. <b>You just have to observe
whatever it is that nature provides you with</b></span></i><b><i><span>.</span></i></b><i><span>”</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Their love for astronomy was unflappable. So, inevitably, we
bonded. The best times were at night, when regardless of how late it was, how
exhausted they were, how long they’d sat in exams that day, all they wanted to
do was look up at the stars in the dark mountain skies. We pointed out
constellations, took photos, counted shooting stars, told stories and basked
under the Milky Way. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Building relationships with these students from all over the
world, who were so enamored with astronomy, gave my year a new level of meaning
and perspective. After moments during the year when I contemplated the
possibility that maybe kids <i>don’t </i>care
about astronomy and maybe they don’t need to, it was amazing to bond with young
people who had found as much meaning in astronomy as I have. It reinforced that what I’m doing does
have value and is the right avenue for me as I move into my next stage of
life.<span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Thoughts on the year
and beyond:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I reflect on the year as a whole, to be honest, it
blurs in my memory. This has been the scariest thing about being home. Not that
the transition has been difficult, but that it’s been too easy. Did the last 12
months really just happen? Or do my memories of people and places belong to
someone else, like something seen on TV or read in a good travel magazine? Even
when I watch my “One Second Per Day” video that I showed at the conference or
read my journals, it goes by too fast. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Instead I try to focus on isolated events, stories, lessons
and people. When I focus on those things specifically, the memory spreads
through me with an amount of certainty and authenticity that I recognize as truth.
These are the stories I find myself telling and re-telling, because they were
the most profound and taught me the lessons that I needed most in a moment.
Perhaps not surprisingly, they’re not often project related. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">There are many stories that I’m still
processing and many relationships and conversations that have yet to be
unpacked. Each teaches me how I interact with people in the world, and how the
world’s people interact with each other.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This year, I’ve learned that through and through, my project
<span>is me</span>. By which I mean that what I
care about, what my life’s direction is, is based in the themes I explored this
year. <span> </span>I love astronomy. I love
that it can be a tool to exercise our brain to stretch any boundary that we
find limiting. I love that it’s something that everyone can experience deeply,
regardless of nationality, age or gender, because as human beings, we are
inevitably affected by the sun, the moon, the seasons, and have undoubtedly
asked ourselves the question, “What’s out there?” I love that it’s both a
science we can know with some amount of certainty, and also a bottomless
mystery, so our imaginations will never be satisfied. And I love that children
posses the ability to know all of this with the clarity, enthusiasm and
elegance that any adult could ever hope to.<span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I share this love, especially when I speak it out loud,
I’m at my most complete, my most joyful. Even in my four minutes at the Watson
conference, doing the same “tour of the Universe” I did with students all year,
I felt my whole person coming alive. One thing that stuck with me from those
magical three days at the conference was just this – that instead of worrying
about how we <i>should</i> operate in the
world, my fellow fellows are doing things that make them joyful, and in
spreading that joy, that’s what’s making the world a better place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I just hope that I won’t forget that feeling or lose the
momentum from these past adventures. But armed with a year full of reinforcing
experience, and a global network of mentors and friends, I doubt that I will.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clear skies and eternal gratitude,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maya</span></span></div>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-71877489392419280492013-11-19T09:48:00.000-08:002013-11-19T09:53:41.601-08:00IOAA Full Interview with Team India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Here, finally, is my full interview at the IOAA with the Indian team (Arindam Bhattacharya, 16, Ashutosh Satyajit Marwah, 18, Ayush Kumar, 16, Sandesh Kalantre, 17, and Sheshansh Agrawal, 16). This is long overdue, but the interview was so moving and the students were so articulate, I had to keep my promise to post it. I've underlined some especially memorable quotes. </b></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>* * * * * * * </b></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>The selection process to qualify to represent India in the IOAA is quite an intense one. Could you describe it?</i></b></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ayush: There are three stages. In the first, 15,000 students take a multiple choice exam. Then it's narrowed to 300 for a second exam. In the third round, 35 students are invited to a 20-day camp. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><b>Wow. What is that camp like? It sounds like Astrophysics boot-camp.</b></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><b> </b></i> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ayush</b>: To be honest, the camp is very rigorous. We get very little sleep during the camp. They teach us whatever they test us on. Based on how we preform on the test, that’s how they select the [final] team.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><b>That's a lot of extra work and time outside of school to enter in the IOAA. What motivated you to go through with it?</b></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><b> </b></i> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Arindam</b>: Firstly, I’d like to mention that the camp is not just an academic camp. There is a fun element to it. We have late-night sessions of sky observations where people who don’t have any first-time information about telescopes get to learn to use it. And we get to observe the actual objects that we usually see in picture-books or encyclopedias. But we also play a lot of games. It’s a chance to meet new people -- to meet like-minded people -- from around the country. We also get to learn from some of the best professors of astronomy in India. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Sandesh</b>: The thing about camp is that we also have past national medalists that help to teach during the camp. They help to make the camp more fun. They are co-facilitators of the camp and help to design the papers and also play games with us. So the camp is not just an academic experience but also a fun one.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ayush</b>: Who doesn’t want a 20-day vacation? It’s just like a vacation.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><b>Sure, but some people see vacation as sleeping in and laying on a beach. Not doing hardcore astrophysics.</b></i> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ayush</b>: <u>We’re not just some people, are we?</u></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Fair enough. How long have you been interested in astronomy? What got you interested?</b></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ashutosh</b>: Six months. That was when I was selected for the second round. I was more interested in physics and maths and that’s why I got selected. Physics and maths has brought me here. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Sheshansh</b>: Astronomy comes in bits and pieces in a child’s life when parents of a child tell him the mythology of the stars. A child becomes curious when they wonder how something in the sky can be associated with myths. That’s a minor part of how I got into astronomy. But the major part was last year when I got selected for the third stage of the selection camp. When the teachers sent me the preparation CD and textbooks, I started reading them, and there was something attractive in them. It’s all about imagination. That’s the best part of it that’s in astronomy and nowhere else.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Arindam</b>: Astronomy as a subject is not taught in Indian schools. I originally got interested in the subject when I got selected for the astronomy camp in India. </span><u><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The best part of astronomy that appeals to be is that the main theme is unification.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Astronomy is one of those subjects that connects the celestial to the terrestrial.</span></u></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></u></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Sandesh</b>: The thing I love about astronomy is observation. </span><u><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I was small, maybe 7 or 8 years old, I first saw through a telescope Saturn’s rings. That was the moment I thought that I should take astronomy because you know there are so many beautiful objects in the sky, and we miss them without a telescope.</span></u><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Astronomy is a medium which provides me that facility, so I love it.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ayush</b>: The first thing is that I’ve loved science since I was a kid -- that’s not the question. How I got into astronomy -- </span><u><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In physics you have an experiment. You say how can I do this, let’s see what happens, how can I judge the outcomes and make predictions. But in astronomy the experiment is always going on. You cannot change anything. You just have to observe whatever it is that nature provides you with.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></u><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><u>The most interesting thing is that all of the information you have is just a ray of light. A ray of light enables you to know the atmosphere of a planet thousands of light-years away from you as well as we know the atmosphere of our own planet. That’s what amazes me. Just a little bit of data and you can get a lot of information.</u></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>What resources are available to learn astronomy? Do you have clubs in your schools? Do any of you have access to telescopes?</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Sheshansh</b>: As far as studying astronomy goes, last year I bought a telescope -- a Newtonian reflector telescope -- and I use it to observe the sky. As far as books and knowledge is concerned, I guess the internet is huge enough. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>What do you think of this years Olympiad so far?</i> (Four of the five students had participated in previous Olympiads.)</b></span></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ayush</b>: We’ll see what happens. There are a lot of fun people around. There are some people who study all day, but also people who like to have fun.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ashutosh</b>: Good things: We got to know a lot of new people. Also the beach is excellent. Volos is a great city, and the city looks great from Mount Pelion... </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>I would still like to hear more about your motivation. Where I come from, it takes a lot to motivate students academically, especially if extra time outside of school is needed. Where does your drive for astronomy come from?</i></b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ayush</b>: Sportsmanship. Why does a sportsman live? I’ve never felt that there’s any real difference between an academic Olympian and an athletic one. It’s the same feeling. In football, you have struck for the goal and there’s this moment where you are waiting while the ball is in the air, and you don’t know if it will go inside or outside or if the goalkeeper will stop it, and there is this thrill. T<u>here is the same thrill here. You’ve written an exam, you’re waiting for the results. It’s exciting. </u>And for any sport you need to prepare a lot. You sweat, the hard work is there... <u>So what drives us? The game, the sportsmanship.</u></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ashutosh</b>: What Ayush wants to say is that all of this, <u>all of the preparation, it’s worth it. It’s completely worth it. It’s a chance to represent India. It’s a great thing.</u> We get to represent our country. We have blazers that say “India” on them, which is pretty cool, and yes, I love solving new problems. Sometimes we get to make new problems before our tests so we can test each other. It’s just fun to solve problems. I’d say the same for [my team].</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ayush</b>: It’s like going on an adventure. That’s what it is for me. We don’t know what is going to happen. We don’t know what obstacles we will face. We’re just out here, with all the preparation you can possibly have, and it’s pretty exciting. We're living these 7 days to the fullest.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>What would you say to students your age who aren't motivated to learn?</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ashutosh</b>: I guess everyone should learn what they like. That’s what we’re doing. We like astronomy and physics, so that’s what we’re doing. Everyone likes something at some stage in their life, that’s what they should do. Set goals, work towards them, and achieve them. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>What would you say to a student who is passionate about something but feels stuck? </b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ashutosh</b>: I have no background in astronomy. I just liked it. I had this book that my father bought for me with all of the cool Hubble photos of the galaxies and nebulae. If I can do this, anyone can do this. The guy you’re talking about? That’s me. Just do it, don’t think about it. Just do it and see what the result is... I had no supportive teachers before I went to the astronomy camp. You just need to do what you love.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Arindam</b>: Abstract concepts always begin from very simple things, simple observations. So someone who is interested in astronomy but doesn’t have the resources around could just try making simple observations such as recording the time of sunset everyday. Finding out moonrise/moon-set. Simple things like this can make way for abstract theories and concepts later on. And if you’re really motivated to do something, you will always find a resource that can help you. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ayush</b>: Someone famous, I can’t remember who, once said something like, ‘Nothing can help you -- genius will not, there are a lot of genius people sitting around not achieving, intellect will not, there are a lot of intelligent derelicts amongst us, talent will not, unrewarded talent is leads to self-disapproval. But determination and perseverance is omnipotent.’ So everyone has problems, and it’s unfortunate if there are people without resources. But let’s just do what we can do and what we can do best is to keep trying.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><i><b>Thank you guys for sharing your insights! Any final thoughts?</b></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ashutosh</b>: “I’ll just say it. This Olympiad has been LEGEND -- and I hope none of you are lactose intolerant because the second half of the word is -- DAIRY. LEGENDARY. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7zlq0lGfAX6fKoATWpmT2lRMbM4MXWbia81JTqDU_isIxvq3GbmVhHiFXDPGlMItGKtp2RvsHa5oInmKA0usGkcNmmIXeuzJNddBTccx5IvapzZASw91SESMOcwjXuuMUvOzDmra3Tk/s1600/IMG_6656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7zlq0lGfAX6fKoATWpmT2lRMbM4MXWbia81JTqDU_isIxvq3GbmVhHiFXDPGlMItGKtp2RvsHa5oInmKA0usGkcNmmIXeuzJNddBTccx5IvapzZASw91SESMOcwjXuuMUvOzDmra3Tk/s640/IMG_6656.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Inida at the IOAA Opening Ceremony, July 27, 2013</td></tr>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-3253673628186030082013-08-04T00:50:00.000-07:002013-08-04T00:52:36.910-07:00IOAA Student Reflections on Astronomy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>This is an article I wrote for the fourth newsletter of the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Volos, Greece. Once the exams finished, I wanted to focus on what motivates these students and what they find fascinating about astronomy. Some of their responses were exceptionally articulate and moving and have caused me to re-examine my own appreciation and passion for astronomy.</i><br>
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<b><u>We are the Universe: Student Reflections on Astronomy</u></b><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After several days of scheduling issues and weather-related delays, the participants of the IOAA2013 finally completed all four categories of examinations: theoretical, data analysis, observational and team competition. While the tests provided some challenges and required patience and perseverance from everyone involved, the motivation to do well and the love of astronomy kept the students focused. </span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I’ve never felt that there’s any real difference between an academic olympian and an athletic one,” says Indian team member Ayush Kumar, 16. “You get the same feeling. In football, you have struck for the goal and there’s this moment where you are waiting while the ball is in the air... and there is this thrill. There is the same thrill here. [We’ve] written an exam, and [we’re] waiting for the results.”</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Every student at the IOAA is in Volos because of this shared passion for astronomy. While everyone has a different story as to how they began learning astronomy, their love of the science is shared. Some students, like Allan dos Santos Costa, 15, from Brazil, have been interested in the subject for many years. “Since I was a kid I enjoyed astronomy,” he says. “<b>And when I learned physics, it was kind of a revolution [for me].</b>”</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sandesh Kalantre, 17, from India, also found astronomy as a child. He says, “When I was small, maybe seven or eight-years-old, I first saw through a telescope Saturn’s rings. <b>That was the moment I thought that I should learn astronomy because there are so many beautiful objects in the sky, and we miss them without a telescope</b>.”</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Meanwhile, others such as Brian Brzycki, 17, from the United States found astronomy later in life. "I didn't care about astronomy until my [second year of high school] when I tried out for my school's Science Olympiad astronomy team,” he says. “Then that whole year, I learned more and more."</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Regardless of when each student originally became interested in astronomy, the combination of scientific problem-solving and philosophical wonder of our Universe is what inspires the participants to learn astrophysics at a high level. "The best part of astronomy [for me] is that the main theme is unification," says Arindam Bhattacharya, 16, from India. "<b>Astronomy is one of the only subjects that connects the celestial to the terrestrial.</b>”</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For Ayush, the power of astronomy lies in the unpredictable and uncontrollable facets of the science. He says, "<b>In physics you create an experiment. You... judge the outcomes and make predictions. But in astronomy the experiment is always going on. You cannot change anything. You just have to observe whatever it is that nature provides you with</b>."</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Additionally, he is fascinated by problem-solving methods used by astronomers. "All of the information you have is just a ray of light,” he notes. “That ray of light enables you to know the atmosphere of a planet thousands of light-years away... That’s what amazes me: Just a little bit of data and you can get a lot of information.”</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ionna Kalogeropoulou, 17, from Greece appreciates the more humanistic aspects of astronomy and says, “I like that as people we can understand and learn about something so big. This makes us important. <b>Our ability to understand something so vast, even though we're small... is amazing</b>." </span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Adds Ionna’s Greek teammate Fotios Ionnis Giasemis, 16, “We are the Universe.”</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In the days to come, the Olympiad will wind down and the participants will have more free time to socialize and enjoy Greece. While the exams are officially over, and the astronomical aspects of the Olympiad are technically behind them, undoubtedly the participants will continue share their passion for understanding, observing and appreciating our Universe.</span></span>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-59543626309894452042013-08-03T04:01:00.001-07:002013-11-19T09:14:07.316-08:00IOAA Full Interview with Team New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This is the full interview I had with the New Zealand team (Navodhi Delpachitra, 17, Connor Hale, 17, Darina Khun, 18, and Daniel Yska, 17) at the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Volos, Greece. I got to know the team a little while I was in Wellington in May, but this week it has been wonderful to get to know them more. I've been so impressed by their positivity, commitment, and sense of humor this week as they've navigated the ups and downs of the Olympiad. In this interview, they gave some really interesting insights on astronomy, educational motivation and the benefits of learning in community. I've underlined the quotes that I found especially interesting.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>How did you become involved in the Olympiad? What was the process for you to be here?</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Connor</b>: It was very strenuous and horrible ordeal<i>. </i>Well, Mr. Monigatti came up to me and said, 'Would you like to go to Greece?' so I said, 'Yes.' And he asked if I could think of any others who might want to go, and I suggested these three. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>[This is a great example of Connor's sarcastic sense of humor. Chris Monigatti is a teacher at Connor's school, Tawa College. He's one of the coaches of the team and hosts observing nights for students every week. I met Chris personally while I was in Wellington, and mention my visit to Tawa more in "New Zealand Updates, pt II.]</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>How did you know them ahead of time, because you don't go to the same school, right?</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Connor</b>: They'd been going along to Wellington Astronomical Society (WAS) meetings, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">except for Darina, who I knew from Spcae Camp.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>[The Royal Society of New Zealand funded Connor and Darina to go to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama last year.]</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>And how long had you been going to WAS meetings?</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Connor</b>: About six months or so.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navodhi</b>: On and off for about two years. My parents are really interested as well. We've all been pretty interested for a long time, but we hadn't found a way to learn more about it. Then one of my science teachers said to call Chris [Monigatti], since he has observing nights every Friday. So I started going to those, and then I started going to the WAS meetings as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Daniel</b>: I'd just been interested in astronomy for a long time and we did a bit in science when I was 14, but it was very brief and I wanted to learn more, so the next year I just searched 'Wellington Astronomy' and then I found the society, and it was close to where I live, so I just started going along to those meetings, and I got really interested in that. Then I found out about the Friday night meetings at Tawa [College] with Mr Monigatti.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>[In another, informal interview, Daniel told a story of picking up Richard Hall's book </i>How to Gaze at the Southern Stars <i>while he was babysitting. Richard created the Stonehenge in NZ, which I visited in my NZ Updates pt II post.]</i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>What so far has been the best thing about the Olympiad?</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navodhi</b>: I'd say just talking to all the other teams.<u> Before we came here, I really didn't know what to expect. I thought maybe they'd be really uptight, but everyone has been so friendly and really honest, and I really enjoy talking to them. </u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Connor</b>: Getting to see Athens and Volos has been really cool.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina</b>: <u>Maybe knowing that everyone else is just as interested in astronomy as you. That's why we're all here.</u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navodhi</b>: Yeah, in NZ people aren't as interested, but you never know until you take the steps to learn more. And here, you see the people who really have gotten into it. It's just amazing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Daniel</b>: Yeah, it's really cool here, meeting people who are just so intelligent and so interesting and so friendly as well. <u>It's so easy to think of these people as esoteric or different. But getting to know them has been really exciting and interesting. </u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>To each of you, what is the quality or the sub-field of astronomy that you find most interesting?</i> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Connor</b>: Probably Observational. Getting out there and seeing the stars.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina</b>: <u>I mean, we're tiny. Seeing the stars you kind of feel like you're a little speck. Knowing that we're the small ones... it's amazing.</u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navodhi</b>: Yeah, it was such an amazing thing to see where the Earth was in our Solar System and where the Sun is, and how everything goes around it. It's crazy to learn how small we are... Something I also really like is probably the mystery of it. I mean, that's more philosophical, but I also really like the physics and how it can be applied.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Why do you think they have the IOAA every year? What's the purpose?</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Daniel</b>: I think partially to have the international standard test to be able to say, 'Yes, I am the best in the world,' but further than that, <u>I think it's just really important to get like-minds together to get people excited and get people interested</u>. It is an amazing science. When I told people I was going to the IOAA, they were all so supportive. Even friends at school who didn't like the science that was taught in schools would say, 'Oh, I love watching the stars, or I love watching astronomy programs on TV.' Telling them that there are things you can do to get involved to get this far is really cool.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina: </b>I think this is a great way to promote astronomy as well. Because it is such a great science, and more people should get involved. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>So this is something I've actually been trying to understand all year. When we talk about astronomy, no one is ever bored or unimpressed. There's something about the subject that pulls on everyone. Why do you think that is? What do you think it is about astronomy that can appeal to anybody?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Daniel:</b> I think that it's the wonder of it. And the perspective of it. To learn about how small and insignificant we are and how special that makes us. It's like Carl Sagan said, 'We are the Universe looking back at itself.' I think anyone can get interested in that. And all of the beautiful pictures of galaxies and all of that is so accessible and exciting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina:</b> It's also because maybe they don't know a lot about it. It keeps the curiosity going.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>OK, but not that many people know very much about organic chemistry, but that doesn't mean they're going to want to learn more. So what is it about astronomy? </b>[Sorry Organic Chemists...]</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Connor:<u> </u></b><u>I think because a lot of astronomy can be explained simply, so people can understand big ideas and appreciate it.</u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina: </b>And everyone can see the stars. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navodhi:</b><u> We're part of it, you know? Being on Earth means that we have a permanent link to the Universe. It's difficult to ignore.</u> Everyone at some point in their life can appreciate it. Whether you look outside at the stars or whether you realize that physics can be applied to explain nature. But maybe it's so big and so vast that people might not want to delve in and take the first step to learn more. I know that I had that for a while. I was satisfied just to look up, but then I was worried about how much there is to it. But once you take that first step to get in, it's so fascinating.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Daniel:</b> And then the mystery becomes exciting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>So what advice would you give to someone who's amazed by astronomy, but is scared to delve in?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navodhi:</b> Join a group. Even if you have to start one yourself, like Darina did at her school, find other people who have the same interests, who have the same questions. Use the people around you who share the passion, too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina:</b> Don't quit and keep going.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>How did you start the group at your school, Darina?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina: </b> It took such a long time, but loads of people were interested, so it was possible.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>How many students are there? What do you do?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina:</b> About ten, so not a lot, but the people who are in the group are really interested. We meet once a week at lunchtime, and we just talk about astronomy and usually take turns presenting on a different topic each week. And we also go to the observatory at the college next door.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>And did you start it yourself, or did you have a teacher or member of the faculty also pushing for the club? </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina:</b> It's just student-driven. There's a teacher for support, but he gives all the power to us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>So this is another major question I have. Where do you think self- motivation comes from? In this age where more and more students are apathetic about school, how do you cultivate a drive for learning? As students who are clearly self-motivated, maybe you can shed some light on this.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Daniel:</b> I think it's about wanting to challenge yourself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina:</b> And not only that, but it's something you love. You're always going to push at something you love. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navodhi:</b> <u>I've never had to think about that question. I always give all of my subjects my best. I don't ever say, 'I don't like this so I won't try.' Because the truth is that underneath it, not understanding is something people find uncomfortable. So in trying to understand something, you're halfway there</u>... I just feel so grateful to be here, I wouldn't want to waste the chance to succeed. Sure, you might think, 'It's Greece, let's just enjoy Greece,' but part of the Olympiad is yes, we're in Greece, but it's about astronomy. And you want to do it justice. It's not enough to have passion. People can be passionate about something, but you want to succeed. There's always more you can do, more you can learn. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>So you're all in Year 13, </b>[the final year of high school in NZ] </i><i style="font-weight: bold;">what are your plans after graduation? </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina: </b>All of us are thinking about going to Uni...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Daniel:</b> Who would have thought, right? [Laughter] I'm planning on doing engineering, I think. Taking from the science and maths, but in New Zealand especially, I think it's the most widely accepted science-related field. There are enough stable jobs, which is a little sad, I think, to choose by what we feel is the right choice, but it's practical. And it's a wide field, so maybe I can get into satellite design or aeronautic engineering to relate to astronomy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Connor: </b>I want to do electrical engineering. So again, it's the practical side of science and it can lead to a lot of different jobs. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>[Long pause, and some shrugs between Darina and Navodhi.]</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>It's OK to say you don't know yet.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navodhi:</b> It's not that I don't know. There are a lot of things I could do but somebody told me, that you can do many things, but you should do what you really like.<u> You should do something you love, otherwise it won't last. I know at the moment I have so many interests and I want to find something, some niche that I love</u>. That's hard to find these days when there are so many options. So I'm still holding out. I'm definitely interested in science, but I guess we'll see.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Daniel:</b> Spoiled by choice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navodhi: </b> exactly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina</b>: It's like what Daniel said -- we have to find a balance between what we love and finding a stable job. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Any final thoughts ?</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Darina:</b> I just really hope they do this again next year and more people from New Zealand can have this chance. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Daniel: </b> I think we all hope that this legacy can continue. Well, maybe not legacy, but that this can be a place for people to get excited about astronomy. That this was useful for something in NZ. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>I think that this is something you've definitely achieved, and I think you four have set the precedent for NZ's participation in events like this. As your unofficial guide/leader, it's been lovely getting to know you both in NZ and at the Olympiad. I'm looking forward to spending more time together this week!</i></b></span></span></div>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-724063367838077532013-07-31T07:37:00.003-07:002013-07-31T14:28:35.404-07:00IOAA Part I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>This is an article I wrote for the second newsletter of the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics, taking place now in Volos, Greece. Hopefully I'll be posting the articles I write for the newsletter here every couple of days, in addition to some full interviews I have with the kids participating in the Olympiad. I can't include everything in the articles, of course, but I will say that I'm having a blast here, and am so impressed by all of the participants. It's been a joy to be around kids who love astronomy and are so self-motivated to learn. </i></div>
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<b>Challenge, Play and Camaraderie for Participants in the First Days of IOAA2013</b></div>
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For the participants of the Seventh International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics, these first few days have been packed full of activity and excitement both in Chania and in Volos. </div>
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For most of the participants, the most meaningful part of the Olympiad so far has been getting to know members of the other teams and making new friends. Guilherme Machado, 18, from Portugal, has found that the planned activities such as playing sports have been a great platform for getting to know other participants. “I really like playing football with the other teams,” says Guilherme. “Getting to know other cultures and talking with other people has been very interesting.” In addition to football, participants gathered on Monday morning to participate in a number of activities such as volleyball, hiking, camp games, and even traditional Greek folk dancing. During free time as well, participants and guides from different teams gather for card and board games, group study sessions and casual conversations.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwOifPa8TssMYCOo80y28ZsqEsH93gKuYduSe4SBT1Wt0LuWJ0wTpXWplYjYhAqpaofIqQi87E5MlG-uA0D3TAFUc3FLRejigBNgXCxc96UqhwqGaDm3gaoN72CBDtNyPE2pY8xRNOUI/s1600/IMG_6767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwOifPa8TssMYCOo80y28ZsqEsH93gKuYduSe4SBT1Wt0LuWJ0wTpXWplYjYhAqpaofIqQi87E5MlG-uA0D3TAFUc3FLRejigBNgXCxc96UqhwqGaDm3gaoN72CBDtNyPE2pY8xRNOUI/s400/IMG_6767.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going on a group hike in the mountains above Volos</td></tr>
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For many, these planned and informal activities have been great ways to transition to life in Greece and get into the spirit of the Olympiad. “Before coming here, I really didn't know what to expect from the other teams,” says New Zealand team member Navodhi Delpachitra, 17. “Everyone has been so friendly and really honest, and I’ve really enjoyed talking with them.” This is the first time New Zealand has participated in the IOAA, and they hope that this year can set a precedent for their country.</div>
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“Knowing that everyone else is just as interested in astronomy as you is really great, and we've all learned a lot,” says New Zealand participant Darina Khun, 18. “I really hope they do this again next year and more people from New Zealand can have this opportunity.”</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greek folk dancing at the IOAA2013</td></tr>
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“We knew we were here to take tests, but I don’t think we anticipated the union with all of the other countries,” says Claire Burch, 14, from team USA. This is also the first time the United States has participated in the IOAA. Claire adds, “You know, we really feel that we’re one planet here, all together.”</div>
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For some participants, this is not their first IOAA, although this year does provide something different from previous Olympiads. This is the third Olympiad for Slovakian participant Miroslav Gasparek, 17, who also attended the previous IOAA’s in Brazil and Poland. He says, “This year, compared with previous years, we get to be more in touch with local life. Our guides this year are amazing – it’s like we’re a family.” </div>
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Matus Kulich, 18, Miroslav’s Slovakian teammate for the past three years, agrees that being in Greece provides something unique to the IOAA experience. “Greece is the country that the idea of the Olympiad originally comes from,” he says. “It’s been good to see this especially important historical point-of-view.”<br />
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Despite everyone’s past experiences and expectations, astronomy has certainly been the main focus. In the theoretical exam on Tuesday, every participant had the opportunity to show their knowledge and expertise in astronomy and astrophysics. Tuesday morning, the tension in the examination rooms was palpable, as participants awaited the questions. Savvas Soudeniotis, guide for South Korea, sensed this himself, even though he wasn't personally taking the exam. “Once the doors shut and the exam started, I felt their anxiety and agony, and hoped that everything went well,” he says. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting familiar with a telescope used for the Observational exam</td></tr>
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Once the exams were turned in, the students could relax a bit again, taking time to eat, explore Volos and enjoy each other’s company. Half of the participants and guides went to go bowling while the other half visited Volos’ archaeological museum. </div>
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Now, as the students prepare for the next phase of the Olympiad, their eyes return to the stars. “I’m looking forward to the Observational Round,” says Singapore participant Wei Shen Oh, 17. “In Singapore, we don’t get to experience such great dark skies. Stargazing at such a high altitude with dark skies has been really good so far.”<br />
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Many of the participants like Wei Shen have been taking free time in the evenings to go out and stargaze together. Participants bring binoculars, cameras for astrophotography, star charts and laser pointers to explore the skies and explain what they know. Since everyone comes from different parts of the world with slightly different skies, they each have something unique to share. “We can all be students again,” says Wei Shen. “Since we all have the same interest, we can all learn a lot of things from each other.”</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Participants stargazing in Chania, Greece during the IOAA2013</td></tr>
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The guides, too, have had the opportunity to learn about astronomy through these informal stargazing sessions. “I never thought of astronomy as something interesting, maybe because I didn't learn about it in school,” says Savvas, who studies geology at the University of Athens. “It’s been a great experience learning astronomy, and I even now know how to recognize some constellations and find my way at night.” While most of the guides like Savvas are not astronomers nor have experience with previous Olympiads, they have fully embraced the international culture of the IOAA. Says Savvas, “I really love my team. I think they have learned a lot about Greek culture and tradition from me, and likewise I have learned a lot about South Korea.” </div>
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As the IOAA2013 progresses, participants and their guides will continue to explore together, learn from one another and enjoy this truly unique opportunity.</div>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-16731200535926949802013-07-26T06:53:00.002-07:002013-07-26T06:53:44.257-07:00Auckland, New Zealand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
[Wrote this two weeks ago, but have been searching for a computer to finish this post and include pictures since then. Now finally posting in an internet cafe in Athens, Greece. Updates on Greece will have to wait for another time...]<br />
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July 15, 2013:<br />
I've been in and around Auckland for the past three-four weeks as my final stop in New Zealand. There's been a ton going on, in astronomy education and otherwise, but it's been great to be busy and learning a lot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auckland skyline at sunset</td></tr>
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Through Couch Surfing, I met a science teacher at St. Peter's College, a prestigious all-boys Catholic prep school. He happened to be teaching astronomy-related topics in class during my first week in Auckland and invited me to join those classes. The most interesting thing I observed was during a class that was piloting an iPad-in-the-classroom program where every student has their own iPad.<br />
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The class was learning about the seasons, and the students were given a list of questions to answer related to that topic. They were allowed to use any of the following resources to answer these questions: 1) Their textbook, which had a specific section on the topic, 2) the iPads, and 3) different lights and sports balls to represent the Sun, Earth and Moon. Initially, every child chose the iPad, and right away cut and paste the exact questions into Google. They then found the answers confusing, and either kept looking for good sites, or moved on to the other resources. I observed that the iPads were distracting, and actually did a very poor job as a research tool, unless directed to specific sites and resources by the teacher. Nonetheless, <i>every</i> student used it as their default tool. I've seen in New Zealand several times that iPads in the classroom are becoming a selling point to families to show that the school is technologically advanced and the students have better learning opportunities. But I'm still not sold that these kinds of tools actually enhance learning.<br />
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My main reason for coming to Auckland was to work with the <a href="http://www.stardome.org.nz/">Stardome Observatory</a>, which is part astronomy museum, part planetarium and part actual observatory. During the weekdays, they have numerous school visits, and in the evenings, they have planetarium shows targeting specific age groups of children and adults alike.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stardome Observatory</td></tr>
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June and July have been focused on celebrating Matariki, the Maori New Year, and my first trip to Stardome was for a Matariki Dawn Festival. The public came out in the very early to spot the constellation Matariki (Pleiades) itself before sunrise, and then the morning was filled with talks, performances, planetarium shows, traditional kite-making, and activities for kids like face-painting and astronomy craft projects. I was thrilled to see an astronomy center working with the community to host a cultural festival. Science and culture/tradition/religion are often thought of as distinct, and I was pleased to see them coming together seamlessly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rDeHJguvV8I/UdN8y4eJIWI/AAAAAAAAGbk/kThv2vlggec/s1600/DSCN5148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rDeHJguvV8I/UdN8y4eJIWI/AAAAAAAAGbk/kThv2vlggec/s400/DSCN5148.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crafts and face-painting at Matariki celebration at the Stardome Observatory. I pitched in by doing a lot of face-painting too -- mostly shooting stars, rockets and aliens.</td></tr>
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I spent the following week observing school groups at Stardome, most of which had requested information and shows about Matariki. A school visit to Stardome includes a pre-recorded Planetarium Show, a tour of the night sky in the Planetarium, time to look around the exhibits in the hall, and a classroom session where they can go more in depth about the topic covered inside the Planetarium. This holistic and varied approach engages with students and educators on multiple levels so that kids can take away both the cool and fun experience of being inside a planetarium while still leaving with some scientific information that sticks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PdkLLFLAbPU/UdN9D7dn8GI/AAAAAAAAGcA/HC0FCXXIGcU/s1600/DSCN5158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PdkLLFLAbPU/UdN9D7dn8GI/AAAAAAAAGcA/HC0FCXXIGcU/s400/DSCN5158.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classroom visits to the Stardome Observatory. The student in gold is demonstrating being the Sun. Soon there will be an Earth in blue and a Moon in silver, all demonstrating orbit and rotation.</td></tr>
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Stardome also hosts the <a href="http://www.astronomy.org.nz/new/public/default.aspx">Auckland Astronomical Society</a>, which is the largest and most diverse amateur group I've seen in New Zealand. Whether you are just getting into astronomy with no prior knowledge, or have your own telescope and want to do observations, or are more interested in theoretical academic astrophysics, the society has something to offer. They even have monthly Junior Member meetings, where kids in the society have a night dedicated just for them. The society also does some outreach in the community, bringing telescopes to events or schools.<br />
<br />
One of these such events was a family-friendly Matariki evening celebration. There were different musical performances, and a small lantern parade where kids and their families showed off paper lanterns they made for the celebration. There were too many clouds to set up telescopes as representatives from the society had hoped, but in times where the clouds parted, we stood outside with a laser pointer, showing different constellations, planets, and how to find South using the Southern Cross.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtg4QWzJWFrXg733eUKnddvbt5IZXimkji6cn1m5JWEn_N-Re-r1joYwjyBm64IhuiAW85fKYFnTn3b6dAL8_3AKD0HYz1OCjJ13qgok42wak7UQrPxjM87WuXcPSofFh9YHPUL8VlME/s1600/IMG_5729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtg4QWzJWFrXg733eUKnddvbt5IZXimkji6cn1m5JWEn_N-Re-r1joYwjyBm64IhuiAW85fKYFnTn3b6dAL8_3AKD0HYz1OCjJ13qgok42wak7UQrPxjM87WuXcPSofFh9YHPUL8VlME/s400/IMG_5729.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids showing off their homemade lanterns at the Matariki festival.</td></tr>
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I also traveled a few hours north to the town of Whangarei to visit the <a href="http://www.northlandastronomy.org.nz/">Northland Astronomical Society</a>'s observatory and planetarium. Twice a month, they host events for the public, and I was lucky enough to get there on a night that was clear and teeming with visitors, including lots of kids. For a small group with only ~35 members, the Northland Astronomical Society has tons of resources, including an old projector that used to belong to the Carter Observatory in Wellington, several telescopes and a teaching room for lectures and discussion. And even with the town of Whangarei nearby, the skies were clear and the Milky Way was perfectly visible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDpp-McteWTS1n4ZFWS-LgPfnEZ0TGlPiiKKIlJpy0Oqe6KYN-q25g0rEJOZqb_JOd1XKhsX1BIoXzd69mWLe-3J1XVYEk2lsAIeM3yBA7HKrfG8L5nUWz80DanLuDHMV57VSWGEqLDc/s1600/IMG_5744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDpp-McteWTS1n4ZFWS-LgPfnEZ0TGlPiiKKIlJpy0Oqe6KYN-q25g0rEJOZqb_JOd1XKhsX1BIoXzd69mWLe-3J1XVYEk2lsAIeM3yBA7HKrfG8L5nUWz80DanLuDHMV57VSWGEqLDc/s320/IMG_5744.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guests piling into the small Whangarei planetarium. There were so many people that some were standing at the back or even outside just listening. Even though it was crowded, the visitors -- especially the kids -- seemed to enjoy what the Norhland Astronomical Society had to offer.<span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P1TuT3-VgEc-UgUpVosq-FbUOGD0GSjV79_MaRy89HGPra5WU31A6dyOA-9HY-Cz5xDYRx4jmurqnE_poPhafJgUb6YJ9R-oGj8BViC1B_o51AG4rsyEOzmNGFAgKaNLPoQfutX4SLc/s1600/IMG_5754.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P1TuT3-VgEc-UgUpVosq-FbUOGD0GSjV79_MaRy89HGPra5WU31A6dyOA-9HY-Cz5xDYRx4jmurqnE_poPhafJgUb6YJ9R-oGj8BViC1B_o51AG4rsyEOzmNGFAgKaNLPoQfutX4SLc/s400/IMG_5754.CR2" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Milky Way above Whangarei. (Not the best quality photo-- need to do some post-processing. But again, posting from an Athens internet cafe where they're not even technologically advanced enough to have A/C.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqurEO6Y1PqYDfVsy2Ue8gtVbiRUDqf09l77nafshsqx4Bk8PbppUs6MX5lxaMqmSiogh-Sp-jfzaCvu2jYim2zxVNxV6bFaeXutNDx5ICjbYrQD3M0jwnXRPXVFiA9iaQ15GGfCCLmT4/s1600/IMG_5751.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqurEO6Y1PqYDfVsy2Ue8gtVbiRUDqf09l77nafshsqx4Bk8PbppUs6MX5lxaMqmSiogh-Sp-jfzaCvu2jYim2zxVNxV6bFaeXutNDx5ICjbYrQD3M0jwnXRPXVFiA9iaQ15GGfCCLmT4/s400/IMG_5751.CR2" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Telescope viewing at the Northland Astronomical Society open night.<br /><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
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Yet again, it's clear that the amateur astronomy community in New Zealand is truly the driving force behind astronomy education in the country. And because amateur astronomers are members of the public themselves, typically without academic degrees in science, I find that they know how to communicate with the public in ways that clear and interesting.</div>
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<div style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">
While in Auckland, I also met with Mark Mackay from a group called <a href="http://www.kiwispace.org.nz/">Kiwi Space</a>, a small organization that is looking to raise interest and awareness in space science in New Zealand. The organization is still new, and Mark and I discussed ways to get people involved and the public interested. It's a good question, and one that I think we as astronomers should reflect on more often. It's clear to us why astronomy and space is fascinating, but why is it something that everyone should care about and invest in? What aspects are the most interesting, and how can we share them in engaging ways that will last longer than a one-time event?</div>
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In addition to doing all of this astronomy education and learning "heaps," as the Kiwis say, I've also been taking time to travel around a bit and just appreciate the natural beauty of this stunning country. a three day trip around the Coromandel Peninsula was especially amazing, with gorgeous views of beaches and mountainsides at every bend. And so, I finish off with some final photos:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgMtR1Nvwgoa8IPThXT2czx3lFb3CJAlCLEl-8Lte73GF28s7MTBGQ_qrQPZX9EVG2sw9QiQXIlnIdvlEfFuCI6JwPwRa7JdXR3UzzFHshsJaZ0n3OvAM7PMhhgy9LtCW8kIpw1YDvHA/s1600/IMG_5381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgMtR1Nvwgoa8IPThXT2czx3lFb3CJAlCLEl-8Lte73GF28s7MTBGQ_qrQPZX9EVG2sw9QiQXIlnIdvlEfFuCI6JwPwRa7JdXR3UzzFHshsJaZ0n3OvAM7PMhhgy9LtCW8kIpw1YDvHA/s400/IMG_5381.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on the Coromandel Peninsula</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OkLu7-VN0w6vwcjMYTg5iRPC_6ZnR3eQSBLLxtneub_ZQRyAetmVEATQfgOYv3A2qWiUv7NDN5sr3XE-4nlx7rRR_iN4M0FFGxjOLHtooz4_eNgsG74J7sphsYjMFs3y4Sll_qkC0qk/s1600/IMG_5404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OkLu7-VN0w6vwcjMYTg5iRPC_6ZnR3eQSBLLxtneub_ZQRyAetmVEATQfgOYv3A2qWiUv7NDN5sr3XE-4nlx7rRR_iN4M0FFGxjOLHtooz4_eNgsG74J7sphsYjMFs3y4Sll_qkC0qk/s400/IMG_5404.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark skies on a clear night at last! The Milky Way above the Coromandel (and a flashlight on in the foreground).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWdwrduQWwv_nWM-4EiP0yUBeHLLTlidztlas1utrZjDw5IDzifoyS6XzU8JrWtoEy8HAi95OxjLbdzYQ0E0PmNYdb-NjMTvslzlmKsCJVWrH6d46YZ1L0CMdRiIFCnNrRhkkY4ZhGCw/s1600/IMG_5481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWdwrduQWwv_nWM-4EiP0yUBeHLLTlidztlas1utrZjDw5IDzifoyS6XzU8JrWtoEy8HAi95OxjLbdzYQ0E0PmNYdb-NjMTvslzlmKsCJVWrH6d46YZ1L0CMdRiIFCnNrRhkkY4ZhGCw/s400/IMG_5481.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even on "vacation" I'm finding astronomy everywhere! This was an <a href="http://www.stargazersbb.com/">astronomy B&B </a>we found while driving through the Coromandel. They're closed for winter, but one of the owners still took time to show me around. I'd love to come back and stay another time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-zeZw3RFPR1WxqhHi7pLtM8WcyOlOqHPbYTdmwe70p9FpwgY43m7pRA8EbzqIJspUbXqpAk2iWQMMe0EbbF5HVEGL5AiXhMys-bgGbSR_hWgwba2GCDuiWl-upWxVK_2qDqnC_TspMI/s1600/IMG_5506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-zeZw3RFPR1WxqhHi7pLtM8WcyOlOqHPbYTdmwe70p9FpwgY43m7pRA8EbzqIJspUbXqpAk2iWQMMe0EbbF5HVEGL5AiXhMys-bgGbSR_hWgwba2GCDuiWl-upWxVK_2qDqnC_TspMI/s400/IMG_5506.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral Cove, Coromandel Peninsula</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciy5qiev6minHemrZOv0t8bV2iziDsvbwkTrFw3YzBWVen1v1FpwzCHzrnqWasmZiUi5hM7ROKHBp4xWyJ8MImwQn2buxmA4PuxWbgXaTDIx3yYoSYBPr04qxUDhlIO0Hd9CATZoDiwg/s1600/IMG_5531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciy5qiev6minHemrZOv0t8bV2iziDsvbwkTrFw3YzBWVen1v1FpwzCHzrnqWasmZiUi5hM7ROKHBp4xWyJ8MImwQn2buxmA4PuxWbgXaTDIx3yYoSYBPr04qxUDhlIO0Hd9CATZoDiwg/s400/IMG_5531.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral Cove, Coromandel Peninsula</td></tr>
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Now it's off to Greece for my final Watson adventure!! Huge and special thanks to the Hadfield family (no relation to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hadfield">astronaut Chris Hadfield</a>) in Auckland who hosted me and allowed me to house-sit their beautiful and cozy home while they traveled. It's been so nice to have a sunny and welcoming place to settle for a few weeks!<br />
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-23514372056463677862013-07-03T16:06:00.001-07:002013-07-03T16:06:51.858-07:00North Island Adventures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yet again, I've let my travels get ahead of me, and I'm way behind in blogging updates. Since I last checked in, I've launched from Wellington and have been exploring astronomy education around the North Island. I'm now settled in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city and home to 1/3 of the country's population. There's been a lot to explore, and I've learned a ton in a short amount of time.<br />
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The main theme of June has been <a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year">Matariki</a>, the celebration of the Maori New Year. Matariki itself is the constellation I know better as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades">Pleiades</a>, and it's rising in the morning sky just before sunrise is one of the markers of the new year. There are other indicators of the new year in the stars, as well as the sea, but I'll discuss that later on. <br />
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From Wellington, I stopped first in Napier along the North Island's east coast. Although Napier is best known for its vineyards and art deco buildings, it also houses a small planetarium and astronomical society. The planetarium is run by Gary Sparks who is passionate about getting the word of astronomy and space exploration out to young people in New Zealand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAAfPJ-l_D0/UdNzWCn2GtI/AAAAAAAAGOk/JccxVuPnLRE/s1600/DSCN4910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAAfPJ-l_D0/UdNzWCn2GtI/AAAAAAAAGOk/JccxVuPnLRE/s400/DSCN4910.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napier vineyards</td></tr>
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With Gary, I observed two schools visiting the planetarium. The first was a "community school," for students currently suspended or expelled from their regular schools. The most interesting question from that group came from one young man who asked what would happen if you punched someone in zero gravity (we had just watched a video called "AstroSmiles" about the everyday tasks on the space station). The next day, students visited from the local <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_steiner_school">Waldorf school</a>, and they also had their fair share of interesting questions including, "What's the most unusual thing that exists in outer space?" and "Are there any strange phenomena we can see at night?" Much more abstract than the standard aliens/black holes/shooting star questions that I hear over and over again.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wV3-6avIVmo/UdNyEMlmdXI/AAAAAAAAGMQ/QC57lfGnkBk/s1600/DSCN4875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wV3-6avIVmo/UdNyEMlmdXI/AAAAAAAAGMQ/QC57lfGnkBk/s400/DSCN4875.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Gary Sparks of the Napier Planetarium<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DeUhFQhez8A/UdNyE2IVJmI/AAAAAAAAGMc/dDu1SeGDZ7w/s1600/DSCN4872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DeUhFQhez8A/UdNyE2IVJmI/AAAAAAAAGMc/dDu1SeGDZ7w/s400/DSCN4872.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Theater room of the Napier Planetarium. It's an older building, and the technology isn't as up-to-date, but the Napier Planetarium still has the power to inspire young people about the wonders of astronomy.<br /></td></tr>
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From Napier, I went to Tauranga/Mount Maunganui along the Bay of Plenty to meet with Jack Thatcher, who recently returned from a waka (canoe) voyage around the Pacific Ocean. <a href="http://www.wakatapu.com/">His group</a> sails immense distances around the Pacific using only traditional Maori navigation techniques, including observations of the stars and their movements. I joined Jack and some members of the community early in the morning for a Matariki celebration.<br />
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I learned from Jack that the New Year is marked not only by the helical rising of the constellation Matariki in the morning sky, but also by the new moon, the orientation of the Milky Way on the horizon in the early morning, as well as other indicators of winter such as tides and weather patterns. The official beginning of the Matariki celebrations was June 10, and on this morning I joined Jack and other members of the community for a walk up to the top of Mount Maunganui to try and spot Matariki itself. It was cloudy, but the sentiment behind the 5am walk was the same -- to ring in the New Year and reflect on the year past. It was a beautiful event, and I feel grateful for being welcomed to it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gPS2sEkYKKY/UdNzl_Zc1uI/AAAAAAAAGO8/Y2mAqIJNUOA/s1600/DSCN4923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gPS2sEkYKKY/UdNzl_Zc1uI/AAAAAAAAGO8/Y2mAqIJNUOA/s400/DSCN4923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning walk to the top of Mount Maunganui to ring in the Maori New Year.</td></tr>
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After sunrise, Jack then showed me around and spoke with me further about his voyages and the knowledge they hope to pass down about the movements of the stars and seas to younger Maori generations. Jack showed me a "Star Compass" he created which divides the sky into different regions where different stars are positioned. At the center of the compass, it is as if you're in the waka, and the posts mark the edge of the horizon. Located at the shore in Tauranga, Jack uses it as an educational tool to teach crew members and others in the community about navigational techniques.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cxB_x7_rbLU/UdNzoVIrXHI/AAAAAAAAGPE/pjxvoqu2cOw/s1600/DSCN4934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cxB_x7_rbLU/UdNzoVIrXHI/AAAAAAAAGPE/pjxvoqu2cOw/s400/DSCN4934.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack Thatcher (right) with one of his crewmates from Rapanui in front of the Star Compass which you can see as white posts in the background. </td></tr>
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From Tauranga, I went further east along the Bay of Plenty to Whakatane, where I met with the local astronomical society. Their facilities are wonderful, with two larger telescopes and a teaching room for school groups and larger meetings as well. And even with the town of Whakatane just at the base of the hill, the Milky Way and Magellanic clouds are clear in their dark night skies. Coming from the east coast of the US, where dark skies are disappearing rapidly, I have been really impressed by the consistently dark skies in New Zealand. Even in Auckland, if you drive 30 miles out from the city, there are skies dark enough to see the Milky Way in detail.<br />
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While in Whakatane, I also met with Gloria Witheford who travels around the North Island with her Starlab inflatable planetarium. She was visiting area primary schools, and I was able to tag along to her shows, which included some information about Matariki. Her main focus is to show a bit of the night sky in the planetarium in the hopes that kids will later go outside at night and experience the skies for themselves.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloria Witheford and her Starlab Planetarium.</td></tr>
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In addition to traveling around and learning about astronomy education on the North Island, I've also been taking time to explore and appreciate New Zealand's natural beauty. This truly is a stunning place.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty. I think this is my favorite place I've been to in NZ so far. The town of Mount Maunganui is a long strip with water on either side, ending in the Mount as sort of the point of an exclamation mark.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfront in Whakatane, Bay of Plenty</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from hills above Whakatane, Bay of Plenty.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rotorua, known for its geothermal activity. There are tons of natural hotpools and hot springs all over the Rotorua area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creek and Waterfall fed by geothermal lake. (Went swimming here.)</td></tr>
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I'm now in Auckland, with only two weeks left to go in New Zealand and 5 weeks left of Watson! I mentioned it briefly in my last post, but to finish off the year, I'll be traveling to Greece to attend the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics. I'll be acting as a volunteer journalist for the Olympiad as well as being an additional adult support person for the New Zealand team, whom I met in Wellington (photo below). It should be a great culmination to my year, as I will be speaking with many young people passionate about astronomy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team of high school students to represent New Zealand at the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Volos, Greece later this month. This is just one of dozens of teams that will travel from around the world to display their knowledge as well as learn more about astronomy in ancient and modern contexts. </td></tr>
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Updates on my Auckland adventures coming soon!<br />
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-51097283817429205882013-06-03T22:08:00.000-07:002013-06-04T22:14:35.865-07:00New Zealand Updates, pt II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Better get this update out before too much else happens!<br>
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I arrived in Wellington just over three weeks ago, and again have accomplished a lot in a very short amount of time, mostly due to the wonderful and welcoming astronomy education community in New Zealand.</div>
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My first stop in Wellington was the Carter Observatory, located at the top of Wellington's hilly botanical gardens. Carter, which was once a functioning observatory, now houses an astronomy museum and planetarium. It's a small space, but it covers absolutely all of the bases. There are exhibits on standard astronomy -- the history of the Universe, galaxies, stars, black holes, planets, etc. -- as well as space travel and the ISS, local New Zealand professional astronomy, and Maori astronomy, which is incorporated into just about every exhibit. The planetarium is also New Zealand-centric, with some shows and graphics specifically designed and illustrated to incorporate Maori legends into modern astronomy. By far, Carter is the most holistic and inclusive local astornomy education center I've seen, and the kids I saw running around were clearly having a blast.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carter Observatory, Wellington</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun exhibit including a Maori legend about warrior Maui taming the Sun. In this interactive exhibit, you, too can pull back on the great Sun, Te Ra. Carter Observatory, Wellington.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit about the Big Bang (right) in parallel with Maori creation story (left). Carter Observatory, Wellington.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">International Space Station Exhibit. Carter Observatory, Wellington.</td></tr>
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Later in the week, I met up with Ron Fisher, who runs his own portable planetarium business called the Cosmodome. With Ron, I saw hundreds of kids ages 5-11 interact with astronomy, and learned that within the context of the Cosmodome, they found the following things most interesting:</div>
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1. Seeing how stars connected into constellations and seeing the constellation figures appear on top.</div>
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2. Zooming in on certain objects in the sky. Especially planets. Especially Saturn.</div>
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3. Seeing how the moon changes shape and position from night to night.</div>
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4. Watching time speed up and the stars move around us.</div>
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5. Traveling "through the Universe" with a short clip Ron had with images of galaxies.</div>
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On a few occasions, I did some follow-up with classes after their Cosmodome session, and the students were often antsy with questions and ideas. I realized from their enthusiasm that the point of a place like a planetarium is not so much the teaching of information, but instead more about the experience itself. Since the kids are young, and it's hard to teach scientific facts in a short amount of time, I don't believe that kids can really learn science in a setting like the Cosmodome. Instead, the stories they hear and the things they see can ignite an interest in astronomy that will allow them to persue and develop an interest in astronomy afterwards.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Cosmodome, looking at Matariki (the Pleiades) which marks the Maori New Year. </td></tr>
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After a week in Wellington, I took a short trip back to the South Island to Nelson, a small town that's doing big things with astronomy education. A lot of this starts with Jenny Pollock, a secondary science teacher who is developing an Earth and Space Science curriculum that is starting to be used nation-wide. I sat in on a few of her astronomy classes at Nelson Girls College, and spoke with the students about what they're learning in Jenny's class. They were especially curious about black holes and the evolution of stars. </div>
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While in Nelson, I also made a few trips to Victory Primary School to meet with Stirling Chatham, better known by his students as "Mr. Science." Stirling works with students in all grade levels, teaching science with fun, interactive and hands-on projects. In addition to his regular activities, including slime-making and using a bird puppet called Einstein to explain science to younger kids, together we had some conversations with his students about astronomy. Stirling filmed some of the conversations, and I hope to be able edit and upload them soon so I can post them here.</div>
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My crush on Victory Primary School became apparent to all within an hour of my arrival. I'm finding that I'm learning a lot in New Zealand mainly by seeing schools and systems that <i>work</i>. Victory is a clear example of this. I'm not saying that the school is without issues or difficult students, but instead it is obvious that they are taking an "all hands on deck" approach to education. Victory is extremely community and family oriented, and recognizes and works with every child's strengths and needs. It was refreshing to see this holistic approach to education in a very diverse community as well, with 1/3 of the students recent immigrants mostly from Southeast Asia, 1/3 of Maori/Pasifika origin and 1/3 of European-New Zealand origin. The communal enthusiasm for learning and working together is felt all over the school, from the classrooms to the playground to the joyous and warm staff room. It was a pleasure to work with them, and I learned a lot from a school that leads by such a positive example.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids at Victory Primary School drawing the Universe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous Nelson sunset</td></tr>
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After a few days in Nelson, I made it back to Wellington, this time taking the Interislander Ferry, catching some gorgeous views of the Marlborough Sounds and the Cook Straight.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cook Straight Interislander Ferry ride.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cook Straight Interislander Ferry ride.</td></tr>
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In the past week in Wellington, I've met even more educators and adults doing wonderful things in astronomy education. Chris Monigatti is a science teacher at Tawa College just north of Wellington, and has established an astronomy club at his school. He is also training four students to participate in the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics, which will take place in Greece this July. (I'm actually trying to go myself as a sort of Watson culmination. Stay tuned.) </div>
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Helping Chris with the Olympiad students is Haritina Mogosanu, a voraciously passionate astronomy educator and "Star-yteller." Although she is not a professional astronomer herself, it's clear that Hari is passionate about spreading the wonders of astronomy with children and adults alike, and using it as a tool to unite people and show a shared humanity that exists in stories of our Universe.</div>
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I also met with Marilyn Head, who was actually my first point of contact in New Zealand when I was beginning the Watson application over two years ago. Marilyn, too, does not work directly in astronomy, but has been a driving force in the astronomy education community in New Zealand for a long time, acting as the NZ point of contact for IYA2009 and taking on many independent astronomy projects in her free time. One of these projects was her <i>Galaxy </i>publication, an astronomy magazine for kids complete with cartoon strips, puzzles and projects.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn Head with a stack of <em>Galaxy</em> astronomy mags for kids. </td></tr>
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Also this week, I visited the Te Papa National Museum, and learned more about the national history and culture of New Zealand. It's a stunning museum, with lots to explore from art and music to history to earth sciences. I managed to cover most of it in a day, but it would be great to go back and explore more.
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Yesterday, I made a trip out to Stonehenge Aotearoa in the Wairarapa with Chris Monigatti from Tawa College. Only 90 minutes away from Wellington, this stone circle celebrates astronomy in antiquity and explores the intersections between astronomical cultures globally. It was a stunning sight and clearly a labor of love. I learned a lot from listening to creator Richard Hall give a tour of the stone circle and tell stories of its origins and contexts in the Southern Hemisphere.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stonehenge, Aotearoa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of Stonehenge, Aotearoa with creator Richard Hall.</td></tr>
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In case you haven't noticed this trend by now, <b>I'm realizing more and more that my project is in fact more about adults and less about children</b>. Children, remarkably, are proving to be fairly constant from place to place. Their foundation of knowledge and the stories they know related to astronomy are obviously dependent on location, culture and educational circumstance. However, regardless of where I've been, children have extremely similar questions, curiosities and insights. In this way, it's the adults I've learned the most from. It's the creative educators, scientists and global thinkers that have taught me the most important lessons from this year. It is through their guidance and their experience that I am learning to become a more effective and inspiring astronomy educator. </div>
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This week, I'll leave Wellington and continue my travels around the North Island. It will be sad to say goodbye to this gorgeous, hilly city on the water, especially since I've been staying in such a cozy and wonderful home (actually with my friend Jaime who I met in running club in Nepal!). I know it's time to leave, though, and continue to see more. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely Wellington.</td></tr>
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Thanks for reading, and I hope to be able to update more regularly!</div>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-7272567877614645182013-05-26T21:20:00.001-07:002013-05-26T21:20:45.911-07:00New Zealand Updates, pt. 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I know, it's been forever. Think of it as a good thing. I've been busy, on the road, and without the downtime to upload pictures and post updates. I've been seeing a lot in NZ, which is why updating on my activity from the last month will have to be done in two parts.<br />
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Last time I checked
in, I was just getting settled in Christchurch. But you know how things
go when a Watson fellow gets settled -- we move on! Almost immediately
after landing in New Zealand, I was contacted by Robert McTague of the
South Canterbury Astronomical Society in Timaru, just a few hours south
of Christchurch. Robert was organizing events for Global Astronomy Month
at the local museum in Timaru, and wanted me to come down as a guest
speaker. (Did you know that April was also <a href="http://astronomerswithoutborders.org/global-astronomy-month-2013.html">GAM2013, organized by Astronomers Without Borders</a>? I actually was asked to write for their blog, and you can see that post <a href="http://astronomerswithoutborders.org/gam-2013-blog/item/fuelling-the-fire-the-importance-of-teaching-all-kids-astronomy.html">here</a>.)
Thanks to Robert, I was able to spend a lovely three days in Timaru and
Geraldine, hosted by Peter and Wyn Alduos of SCAS, who have their own
observatory above the garden of their lovely Geraldine home. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UjPi2JkcnAc/UYsb_BPEp8I/AAAAAAAAFsA/eok1978Db9k/s1600/DSCN4334.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UjPi2JkcnAc/UYsb_BPEp8I/AAAAAAAAFsA/eok1978Db9k/s400/DSCN4334.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Canterbury Museum, Timaru, NZ. </td></tr>
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The event at the museum went really well. There was a talk/activity for kids in the
afternoon as well as one for adults in the evening. The kids' event was very
well attended, probably because it was a rainy day of school holidays
and Robert did a wonderful job advertizing. As part of the activity, I
had each kid draw what they thought the Universe looked like. There were
drawings of undiscovered planets, whacky-looking aliens, raging black
holes, soaring rocket ships, many-pointed stars, and much more. I then
gave my own brief "tour of the Universe" with plenty of time at the end
for kids to ask questions. It was great, and, I must admit, very much
how I envisioned my project going when I first crafted the idea over three years ago.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids drawing the Universe. Timaru, NZ</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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The talk in the evening for adults went well, too. I tried to use the
opportunity to engage and share why I love astronomy, and why I think
exploring it should be a right for all people, and not just scientists.
Robert, who is a professional photographer/videographer, taped this, and
made <a href="http://vimeo.com/66436009">this video</a> for my visit. (In all honesty, I can't bring myself to
watch it. It's too weird to see myself speak. But others have told me
it's nice, and I'm very happy that Robert took the time to put it
together.)<br />
<br />
From Timaru/Gerladine, Robert, his wife Heather, Peter, Wyn and I all
took a trip to Lake Tekapo, home to the Mt John Observatory. We got a
wonderful tour of all of the telescopes and equipment from Observatory
Superintendent Alan Gilmore, and enjoyed the lake on the perfect sunny day as well. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFruY9UCeBk9wVl6wA4fLcUU7xTxGDRC55ucq_ozsip9CUGUaonlTn3vLkOiFmCSKCkiRLtdan0xfvVak1lcAeumMtxeKqn0KswLOpKUH0suBpTTrSMT6UAkni7JNw8wzydBPqAs0UfCM/s1600/921704_10200786470359901_867864762_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFruY9UCeBk9wVl6wA4fLcUU7xTxGDRC55ucq_ozsip9CUGUaonlTn3vLkOiFmCSKCkiRLtdan0xfvVak1lcAeumMtxeKqn0KswLOpKUH0suBpTTrSMT6UAkni7JNw8wzydBPqAs0UfCM/s400/921704_10200786470359901_867864762_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Robert, Peter, Heather and Wyn in front on Lake Tekapo, NZ. (Photo by Robert McTague)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tour of the Mt. John Observatory by Alan Gilmore (left).</td></tr>
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I then spent three days in Queenstown, known as New Zealand's adrenaline capital for its abundant opportunities to bungee jump, skydive, and do other activities where you jump off of things. (My favorite travel show <i>Departures</i> even did a whole <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHlTT6r8Qso">episode </a>about it.) I didn't partake in any of those activities, but instead took some really beautiful hikes and enjoyed the stunning mountain and lakeside views.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queenstown, NZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AHjo5KUOzzw/UYsjqR3cbNI/AAAAAAAAF6Q/_3iV_kmQbs4/s1600/DSCN4566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AHjo5KUOzzw/UYsjqR3cbNI/AAAAAAAAF6Q/_3iV_kmQbs4/s400/DSCN4566.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking above a rainbow! Ben Lomond Track, Queenstown.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3DLmXUroB40/UYsjpQ9NdfI/AAAAAAAAF6I/lw8ToYnk2do/s1600/DSCN4565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3DLmXUroB40/UYsjpQ9NdfI/AAAAAAAAF6I/lw8ToYnk2do/s400/DSCN4565.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiked out of sad weather, above the clouds and to the top. Ben Lomond Track, Queenstown, NZ.</td></tr>
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I returned to Mt John after Queenstown to enjoy New Zealand's
most pristine skies at night. This area of New Zealand actually has
such clear skies that the <a href="http://www.darksky.org/">International Dark Sky Association</a> gave it a
gold-rating. And it's true! Even right above the town of Tekapo, the
Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds are perfectly visible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XlBwF07ybDqW1_IwL7O59bkfrc7-TITV3LOv_PJWcI73LUDDp42YxaSlSgK3-gJd2wFcGZq2F2p5id08BCCegySXXKXB1B9k8aAfKYxEicEtnBkDs4mRVxsAbpmnphrOJE0cZNiQV5c/s1600/603856_4961683959727_2037644508_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XlBwF07ybDqW1_IwL7O59bkfrc7-TITV3LOv_PJWcI73LUDDp42YxaSlSgK3-gJd2wFcGZq2F2p5id08BCCegySXXKXB1B9k8aAfKYxEicEtnBkDs4mRVxsAbpmnphrOJE0cZNiQV5c/s400/603856_4961683959727_2037644508_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOd3uU2IZ8XNeWTr19N4WhfggCk12kCHSvaia4TXmQSGQsm6uBwN8YEClTtmVJ6uxdf3njrhTrcEewbb2NBjkn5j6QcOdXq5o_DtjJL6KPSpBS0R1fn75RMZe2QlC3P6S2TI41iCeJJ_I/s1600/321341_4961684239734_500813641_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOd3uU2IZ8XNeWTr19N4WhfggCk12kCHSvaia4TXmQSGQsm6uBwN8YEClTtmVJ6uxdf3njrhTrcEewbb2NBjkn5j6QcOdXq5o_DtjJL6KPSpBS0R1fn75RMZe2QlC3P6S2TI41iCeJJ_I/s400/321341_4961684239734_500813641_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night Skies over the town of Tekapo, NZ<br />
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While at the Observatory, I joined a tour given by Earth&Sky, Mt
John's astro-tourism company. The tour was great and included telescope
viewing, a tour of objects in the sky-at-large, huge coats and
abundant amounts of hot chocolate. The tours can be quite pricey, but
they're high-quality and well worth it. Earth&Sky also offers an
astrophotography workshop, which I joined in on using my *first-ever*
D-SLR camera, which I purchased from a desperate traveler for very cheap
in Queenstown. Here are some of the pictures I took using
Earth&Sky's tracking mount: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrzvGyL1Ydt0WPVequs7F_MwkMocCJW8x513dOzy2aFyqRA05sqsJlfvnmF88pUgQSK-SUoXP2xU16wXgZjzDibrBGGLEDbJ_qERgA7vmInULlO7q0Qmn8_CqezGu_1nPd5ndM8oVt4M/s1600/944378_4961684399738_1499346114_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrzvGyL1Ydt0WPVequs7F_MwkMocCJW8x513dOzy2aFyqRA05sqsJlfvnmF88pUgQSK-SUoXP2xU16wXgZjzDibrBGGLEDbJ_qERgA7vmInULlO7q0Qmn8_CqezGu_1nPd5ndM8oVt4M/s400/944378_4961684399738_1499346114_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orion Nebula. Mt John Observatory, Tekapo, NZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZtEufwIs6a708Ki84kj9LhTd1dJsqwwH8825HL30Al2GCHWNC9LLzVeAO6RZ8j4molTUZ2fO37IIjD5K0ZAHbzbiLt_zRo9wnTOUtmnXPOik6IH0fblETPThrKrerZryXBsLzK7itn4/s1600/164956_4961684599743_591779801_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZtEufwIs6a708Ki84kj9LhTd1dJsqwwH8825HL30Al2GCHWNC9LLzVeAO6RZ8j4molTUZ2fO37IIjD5K0ZAHbzbiLt_zRo9wnTOUtmnXPOik6IH0fblETPThrKrerZryXBsLzK7itn4/s400/164956_4961684599743_591779801_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eta Carina. Mt John Observatory, Tekapo, NZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkhYBgQIHl7spB8lixVZwlJsyyjJlxQxoRYkfv7uMbTsbcl3Igud9fovkcvsmGW9wugjGybF_vxwLWaVUYSpEmmlQ7Bv7VK4INf1Z6rozR99fO2k4A8jZIsVFs9R56wunczEzbTOHNwA/s1600/268837_4961684719746_1896188133_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkhYBgQIHl7spB8lixVZwlJsyyjJlxQxoRYkfv7uMbTsbcl3Igud9fovkcvsmGW9wugjGybF_vxwLWaVUYSpEmmlQ7Bv7VK4INf1Z6rozR99fO2k4A8jZIsVFs9R56wunczEzbTOHNwA/s400/268837_4961684719746_1896188133_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">47 Tucane. Mt John Observatory, Tekapo, NZ</td></tr>
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For my final week in Christchurch, I visited several schools with
teacher Ben McNabb, who is currently on a fellowship funded by the Royal
Society of New Zealand to study astronomy at the University of
Canterbury. These were my first experiences visiting New Zealand classrooms,
and I must say, I was pretty blown away. The resources, the staffing,
the community involvement, the morning "fruit breaks"! After months of
seeing a variety of schools, some with a complete dearth of human and
technological resources, it was great seeing fully-equipped and
intentional school communities. It was also wonderful having Ben as a co-teacher.
Since he has more experience in the classroom, and I have more
experience with astronomy, we were able to learn a lot from one another
in the week we had.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2WmuePba-sM/UYskAShSWNI/AAAAAAAAF8w/9pjHKQb91lE/s1600/DSCN4610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2WmuePba-sM/UYskAShSWNI/AAAAAAAAF8w/9pjHKQb91lE/s400/DSCN4610.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Ben and a class of intermediate school students. Christchurch, NZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQJs35b7Mic/UYskBUKhiuI/AAAAAAAAF84/VdmI051Gs1Y/s1600/DSCN4613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQJs35b7Mic/UYskBUKhiuI/AAAAAAAAF84/VdmI051Gs1Y/s400/DSCN4613.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With primary school students. Christchurch, NZ</td></tr>
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That's all for part 1. In the next installment, Little Me goes to the North Island, back to the South Island, and back to the North as I continue to meet amazing educators and speak with a variety of students. Thanks for reading!</div>
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PS: The blog has had some updates! Check out the "Astro-Photography" page for photos such as the ones above as well as the "Where in the World?" page for a map of all the places visited this year. </div>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-27307790671143473262013-04-23T15:01:00.000-07:002013-04-23T15:12:40.959-07:00Goodbye Cape Town // Hello Christchurch, NZ<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After many delays, side-trips and attempts to prolong my time in
Cape Town, I've finally shipped off from South Africa and moved on to <b>WATSON </b><b>PHASE IV: NEW ZEALAND</b>. I've been in
Christchurch for four days now, and have already settled in and established myself
and my project in ways that usually take a few weeks of Watson-time. Within 36
hours of arrival, I had already:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. <!--[endif]-->Settled into a homey
place to stay with three wonderful housemates<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. <!--[endif]-->Figured out public
transit <i>and</i> found a bike to use
(thanks wonderful housemates)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. <!--[endif]-->Received an office
with desk space and computer from the University of Canterbury's astronomy
department<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. <!--[endif]-->Played ultimate
frisbee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. <!--[endif]-->Recovered from ten
hours of jet-lag (almost)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;">6. <!--[endif]-->Spoken with students
about outer space!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All in all, I'm quite proud of myself. There have been times when I've
kicked myself for delaying my trip to NZ -- I was originally supposed to arrive
in late February!-- but I know that the other trips I've taken have been well
worth the delay, and also that the resources and accessibility here,
combined with my experience traveling, will make it possible to get
the most out of a shorter amount of time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But I think I'm getting ahead of myself. My last few days in Cape Town
were perfect. Although I had a lot to do in terms of wrapping things up and
getting ready to leave, the sun was shining in that ideal early-autumn way, and
there was still time for adventures and saying goodbye properly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I forgot to mention in my last post that I had my birthday on my last
day in Ethiopia. I celebrated by going to two schools and chatting with
students about astronomy, and having huge, traditional, delicious meals with
both The Ethiopian Space Science Society and Birukti & co. It was an
ideal way to celebrate my 23rd journey around the Sun. Plus, messages through
email and facebook poured in from around the world, and I felt absolutely loved
from all directions.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0gESpSVGwIA/UWhv3wt1MLI/AAAAAAAAFIc/uxvFOE7B7ck/s1600/219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0gESpSVGwIA/UWhv3wt1MLI/AAAAAAAAFIc/uxvFOE7B7ck/s400/219.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My birthday lunch with the ESSS in Ethiopia</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I got back to Cape Town, though, I did have a small casual get
together both for another excuse to eat cake and a chance to say goodbye.</span></div>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FY2Ry0t5wqw/UXR5-obOtwI/AAAAAAAAFbY/WB0XQnzOZdY/s1600/DSCN4129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FY2Ry0t5wqw/UXR5-obOtwI/AAAAAAAAFbY/WB0XQnzOZdY/s400/DSCN4129.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday cake, food and friends in the park for a final get-together</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We also had time for one last OAD-family hike up Table Mountain. Seeing
the city from above at all angles was the perfect way to say goodbye to this
beautiful city/country that has taught me so much.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tGz1GtUi1Bg/UXR81MMwYwI/AAAAAAAAFfo/lYl4MalypqE/s1600/DSCN4178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tGz1GtUi1Bg/UXR81MMwYwI/AAAAAAAAFfo/lYl4MalypqE/s400/DSCN4178.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final climb up Table Mountain</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On my last day in South Africa, I was able to squeeze in one final chat
with students. <a href="http://www.shawco.org/"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">SHAWCO</span></a> is a non-profit organization run
by the University of Cape Town that does a number of outreach projects in the
community. My friend Ru runs one of the education projects, which tutors high
school students and also helps the students organize independent research projects. Some of the groups are doing projects on science (one in
particular on space science), and so I came in and spoke with them about
astronomy and all that South Africa had to offer. Even though the project is
huge, most of the students had not previously heard about the SKA and
what it's going to bring to SA. It was great to hear their ideas about
astronomy and also to see them get excited for the projects that are being
developed in their country. </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQjgjo5DSns/UXR-wmEJUhI/AAAAAAAAFig/NTdiggtBrFM/s1600/DSCN4206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQjgjo5DSns/UXR-wmEJUhI/AAAAAAAAFig/NTdiggtBrFM/s400/DSCN4206.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final chat with South African students</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And then it was off to New Zealand! 36 hours, three stops, and ten
time-zones later, I was in Christchurch. While the journey was exhausting, I
will say this about long flights -- having a window seat gives astronomical
perspective. In those 36 hours, I saw two sunrises, two sunsets, and the
crescent moon go from the left side to the bottom as we neared the equator, and
back to the left as we returned back to the Southern Hemisphere. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EpP8Bxjw5pM/UXR_GDtSEsI/AAAAAAAAFjA/xdmzAP30nEA/s1600/DSCN4219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EpP8Bxjw5pM/UXR_GDtSEsI/AAAAAAAAFjA/xdmzAP30nEA/s400/DSCN4219.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset after Capet Town take-off (crescent moon still on the left)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I arrived in Christchurch in the early afternoon, and by the evening, I
was speaking with students from the AURORA school -- a one-week camp for high
school students interested in astronomy. They had just returned from a [cloudy]
trip the Mt John Observatory, and the leaders of the camp were running a fun
Astro-Quiz night. I hung out with the group, and heard about the things they
had enjoyed learning during the camp. Topics ranged from exoplanet detection to
dark matter candidates to telescope operations. The students are all
in their final year of high school, and it seemed that many of them became more
interested in studying astronomy in college (or "Uni" as they say
here), because of the AURORA school.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LDh7PIg7t9k/UXSKXqTymZI/AAAAAAAAFjc/9cyVLj97W38/s1600/DSCN4228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LDh7PIg7t9k/UXSKXqTymZI/AAAAAAAAFjc/9cyVLj97W38/s400/DSCN4228.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBOSaS5mzf4/UXSKcqIQ0fI/AAAAAAAAFjk/rEJQCHb3yUw/s1600/DSCN4230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jBOSaS5mzf4/UXSKcqIQ0fI/AAAAAAAAFjk/rEJQCHb3yUw/s400/DSCN4230.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AURORA school students showing off their clay-model telescopes at Astro-Quiz night</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The University of Canterbury astronomy faculty, who ran the AURORA
school, has since welcomed me into the department as a visitor, and has
provided me with office, desk and computer. I'll be working with them here on
campus and also with teaching fellow Ben McNabb, who will help me
organize visits to primary and secondary schools around Christchurch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since settling in, I hoped to explore town a little bit more, but since
the weather has been cold, rainy and miserable, I've mostly kept indoors. On
Sunday, it was raining and sad, so I spent the afternoon at my local public
library, only a 5 minute bike-ride away. I thought I'd go for the computers or
to find a nice novel to read, but I found myself instead in the children's
section, in a tiny chair, covered in children's books about outer space. The
most interesting books were Maori legends that explained how the Sun, Earth,
Moon and stars came into being.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgab10rlTm0da9Yi8L93Q187h5TFTztnVYEpabcwZGND2fN6cSvMtYwy0aP959OomiBoDnmpGxWr5nyG0iA3Js1Cx6GCiDsxuHnNwwkGfgrqCp6WWCbv7m-L_fOpykbcL-ID52biBnPagM/s1600/MB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgab10rlTm0da9Yi8L93Q187h5TFTztnVYEpabcwZGND2fN6cSvMtYwy0aP959OomiBoDnmpGxWr5nyG0iA3Js1Cx6GCiDsxuHnNwwkGfgrqCp6WWCbv7m-L_fOpykbcL-ID52biBnPagM/s400/MB1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainy day at the Papanui public library, reading children's books of Maori astro-legends</td></tr>
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</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcjz34Gz-htqY-KjqhrVxBU3q00GuMVygSfxWjPM3hiU3XkONBQ4zLziMrFX-XqKAOwBe6Dt-IEOI48ph9WO6iOoXo9m5gQ7wDZe-wptakExsuluGL-6xjC60KeGjpvtEbxTQm-nHrDc/s1600/MB2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcjz34Gz-htqY-KjqhrVxBU3q00GuMVygSfxWjPM3hiU3XkONBQ4zLziMrFX-XqKAOwBe6Dt-IEOI48ph9WO6iOoXo9m5gQ7wDZe-wptakExsuluGL-6xjC60KeGjpvtEbxTQm-nHrDc/s400/MB2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm here in New Zealand to explore this intersection between access to a
high-achieving public education system (<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">NZ ranks 4th in reading and
science and 7th in math globally</span></a>), and a strong
traditional astronomical culture. Reading these legends was
fascinating, and also gave some insight into how children in NZ are learning
about astronomy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week, I'm settling into life here, getting adjusted and getting
some practical things done (like blogging!). These next two weeks are school
holidays, proving that I am absolutely the worst at timing my travels so that
I'll be able to speak with kids in schools (Chilean independence, Dasain in
Nepal, Christmas/New Years in South Africa...) I don't think this holiday will
inhibit my activities too much, though, as next week I'll travel to visit the
South Canterbury Astronomical Society in Geraldine and Timaru to take part
in their Global Astronomy Month events, and also hopefully take a trip to the
Mt John Observatory near Lake Tekapo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">UPDATE since the first part of this post was written -- the skies have finally cleared, and the weather report is now calling for "mild temperatures and abundant sunshine" for the next few days. Visions of gorgeous Christchurch autumn:</span></div>
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<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z57Y7ogCXo8/UXb_eyGP_6I/AAAAAAAAFk4/7YORcPf9LHY/s1600/DSCN4246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z57Y7ogCXo8/UXb_eyGP_6I/AAAAAAAAFk4/7YORcPf9LHY/s400/DSCN4246.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my 8th floor office (see mountains in background)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzFbav7mtw8/UXcACqaInKI/AAAAAAAAFmI/tELBG8MB0_w/s1600/DSCN4258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzFbav7mtw8/UXcACqaInKI/AAAAAAAAFmI/tELBG8MB0_w/s400/DSCN4258.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campus walkways. I can't help but think of the Haverford nature trail in October</td></tr>
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</o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tKVESeiP77M/UXcAZo_SG4I/AAAAAAAAFmY/JS-rx0Ive0w/s1600/DSCN4262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tKVESeiP77M/UXcAZo_SG4I/AAAAAAAAFmY/JS-rx0Ive0w/s400/DSCN4262.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-21961506792772802382013-04-15T05:16:00.001-07:002013-04-15T05:16:19.541-07:00Ethiopia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">I'm back in Cape Town now for a few days after a very quick, but very meaningful and informative trip to Ethiopia. In each of the places I've gone on this project I've had time to fully immerse myself not just in the educational or astronomical culture, but also a bit in the national culture, the language, the local histories, the arrangement of the cities and so on. By spending 2.5 weeks in Ethiopia, instead of my standard 2-3 months, I didn't necessarily have time to do this, and instead was on *Watson Power Mode*, attempting to absorb and do as much as humanly possible in the short time I had. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
I chose to go to Ethiopia because astronomy is rapidly developing there at the professional level. The <a href="http://www.ethiosss.org.et/index.php/en/">Ethiopian Space Science Society (ESSS)</a>, which is based at the Department of Technology at the University of Addis Ababa, is currently in the process of building a professional-class observatory with two 1-meter diameter telescopes in the mountains just above Addis. They're also beginning site testing for another observatory in the north of the country, in the more remote hills of Lalibela. In visiting Ethiopia, I wanted to see how this development is affecting students, if at all. Simultaneously, I wanted to explore how other aspects of Ethiopian culture, including religion, affect children's notions of the Universe.<br />
<br />
Through my work at the OAD in Cape Town, I was able to connect with the ESSS ahead of time and through them, I visited 5 different schools across Addis in the time I was there. We visited both public and private schools, although each of the schools we visited had their own Space Science Club. Besides these clubs, astronomy is barely in the school curriculum, usually taught as small units in physics or geography classes. For the most part, I gave my standard presentation and engaged with students directly this way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RvxBHlLbN9U/UWh7SOfYZfI/AAAAAAAAFO4/lWogCQ70eHM/s1600/DSCN3824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RvxBHlLbN9U/UWh7SOfYZfI/AAAAAAAAFO4/lWogCQ70eHM/s400/DSCN3824.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaking to the Nazareth girls school Space Science Club.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LjltaotO6hA/UWh7xCbS8gI/AAAAAAAAFPw/gV_PixXZ4so/s1600/DSCN3863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LjltaotO6hA/UWh7xCbS8gI/AAAAAAAAFPw/gV_PixXZ4so/s400/DSCN3863.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Nazareth girls school, student organized Space Science Club evening event, complete with star gazing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0TBQJu_gVGw/UWhvjqfrssI/AAAAAAAAFIU/c6UJRGqHDt0/s1600/218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0TBQJu_gVGw/UWhvjqfrssI/AAAAAAAAFIU/c6UJRGqHDt0/s400/218.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Misrak Goeh Secondary School Astrophysics club</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VpZ9NYfvR7M/UWhxu2J8kRI/AAAAAAAAFJg/OaH2hPC5jh4/s1600/228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VpZ9NYfvR7M/UWhxu2J8kRI/AAAAAAAAFJg/OaH2hPC5jh4/s400/228.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Joseph School Space Science Club</td></tr>
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<tr><td><div style="text-align: left;">
These space science club meetings usually included student presentations on topics ranging from the basics of the Solar System to traditional Ethiopian astronomy to the possibility of life on Mars. Each student presentation was highly researched, and you could see the personal interest these students had in the subject matter. Some of the students (especially in the private schools) had extremely high-level questions, some of which I couldn't answer. It seems that these students are getting their information from the internet, or Discovery-channel type TV programs, as schools don't cover these topics at all. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rIGHvBXozHE/UWhw2UcscII/AAAAAAAAFJI/Mu-oD8F75i4/s1600/223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rIGHvBXozHE/UWhw2UcscII/AAAAAAAAFJI/Mu-oD8F75i4/s400/223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Advanced Q&A session at the St. Joseph School. In my first visit to St. Joseph, the students thought my presentation was "elementary," and they requested an advanced Q&A session where they could ask high-level questions. This panel of astrophysicists couldn't even answer all of their questions regarding anti-matter, string theory, white holes, and the standard model of cosmology.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LofN3j_izvc/UWh7rlV1TeI/AAAAAAAAFPQ/gYDc8_JChMg/s1600/DSCN3842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LofN3j_izvc/UWh7rlV1TeI/AAAAAAAAFPQ/gYDc8_JChMg/s400/DSCN3842.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Student presentation on the life cycle of stars, Nazareth Girls School</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
With the ESSS, I visited the site of the Entoto Observatory, just 30km away from Addis Ababa. Despite the proximity to the city, the light pollution is fairly low and because of the high altitude, it is less rainy than in the city. When I visited, the spaces for the two domes were being constructed, and the buildings for offices, cafeteria and accommodation were nearly complete. Over the course of my visit, the domes were delivered, and in the months ahead the telescopes themselves will be shipped and installed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0DlP0q8KUFc/UWh401P-GzI/AAAAAAAAFNI/x8QrSi4dZSA/s1600/DSCN3779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0DlP0q8KUFc/UWh401P-GzI/AAAAAAAAFNI/x8QrSi4dZSA/s400/DSCN3779.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction of the Entoto Observatory</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LUk4LctKi8Q/UWh5LK-hbaI/AAAAAAAAFNY/55otVvH9OBI/s1600/DSCN3781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LUk4LctKi8Q/UWh5LK-hbaI/AAAAAAAAFNY/55otVvH9OBI/s400/DSCN3781.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction of the Entoto Observatory.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h2TXfaT7b0A/UWh5zkU9vPI/AAAAAAAAFOQ/GD3-OYYCh0g/s1600/DSCN3790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h2TXfaT7b0A/UWh5zkU9vPI/AAAAAAAAFOQ/GD3-OYYCh0g/s400/DSCN3790.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Observatory building for offices, cafeteria and accommodation.</td></tr>
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Probably the highlight of my time in Addis was couch surfing with Birukti, an inspiring young woman who has facilitated numerous outreach projects in Addis through the support of her church. She generously agreed to host me for my entire visit and helped me to engage with Addis life as much as possible in the little time I had.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Vk0aLjbRjY/UWh8AnsGlPI/AAAAAAAAFRA/6-3tEIUVXK0/s1600/DSCN3879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Vk0aLjbRjY/UWh8AnsGlPI/AAAAAAAAFRA/6-3tEIUVXK0/s400/DSCN3879.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Birukti in front of Wenchi Crater Lake</td></tr>
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Because work on the Observatory was busy during my visit, and because the ESSS members work only on a volunteer basis, my school visits with the ESSS only happened on a few days. With Birukti's help, I spent the remainder of my time exploring Addis Ababa and a bit outside the city, and engaging with kids in different settings besides in schools.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">About five years ago, Birukti started a house for teenage boys who had formerly lived on the street. The project, called "Change House," had a total of 22 boys to start, many of which have graduated and are working and self-sufficient. With Birukti, I visited the house, which has 4 boys living there now. The following night, the boys, plus a few of the graduates, came over to Birukti's house for dinner, games and a little bit of telescope time. The clouds rolled in before we could see anything too cool, but it was nice that they still got to see how the telescope worked.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Birukti's with the Change House boys</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PkoUiie4luA/UWiGUSaoflI/AAAAAAAAFYw/1Z4Z4coZRp4/s1600/DSCN4000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PkoUiie4luA/UWiGUSaoflI/AAAAAAAAFYw/1Z4Z4coZRp4/s400/DSCN4000.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking through the telescope before the clouds roll in.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Birukti also organized a program for girls she works with in the Entoto mountains to do a quick lesson on astronomy. We went over the basics of the Sun, Earth and Moon system, and explained orbits, seasons and lunar phases. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birukti translating for our lesson about the Sun, Earth and Moon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0BkKoyUNBnA/UWhlV8YA_HI/AAAAAAAAFEs/ShnV0hqwM6s/s1600/187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0BkKoyUNBnA/UWhlV8YA_HI/AAAAAAAAFEs/ShnV0hqwM6s/s400/187.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning about Earth's tilt.</td></tr>
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Even though I didn't have time to explore a wide variety of educational settings and speak with tons of kids, I do feel that I did a lot given my short time there. I am grateful for the opportunity to see a completely different country which functions very differently from any place I've been. Special thanks to the ESSS for facilitating my project and to Birukti for hosting me!<br />
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Tomorrow I head to NEW ZEALAND for phase 4 (or 5?) of my trip. I'm sad to leave what has become my family and my home in Cape Town, but I feel ready for more adventures and a new place to explore.<br />
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To close, more pictures from Ethiopia:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r1kM2qa7re0/UWh0OJNnL-I/AAAAAAAAFKo/6EfV61s0mN4/s1600/DSCN3748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r1kM2qa7re0/UWh0OJNnL-I/AAAAAAAAFKo/6EfV61s0mN4/s400/DSCN3748.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge Orthodox Christian church in Bole, Addis Ababa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f4MbUTEbm8g/UWhx_jZfGAI/AAAAAAAAFJo/S6yVZCch59k/s1600/229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f4MbUTEbm8g/UWhx_jZfGAI/AAAAAAAAFJo/S6yVZCch59k/s400/229.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset from Birukti's house. The sky, I think, was Addis' most beautiful quality.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rXMuvCDdM20/UWh1rBqZrwI/AAAAAAAAFLQ/3BioXTSusVo/s1600/DSCN3760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rXMuvCDdM20/UWh1rBqZrwI/AAAAAAAAFLQ/3BioXTSusVo/s400/DSCN3760.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Addis Ababa from halfway up the Entoto mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zsjJcB-lUZk/UWh8SJxavTI/AAAAAAAAFSA/oKTXOqC9pF0/s1600/DSCN3889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zsjJcB-lUZk/UWh8SJxavTI/AAAAAAAAFSA/oKTXOqC9pF0/s400/DSCN3889.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wenchi Crater lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iAqj4c7VOwc/UWh85hDg8zI/AAAAAAAAFTY/Kk_mwG8S-M0/s1600/DSCN3902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iAqj4c7VOwc/UWh85hDg8zI/AAAAAAAAFTY/Kk_mwG8S-M0/s400/DSCN3902.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">First time on a horse! Wenchi Crater </span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CTZFkYrR36I/UWiDrIxcZWI/AAAAAAAAFWg/lN04I4Hsrk0/s1600/DSCN3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CTZFkYrR36I/UWiDrIxcZWI/AAAAAAAAFWg/lN04I4Hsrk0/s400/DSCN3933.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TPHNu8ATahI/UWhyR3xlZII/AAAAAAAAFJw/40ZV8c5UEXg/s1600/DSCN3736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TPHNu8ATahI/UWhyR3xlZII/AAAAAAAAFJw/40ZV8c5UEXg/s400/DSCN3736.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing sunset from the plane</td></tr>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-67841041317656239642013-03-23T14:06:00.001-07:002013-03-23T14:06:13.922-07:00Little Maya and the Big Radio Telescope: Day Trip to Carnarvon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A quick and frantic post while taking a break from packing/attempting to eat the remaining contents of my refrigerator since I'm leaving for Ethiopia in apprx 13 hours (!!!)<br />
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This week, I had the special opportunity to visit Carnarvon in the Northern Cape, which is home to the main site of the <a href="http://www.ska.ac.za/">Square Kilometre Array (SKA)</a>, soon-to-be largest radio telescope in the world. Right now, the site is only home to KAT-7, the seven-dish precursor to MeerKAT, which will consist of 50+ dishes and be the pilot project for the 1000+ (yes, not a typo -- ONE THOUSAND) SKA dishes to come over the next decade or so. In total, the SKA will have 3000+ dishes, and span two continents, making it the most sensitive and powerful telescope on the globe.<br />
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In summary: Big Science to happen here SOON.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kWs9rPlHr4E/UU4RNQBLwdI/AAAAAAAAFA8/7rpksLlCi6A/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kWs9rPlHr4E/UU4RNQBLwdI/AAAAAAAAFA8/7rpksLlCi6A/s400/015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_VVVf7PdirY/UU4RXZ6fZYI/AAAAAAAAFCo/AebYwikvto8/s1600/040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_VVVf7PdirY/UU4RXZ6fZYI/AAAAAAAAFCo/AebYwikvto8/s400/040.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Five of the seven KAT-7 dishes </span></td></tr>
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At SciFest last week, I met Dr. Nadeem Oozeer, Operations and Commissioning Scientist for the SKA, and he offered to show JC (new project director of the OAD) and I around the SKA site. Nadeem organized for us to fly to Carnarvon and back on the same day with the special SKA 8-passenger plane, and so we were able to see this fairly remote place in the Karoo without having to make a huge trip.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OgeEhRrIQLQ/UU4RTJuAzyI/AAAAAAAAFB0/4UcE_V6u0qM/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OgeEhRrIQLQ/UU4RTJuAzyI/AAAAAAAAFB0/4UcE_V6u0qM/s400/029.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">JC and Nadeem at the top of the hill above the KAT-7<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2ioGGpRqh4/UU4RLcpX0RI/AAAAAAAAFAw/NakwJbKPVCU/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2ioGGpRqh4/UU4RLcpX0RI/AAAAAAAAFAw/NakwJbKPVCU/s400/013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Tiny plane we took to Carnavron! Felt like a celebrity.</td></tr>
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It was awesome! Again, I felt like I was meeting a celebrity when I saw the KAT-7 dishes. It's wonderful to think of all of the incredible science that will come out of this place in the years ahead. I also hope/expect that, as with SALT in Sutherland, the SKA will work to contribute to the community of Carnavron. It will be cool to come back in a few years and see what it's like!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-pObxusdWU/UU4RXSbHBJI/AAAAAAAAFCk/1AuXkBqXkiw/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-pObxusdWU/UU4RXSbHBJI/AAAAAAAAFCk/1AuXkBqXkiw/s400/041.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giving one of the KAT-7 dishes some love</td></tr>
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Many many thanks to Nadeem for taking the time to show us around the site and organizing our trip up! </div>
Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-69585339110681681982013-03-18T02:30:00.000-07:002013-03-18T03:58:06.493-07:00SciFest Africa 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week I tagged along with the SAAO and the OAD to <a href="http://www.scifest.org.za/index.php?pid=1">SciFest Africa</a>, South Africa's National Science Festival, in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. The festival hosts thousands and thousands of kids, mostly from the surrounding areas, but also from all over the country. SciFest holds workshops, lectures, exhibits, performances, games and competitions, all related to science, mathematics and technology.<br />
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The first thing I can say about SciFest is that it was really <i>fun</i>. Students were ready and excited to engage, and the educators had tons of energy and were incredibly inspiring. Combine this with some really cool science, and the end result was a huge smile on my face all week long.<br />
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Here are some of the highlights:<br />
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1. The SAAO exhibit. Students would pass by casually or visit in groups, and with the iPads, we explored different planets, constellations, played astronomy games and the kids took the national astronomy quiz to test their knowledge. This was the place where I could engage with kids most and ask questions to understand their ideas about astronomy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SAAO exhibit</td></tr>
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2. Laser show at 9:30am. I actually went twice. It was a great way to get kids (and adults) pumped up for the festival.<br />
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3. SAAO workshops on building telescopes and describing the motions of the Solar System. I liked that the students had something to take away with them at the end of the workshop to remind themselves of the things they created and learned.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f7qHqc1SrbA/UUbJpqR2GhI/AAAAAAAAE4s/Fs7yriqarTI/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f7qHqc1SrbA/UUbJpqR2GhI/AAAAAAAAE4s/Fs7yriqarTI/s400/064.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SAAO telescope-building workshop</td></tr>
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4. Trip to Alexandria Primary school ~1hour away. Part of SciFest is not just hosting students in the facilities in Grahamstown, but also doing outreach in the surrounding area. Several of us tagged along to see Steve Sherman from the Living Maths program at the Cape Town Science Centre do his exciting routine to get kids engaged with mathematics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNnkEk1-5wg/UUbJsHuUq5I/AAAAAAAAE5Q/8pMY-jX4uZo/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNnkEk1-5wg/UUbJsHuUq5I/AAAAAAAAE5Q/8pMY-jX4uZo/s400/079.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve Sherman from Living Maths doing a brain teaser exercise with students from Alexandria Primary School</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OAD director Kevin Govender inspiring young minds at Alexandria Primary School</td></tr>
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5. Talk by special guest Prof. James Gates from the University of Maryland. Dr. Gates is known for his work in string theory and now serves on President Barack Obama's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology. Several years ago, however, when his children attended my alma mater, he spoke several times to my high school physics classes about being a scientist. Several years later, he visited to Haverford to speak about his work in string theory. So this was my fourth or fifth time hearing Dr. Gates, and it was great to hear how his research has progressed over the years. It was also cool to reflect on how my own relationship to science has been extremely different every time I've heard him speak. (I'm kicking myself now because I didn't ask for a picture!)<br />
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6. Making friends with other wonderful astronomy educators. It became immediately apparent that SciFest is not just an annual festival, but the meeting of a huge network of science educators that function more as a family than a group of colleagues. I feel so grateful to be welcome into that family for the short time I was there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H3rCdZb8g10/UUbJufnYINI/AAAAAAAAE6A/ADOepASvABA/s1600/086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H3rCdZb8g10/UUbJufnYINI/AAAAAAAAE6A/ADOepASvABA/s400/086.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With a group of other science educators in front of the local Grahamstown hangout</td></tr>
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7. Road trip back to Cape Town with the OAD gang. 10+ hours from Grahamstown to Cape Town with OAD director Kevin Govender and project officer J.C. Mauduit, chatting about astronomy, development, learning and life, with some great stops along the way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nZdCsws240Y/UUbJwxpIEHI/AAAAAAAAE6k/w29kyqHsnbU/s1600/095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nZdCsws240Y/UUbJwxpIEHI/AAAAAAAAE6k/w29kyqHsnbU/s400/095.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road trip gang above Storms River</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hgIxRy4_NDw/UUbJw-WSxiI/AAAAAAAAE_U/T9zCZKWw8Pk/s1600/098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hgIxRy4_NDw/UUbJw-WSxiI/AAAAAAAAE_U/T9zCZKWw8Pk/s400/098.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the tallest bungee bridge in the world. Again, no way would I jump, but it was cool seeing others do it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mskpTykgsE4/UUbJygLSNWI/AAAAAAAAE7E/AUzaAIbpGfM/s1600/102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mskpTykgsE4/UUbJygLSNWI/AAAAAAAAE7E/AUzaAIbpGfM/s400/102.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many jumping pictures. Wilderness, Western Cape</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RIV-wgNYTQQ/UUbJ-JqSrOI/AAAAAAAAE-k/ViaPwwDEVKY/s1600/157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RIV-wgNYTQQ/UUbJ-JqSrOI/AAAAAAAAE-k/ViaPwwDEVKY/s400/157.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost home, welcomed by the Western Cape sunset</td></tr>
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Now I'm back in Cape Town for a week and then I'm off to Ethiopia! It's going to be tough to say goodbye to this place and the fantastic group of people that have made my experience here so meaningful. </div>
Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-1810840715767663402013-03-07T07:29:00.000-08:002013-03-07T07:29:19.300-08:00South Africa Cross-Country Trip Part II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">[See <a href="http://littlemayabigworld.blogspot.com/2013/03/south-africa-cross-country-trip-part-i.html">Part I</a> for tales of the first stage of this journey. This is going to be a long post, with a lot of info and not as many pictures as I would have liked. Apologies.] </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">The second part of my trip differed from the first in that I went from creating my own schedule and methods of outreach to visiting many established centers of astronomy and science education. With Case's philosophy in mind about going back to the basics for effective science education, I kept a running total of places where technology obviously made a huge impact, and places where great amounts of learning occurred without the help of modern technology.</span><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Stop 5: Durban (but really, just Gateway Mall)</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">I planned to be in Durban for a few days, but as other plans developed and as my time became more and more limited, I decided I had to cut my time in Durban down to a mere 24 hours, just enough time to see the fabulous <a href="http://kznsc.org/">KZN Science Center</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">The center is located in Gateway Mall, supposedly the largest mall in South Africa. It's an interesting location for a science center, as they're able to make science education an option for people who might not be seeking it independently. Parents can drop off their kids to play and learn while they go and do their shopping in peace, for example. In addition to reaching the general public this way, the science center also regularly hosts school groups and has a team that brings materials and activities out to rural areas.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">When I visited the center, there were no school groups scheduled, and the staff was generous enough to take me through their astronomy program. The program is still in its developmental stages, and it was cool to see what they were building and also offer some feedback based on my own experiences. The center has labs and classrooms in addition to an open area for exhibits, so there are a variety of ways to engage with students. They also have an inflatable planetarium with a pre-recorded show (created by NASA, by the way) which they sometimes take out into the mall for public outreach and advertisement.</span><span style="background-color: #073763; color: #f1c232;"> <b>Technology: 1</b>,<b> Basics: 0. </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Just like when I visited the Cape Town Science Center, I was again reminded how much I love these kinds of "informal education" settings. Having the space to play while still learning science and critical thinking skills is something essential that these spaces offer and classrooms often cannot.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><b>Stops 6(a, b, c): "The Fi<span style="font-family: inherit;">shbowl" in Mtunzini, </span></b><b>Unizul Science Center in Richards Bay </b><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">& <span style="line-height: 18px;">Sibusiso Esihle Science Centre in Mvelabusha</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Part of my reason for leaving Durban early was because I was offered a ride to and a place to stay</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> by Derek Fish, director of the <a href="http://www.unizulsc.com/">Unizul Science Center</a> in Richards Bay. He and his family were generous enough to host me for 4 days in Mtunzini, just south of Richards Bay, at their home, known best by guests as "the Fishbowl."</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: white;">Derek is often described as the "heart" or the "king" of South African science centers. After seeing his center in Richards Bay, its clear why. The Unizul Science Center is unlike others in that it is only for school groups and does not generate its income from the general public. Beyond hosting school groups during the day, the center additionally does school visits, and offers workshops for students studying for their high school graduation exams. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TUOUgORmpA/UTCvTJo8lEI/AAAAAAAAEoY/xr8qIAFL-Ks/s1600/166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TUOUgORmpA/UTCvTJo8lEI/AAAAAAAAEoY/xr8qIAFL-Ks/s400/166.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Unizul Science Center, Richards Bay</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXgfO6p0poo/UTCvSw8ui1I/AAAAAAAAEoQ/2sGGosa4Mk4/s1600/165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXgfO6p0poo/UTCvSw8ui1I/AAAAAAAAEoQ/2sGGosa4Mk4/s400/165.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Building an an annalemic sundial at a nearby school in Richards Bay with Unizul Science Center Staff</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: white;">The science center runs on a very small budget, mostly supplied by the University of Zululand (Unizul), and Derek is using that budget to create resources for the greatest number of children possible. He said to me, "If I had an option of creating a good, high-tech activity for one kid or a more cost effective activity for 10 kids, I would choose the second one every time." With this mentality, you can see where the success of this center comes from. Many things in the center are made from recycled goods and many exhibits are "hand-me-downs" from larger centers around the world. While this means that the exhibits look a bit run-down, or "well-loved," kids don't seem to notice or care. </span><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">+1 for Basics. Technology: 1, Basics: 1.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: white;">Some science centers find their success from huge budgets and large floor space (see my experience in Johannesburg below), but this one thrives without those things. What makes this center is not computer screens or flashy interactive video games or shiny new exhibits, but instead people like Derek who bring science to life. And you can see that it works. Watching these kids enjoy the science show and being led through the activities on the floor, you could tell that they were learning and simultaneously having a great time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: white;">The next day, I went with Derek to Mvelabusha, a very rural area several hours north of Richards Bay, that was celebrating the grand opening of the Sibusiso Esihle Science Center. The Science Center was small -- just a single room converted from the town's old tavern -- but was filled with potential. For now, they're borrowing exhibits from the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement, but hopefully more permanent exhibits can be purchased soon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: white;">The opening event attracted local government officials, educators, and students from over a dozen nearby schools. The event included numerous speeches, performances by school groups, Derek's famous science show on the physics of sound, and even a talk by a REAL AMERICAN ASTRONOMER (me, incidentally). </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p4Sxf12Nmnk/UTCvaaS9_lI/AAAAAAAAEqU/f4BRnAQZ-As/s1600/181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p4Sxf12Nmnk/UTCvaaS9_lI/AAAAAAAAEqU/f4BRnAQZ-As/s400/181.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">High school boys choir performing at the opening of the Sibusiso Esihle Science Center in Mvelabusha</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-55zS9-wa7Ec/UTCvfQMTHiI/AAAAAAAAErI/lZoXg4NQPa4/s1600/191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-55zS9-wa7Ec/UTCvfQMTHiI/AAAAAAAAErI/lZoXg4NQPa4/s400/191.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Student dance performance</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0zm__VN_YG8/UTCvYaNrKuI/AAAAAAAAEpk/9rk2kxOY_wc/s1600/176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0zm__VN_YG8/UTCvYaNrKuI/AAAAAAAAEpk/9rk2kxOY_wc/s400/176.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Science show by Derek Fish on the physics of sound, translated into Zulu</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O0nje_Febys/UTCvcNTrN3I/AAAAAAAAEqs/1b9e7dYh-lA/s1600/184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O0nje_Febys/UTCvcNTrN3I/AAAAAAAAEqs/1b9e7dYh-lA/s400/184.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">A talk by an American astronomer (me), translated into Zulu</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #073763;"><span style="color: white; line-height: 18px;">Again, while this center didn't have too much in the way of material goods, you could tell that the heart and dedication of the people there will be what makes this space thrive as an educational and inspirational space. </span><span style="color: white; line-height: 18px;"> </span><b style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">+1 for Basics. Technology:1, Basics: 2</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">The rest of the weekend was spent with the Fish family, who generously showed me around the lovely Mtunzini beaches and nearby forests. It was a wonderful weekend, and I am so grateful for their hospitality!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KGe0jeDr0s/UTCvkArhDOI/AAAAAAAAEs0/2RAqJORdPmk/s1600/202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8KGe0jeDr0s/UTCvkArhDOI/AAAAAAAAEs0/2RAqJORdPmk/s400/202.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Thank you to the Fish family for hosting me in Mtunzini!</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Stop 7: Johannesburg, etc.</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">I spent my final few days of this trip in Johannesburg, described to me either as a"big, bad, dirty city" or as "the greatest city on Earth." I don't think I was there long enough to make a clear judgement either way, but I was able to see most of what they have to offer in terms of science education. Most of my activities were organized by the science awareness sector of SAASTA (South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement), based at the Johannesburg Observatory. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">The first day, we took a trip out to Hammanskraal, a rural community several hours away from Jo'burg. We arrived late, preventing us from doing a full program, but I did have the chance to have conversations with students about astronomy. While the students were enthusiastic to chat about astronomy, their prior knowledge was practically nonexistent. Even though they were in grades 11 and 12, they often described stars as "fixed points of light in the sky, only created at night" and planets as "the layers protecting Earth" or "where life exists." One student, when asked how many moons the Earth had, said "About 6? Full, half, crescent..." So while they're making observations about the Universe, they have not received formal education on, nor been pushed to think critically about astronomy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763;"><span style="color: white;">The presence of the inflatable planetarium and later on the telescopes for our star party attracted hoards and hoards of people from the community. While they might not have had any previous knowledge about the object we showed them, the community members were still enthralled by the experience of looking though the telescope. In this way, the technology itself was the attraction and the inspiration. </span><span style="color: white; line-height: 18px;"> </span><b style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">+1 for Technology.</span><span style="color: white;"> </span><span style="color: #f1c232;">Technology: 2, Basics: 2</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8GvBdP9o7Mo/UTCvrZBUgEI/AAAAAAAAEuw/VF4wW7BCIJM/s1600/219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8GvBdP9o7Mo/UTCvrZBUgEI/AAAAAAAAEuw/VF4wW7BCIJM/s400/219.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Star party with the Hamanskraal community (it's hard to take out a camera without teenagers wanting to pose)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #073763;"><span style="color: white;">The following day, we went to Science Unlimited, a three-day science festival in Johannesburg. I was only there for a few hours, and there weren't very many astronomy-related exhibits, but it was still interesting to see how kids were responding to the science shows, lectures and exhibits. Basic puzzles and science projects were enough to unite students from different schools and have them collaborate to solve science problems together. No screens needed. </span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span></span><b style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">+1 for Basics. Technology: 2, Basics: 3</span><span style="color: white;">.</span></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hf8xW-xwcFo/UTCvrgcVMTI/AAAAAAAAEvA/laNzlldfTSE/s1600/220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hf8xW-xwcFo/UTCvrgcVMTI/AAAAAAAAEvA/laNzlldfTSE/s400/220.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Science Unlimited festival , Johannesburg</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3oV0pAinvbc/UTCvtfsEHQI/AAAAAAAAEwA/PpO01AZRdrA/s1600/224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3oV0pAinvbc/UTCvtfsEHQI/AAAAAAAAEwA/PpO01AZRdrA/s400/224.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Science Unlimited festival, Johannesburg</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">In my last full day in Jo'burg, I visited the Johannesburg Planetarium, which was hosting a school group for an interactive lesson. During the show, they used the technological capabilities of the Planetarium to explain scale sizes, seasons and space travel in ways that were easily digestible while still being scientifically correct. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ohalVN6vVSg/UTCvogRpGzI/AAAAAAAAEuI/woEyqZI6xsY/s1600/212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ohalVN6vVSg/UTCvogRpGzI/AAAAAAAAEuI/woEyqZI6xsY/s400/212.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">Johannesburg Planetarium</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">This year, I have been confronted with several examples of poorly-taught astronomy, most commonly related to scale size. Because the Solar System is so big, and so full of empty space, it's easy to discount scale size when teaching astronomy. There are countless </span><a href="http://scenery-wallpapers.com/walls/solar_system_wallpaper_hd-normal.jpg" style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">bad examples</a><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"> and only a few </span><a href="http://www.essex1.com/people/speer/planet2.jpg" style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">good examples</a><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"> that show scale size well. Distances to scale are even more difficult to explain. What I liked about the Planetarium was the ability to show both size and distance to scale correctly so that kids could fully grasp these concepts. </span><b style="background-color: #073763; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">+1 for Technology. Technology: 3, Basics: 3.</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">After the Planetarium, I spent the afternoon at the SciBono Science Center, which was perhaps the complete and polar opposite of Unizul. Everything in the 5-story science center was brand new, shiny and often electronic. There were tons of interactive games ranging in topics from gravity on other planets to the science of soccer. I can't lie, it was awesome. Transporting virtually into outer space or pretending to fly a fighter jet were really fun, while still being educational.</span><span style="background-color: #073763;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span><b style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">+1 for Technology. Technology: 4, Basics: 3</span><span style="color: white;">. </span></b><span style="color: white;">But without any concrete evidence, its hard to say if kids actually learn </span><i style="color: white;">more </i><span style="color: white;">or learn</span><i style="color: white;"> better </i><span style="color: white;">with the help of technology like this. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hsNz3J70BVE/UTCv1OeLUeI/AAAAAAAAExs/BkGk0-NBLqU/s1600/243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hsNz3J70BVE/UTCv1OeLUeI/AAAAAAAAExs/BkGk0-NBLqU/s400/243.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">SciBono Science Ccenter , Johannesburg</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hdmz1XlxGfQ/UTCvwtRSWFI/AAAAAAAAEwY/a1Zq3yIUn0E/s1600/232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hdmz1XlxGfQ/UTCvwtRSWFI/AAAAAAAAEwY/a1Zq3yIUn0E/s400/232.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">In the flight simulator at the SciBono Science Center, Johannesburg</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #073763;"><span style="color: white;">Final count: Basics: 3 , Technology: 4. But considering the fact that spending less money is always better, this adds 1 to Basics and making the REAL final score a tie at </span><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Basics: 3, Technology: 4</span></b><span style="color: white;">. This leaves me utterly undecided on the issue. Feedback/opinions welcome -- I'd be interested to know what people think. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;">What's up next: a little more time in Cape Town, SciFest in Grahamstown, and then off to ETHIOPIA later on in March!</span></div>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-14053947867992576792013-03-05T07:48:00.002-08:002013-03-05T07:48:27.388-08:00South Africa Cross Country Trip Part I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been back in Cape Town now for a few days, and am still processing this grand and wonderful adventure. For the past two weeks, I've traveled across South Africa (see<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLpX1CF-VnGThvU0mISi4isKZ4YfNwZdmVnXRWTLn1CsbIDr5ia56163k3HkkaKWM6M9Cvr3nQTma4xAJk7EMelMg-JTIYrR4PHkRnFCXoXFpQdfEnUz-GTs88v1TDsQ11IxTa2oCH5Q/s1600/my+trip.png"> map from previous post</a>), chatting with kids and educators, visiting schools, science centers, planetariums and observatories. I've learned so much that I think I'll need to divide my account of this journey into two posts.<br />
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<b>First Stop: Wilderness</b><br />
Known for its gorgeous forests and long white sand beaches, Wilderness is home not just to stunning landscapes and wildlife, but also to Case Rijsdijk, one of the original astronomy educators in South Africa. Among his many accomplishments, Case pioneered the Science Education Initiative (SEI) at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), developed the "Friends of the Universe" program that included a traveling StarBus which took materials and activities to remote areas, and is a regular contributor to South Africa's annual SciFest (which I'll be attending next week!).<br />
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During my day in Wilderness, I spoke with Case about his experiences in astronomy education, and he showed me many of the resources that he developed in his time at the SAAO. He is best known for creating highly educational and interactive activities out of very basic materials (see his famous article <a href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003ASSL..290..157R">"Doing it Without Electrons: Innovative Resources for Promoting Astronomy and Science in a Developing Country"</a>). One of my favorite activities prompted students to calculate the distance to Alpha Centauri to an order of magnitude using only a piece of paper with a greased spot in the middle, a light bulb, and the inverse square law.<br />
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Working with Case, I was challenged to go back to the basics and think outside of my notions of needing technology for kids to learn science effectively. What can kids build to teach themselves science? How, as educators, can we help them do that? In an age where skills like computer programming are becoming more and more valued, how can we use easily accessible and affordable materials to teach the same critical thinking skills that can then be applied to huge machines later on?<br />
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I'm glad that I stopped here first, as these were questions that inspired my thinking for the duration of this trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DtklwjOelrE/UTCuWk7WksI/AAAAAAAAEWY/OcZxUMBmg4s/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DtklwjOelrE/UTCuWk7WksI/AAAAAAAAEWY/OcZxUMBmg4s/s400/011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Case Rijsdijk, highly experienced astronomy educator, in front of the Wilderness wilderness.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0OeuzgFS87c/UTCuW3UC02I/AAAAAAAAEWc/XlHelGcBeiw/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0OeuzgFS87c/UTCuW3UC02I/AAAAAAAAEWc/XlHelGcBeiw/s400/013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stunning and never-ending Wilderness beach</td></tr>
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<b>Stop 2: Day off in Storms River</b><br />
The following day, I continued along the Garden Route to Storms River, best known by tourists as home to the world's tallest bungee jump bridge. Obviously, I did not attempt that one. I recall a certain project in Ms. Winkler's AP physics class tying a Barbie doll to rubber bands and dropping her from the top of the Blake High School spiral staircase to measure the spring coefficient of said rubber bands. Watching Barbie's head collide with the ground several times made me vow to never bungee jump myself.<br />
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In any case, I did spend my time in Storm River taking a day "off" from astronomy education and appreciating the fantastic beauty of the area. I went for a hike in the national park with some women staying at my hostel, and we encountered this phenomenal waterfall directly facing the sea. Video proof of me not being too wimpy and doing something slightly adventurous (sorry its sideways):<br />
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I was also in Storms River as asteroid DA14 passed by Earth within the orbits of our geosynchronous satellites. However, clouds came between me and the asteroid and I was not able to observe it as it passed. Luckily, a few hours later, the clouds passed, and I was able to see the magnificent skies of Storms River. Thanks to the SAAO and the OAD, I took this trip with a <a href="http://www.celestron.com/sports_outdoors/celestron-firstscope-telescope.html">Celestron FirstScope Telescope</a> -- a lightweight, 3"-aperture, table-top Dobsonion with up to 75x magnification. This telescope is <i>much </i>better than the Galileoscope I traveled with before, and if I ever invest in a small 'scope, this will be the one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V_5ZULN6VfA/UTCucu6PFGI/AAAAAAAAEYg/yFHYLBO0mtA/s1600/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V_5ZULN6VfA/UTCucu6PFGI/AAAAAAAAEYg/yFHYLBO0mtA/s400/028.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again, my camera is not much to write home about, but here you can see the Southern Cross above a window at my hostel and some minor details of the Milky Way.</td></tr>
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<b>Stop 3: A mandatory overnight in Port Elizabeth</b><br />
This stop is hardly worth mentioning except for the fact that I took out the trusty telescope again and made friends with some sound engineers from Cape Town by showing them Jupiter and the Orion Nebula. Despite Port Elizabeth being the 14th largest city in South Africa (with a population size comparable to that of Madison, Wisconsin), the skies were surprisingly clear and the Milky Way was still visible. This is different from the east coast of the US where the lights from the cities and suburbs spill out such that there are hardly any places left to see the Milky Way.<br />
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<b>Stop 4: Bulungula</b><br />
I'd heard about <a href="http://www.bulungula.com/">Bulungula </a>separately from several different friends in South Africa, with one person even saying, "It's my favorite place in the world. Not in South Africa, not in Africa. The <i>world</i>." So how could I not go?<br />
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The link is provided, but in summary, the Bulungula Lodge was created with the Nqileni village and its people in mind. The founders of the lodge wanted to create economic opportunities for people in this tiny seaside village on the Wild Coast without damaging or changing their way of life. The result is this wonderful lodge that is fully incorporated into village life. As a sign in the lodge said, "You are not a guest of the Bulungula lodge, but of the Nqileni Village." The village itself owns 40% of the lodge and is constantly creating new programs for the visitors, including guided hikes, tours, fishing lessons and so on.<br />
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I was only there for two nights, unfortunately, and didn't get to do as much as I would have liked. I had time enough just to explore the area myself and take a quick unstructured hike with another lodge guest following only the coastline and a very savvy Labrador retriever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hCe3JN7ktUs/UTCu10W7paI/AAAAAAAAEfc/XmZom4FVjno/s1600/094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hCe3JN7ktUs/UTCu10W7paI/AAAAAAAAEfc/XmZom4FVjno/s400/094.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duduma the dog, great companion, and excellent guide</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B88YXoMJyz8/UTCu8F0AnII/AAAAAAAAEhc/OWRCFd2Aoqo/s1600/109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B88YXoMJyz8/UTCu8F0AnII/AAAAAAAAEhc/OWRCFd2Aoqo/s400/109.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secluded beach occupied only by cows</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bulungula at sunset</td></tr>
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The highlight of my time in Bulungula was the day that I took out the 'scope while tons of kids were hanging around the lodge after school. Since it was daytime, we could only observe the moon and some far-away trees, but the kids still found it exciting, I think. Another short clip:<br />
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While not many of them understood English, and I absolutely could not understand their Xhosa, we managed just by pointing and looking and giggling. After a while, they also became interested in the telescope itself and started looking into the telescope at the mirror inside, which, of course, induced more giggling. It was a surreal moment, being with these kids, watching them watch the moon, and having flashbacks to writing my Watson proposal when moments like these were just in my imagination.<br />
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That's it for Part I. Stay tuned for <b>Part II: Durban, Richards Bay and Johannesburg</b>, in which little Maya learns about astronomy education from people working at some of the greatest science education centers in South Africa. </div>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-10528436316357519502013-02-13T02:39:00.002-08:002013-02-13T02:39:56.242-08:00Right now, now-now, just now, later<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the first lessons that I had to learn when I got to Cape Town was that when someone says "I'll be there <i>just now</i>" they don't mean "now." Sometimes, they don't even mean "soon." Instead, that phrase is reserved for some time floating in the undesignated future. Meanwhile "<i>now-now</i>," which sounds to my untrained American ear as "immediately," is actually referring to some time soon-ish, usually before "just now."<br />
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Now that I understand these non-intuitive phrases, they're actually proving to be quite useful as I balance actively doing my project in Cape Town (<i>RIGHT now</i>), organizing the rest of my time in South Africa (<i>now-now</i>), planning the second half of my Watson (<i>just now</i>), and starting to brainstorm what I want my life to look like after August (<i>later</i>).<br /><br />
<b>Right Now in Cape Town:</b><br />
This past month, I've gone on a few school visits around Cape Town, giving my usual interactive talk and engaging with kids in my standard way. I've seen a variety of schools in several neighborhoods with varying resources and school infrastructures as well as a diversity of student populations.<br />
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All of the schools I've visited are "public," but most schools still charge fees, and the school decides how high the fees are. In some ways, it reminds me of my home in Montgomery County, Maryland, where there is a wide range of public schools, in a variety of neighborhoods. The difference is that schools in the Bethesda/Chevy Chase area are still technically free and therefore the same cost as schools in Silver Spring or Wheaton, even though they have more resources and typically nicer facilities. In Cape Town, you can clearly see the differences those higher schools fees make, with smaller class sizes, more resources, after-school clubs and so on.<br />
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In addition to school visits, I'm attempting to also think outside the box, and engage with kids in more informal settings. In my original Watson proposal, I envisioned times when I would chat with kids and families in public parks and not always need the formal educational structure of schools. In Chile and Nepal, lack of green spaces, language barrier, and my own uncertainties prevented this from happening. In South Africa, I have no excuses, and feel determined to follow through and make it work.<br />
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So, this past weekend, I went with some friends and a bag full of crafts and supplies to Green Point Park, my favorite urban park in Cape Town. When my mom was here, we were amazed by this expansive, intricate, and inclusive park. We joked that it looked a little like Sesame Street, with kids from all backgrounds playing and working together.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">As a first attempt, it worked fairly well. Some kids came over, and while painting a rocket or planet on their face, we'd talk about what they knew about astronomy. Usually they said things like "the moon is made of cheese," (it is, right?) but sometimes other spurts of creativity and imagination came out. I'm hoping to do this at least once more before leaving Cape Town, improving with more time and better quality face paint.</span></div>
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Last week, I also visited the Cape Town Planetarium and Cape Town Science Center, reminding me how much I adore these types of informal education spaces. I hope later on to go back and observe how they work with visiting school groups to see what the experience is like for kids.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1tocjlm6Xcpq_04u_Bx4jMxjp6eLp0irm1-JQZ0kXbif2ou22CVOfAvRW2r5n8P26iM3oQNyXXAcs8KKB1erD-uj8i2nnIgtGyceykP-NSla4EYy4rNXJeLJDx9L4WUxKx-Oq-NY3d0/s1600/20130208_144852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1tocjlm6Xcpq_04u_Bx4jMxjp6eLp0irm1-JQZ0kXbif2ou22CVOfAvRW2r5n8P26iM3oQNyXXAcs8KKB1erD-uj8i2nnIgtGyceykP-NSla4EYy4rNXJeLJDx9L4WUxKx-Oq-NY3d0/s400/20130208_144852.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on the Western Cape in the Cape Town Science Center.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Now-now: My trip across South Africa</b><br />
Tomorrow I'll leave for a cross-country, multi-city, solo adventure around South Africa, visiting planetariums and observatories in large cities, but also stopping in small towns and hopefully hosting small star parties and perhaps visiting schools. The route will look something like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLpX1CF-VnGThvU0mISi4isKZ4YfNwZdmVnXRWTLn1CsbIDr5ia56163k3HkkaKWM6M9Cvr3nQTma4xAJk7EMelMg-JTIYrR4PHkRnFCXoXFpQdfEnUz-GTs88v1TDsQ11IxTa2oCH5Q/s1600/my+trip.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLpX1CF-VnGThvU0mISi4isKZ4YfNwZdmVnXRWTLn1CsbIDr5ia56163k3HkkaKWM6M9Cvr3nQTma4xAJk7EMelMg-JTIYrR4PHkRnFCXoXFpQdfEnUz-GTs88v1TDsQ11IxTa2oCH5Q/s640/my+trip.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
While I'll miss the routine and community I have in Cape town, I'm looking forward to a change of pace and the chance to explore this country through the lens of my project.<br />
<br />
<b>Just Now: Watson Ahead</b><br />
The latest and greatest update is that I've officially added Ethiopia to my project list. I'll be going just for a short three week visit from late March to early April. Who knows why, but I've always wanted to travel to Ethiopia. (I credit the Ethiopian community in the D.C. area as well as the Ethiopian art in my grandparents house.) They have a burgeoning observatory and professional astronomy community there, and as a consequence, outreach is continuing to grow. I'm looking forward to exploring a very different part of Africa and learning how astronomy education is developing there.<br />
<br />
After Ethiopia, I'll be back in Cape Town briefly, hopefully with a quick jaunt to up Namibia for a week (stay tuned). Then, in mid April, I'll finally push off to New Zealand. As I've cut into my time there dramatically, I'm working to plan my time there as best I can to make it as productive as possible.<br />
<br />
<b>Later: Post-Watson thoughts?</b><br />
This area of planning is still very open, very theoretical, and very far away, as far as I'm concerned. My project, though, is making me think more and more about my life after August. I am certain in my passion for using astronomy to make the world a better place, but this is so open-ended and my path to making that happen could go many many ways. Should I pursue a higher degree in astronomy? Should I instead think of studying global education? National education policies? Science communication?<br />
<br />
One of the many wonderful things about working with the Office of Astronomy for Development has been being mentored by Kevin Govender, who is so generous with his time and sharing his infinite wisdom on these matters (usually in exchange for a loaf of freshly baked bread). For now, he's advised me to consider not what I want to be, or what I want to do, but instead what I want to <i>learn</i>, and taking it from there. I'm hoping for some time to reflect on that fantastic advice as I spend the next weeks in buses, seeing this country and reflecting on my time here.<br />
<br />
As always, thanks for reading! If you have any, comments are always greatly appreciated.<br />
<b><br /></b></div>
Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-89124465466887686652013-02-03T23:36:00.000-08:002013-02-04T01:15:01.743-08:00QR2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">February 1 marked the halfway mark of this amazing Watson year. It's hard to believe how quickly time is moving and simultaneously how packed my time has been with activity and adventure. Below are the contents of my second Quarterly Report, submitted to Watson HQ. It was challenging to write about everything that I've seen and done since November, but hopefully I struck a balance between not writing too much and also not oversimplifying my experiences. </span></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Part I: Nepal<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I intended to
write the first half of this quarterly report six weeks ago, when I first
arrived in South Africa and my thoughts and reflections of my time in Nepal
were fresh. I knew that if I waited to write about my time in Nepal until now,
that challenging and intensely rewarding eight weeks would fade and become
smaller and less significant in my memory. Alas, with the Watson as it is, I
broke this promise to myself and must report on my time in Nepal as I recall it
now.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> When I last checked in, I was about
to start working with a volunteer program teaching young kids in a Buddhist
monastery. I debated whether or not volunteering was the best course of action
for realizing my project in Nepal. On the one hand, this kind of organization
and structure would give me access to kids for my project without the delay of
building contacts. But, on the other hand, the volunteer program was much more
expensive than the cost of living in Nepal, and it wasn’t too clear to me where
the money would go. After a lot of thought, I decided to go for it. I was in
Nepal to engage with kids from very different religious backgrounds than my
own, and I felt that I could gain something special by living and working in a
Buddhist monastery. Luckily, the organization I went through, Volunteer
Initiatives Nepal, proved to be a wonderful organization, and I was happy to
support them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> This did not mean that my time in
Nepal went smoothly and as planned, of course. I’m embarrassed to admit this,
but my vision of life in a monastery was of stereotypical peacefulness and
tranquillity. I assumed the kids that lived there would be shy and
introspective, with mentors who helped them to become composed and self-aware. This
could not have been further from the truth. With about 80 boys ages 3 to 16,
and only a few older men to supervise them, these kids turned out to be quite a
handful. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was my job to teach four classes of English every morning.
My plan was to incorporate themes of astronomy into my lessons during my 3-4
weeks there and then to speak with kids about astronomy during mealtimes or
other casual settings that would naturally arise from living together. Language
barrier and lack of interest prevented this from happening, and I quickly had to
change my plan and find different ways to accomplish my larger project goals
elsewhere in Kathmandu and Nepal. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Connecting with astronomer, educator and founder of the Nepal
Astronomical Society, Sudeep Neupane, almost instantly changed my life in
Kathmandu for the better. After meeting him, my new routine consisted of
teaching in the monastery every morning, and going to schools around Kathmandu
with him every afternoon. At the monastery, while I wasn’t able to focus on
astronomy, I was, without a doubt, becoming a much better educator. Teaching
those kids six days a week gave me a crash course in classroom management,
lesson planning, improvisation, and resourcefulness. I learned to let
conversations of astronomy arise less frequently, but more organically, usually
triggered by my space-themed accessories or from the growing rumour of my being
a scientist. Meanwhile, my afternoons in schools allowed me to engage with the
original goals of my project. In less than a month, I visited almost a dozen
schools and interacted with hundreds of kids. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From my time in the monastery and my time in schools, I feel
like I got a good understanding of kids’ general ideas about astronomy as well
as the educational culture in Nepal. Here are a few observations I made (again,
I do not aim to generalize about all of Nepal, but these are rather patterns I
observed): <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I found an emphasis on repetition and
memorization in most Nepali classrooms. Students were mostly being taught to
regurgitate answers as opposed to being encouraged to ask questions or work
through problems. This meant that I often got cookie-cutter answers to my
questions (e.g. “A star is a heavenly body made of gas”).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No matter which school I went to,
there seemed to always be at least one student, regardless of grade level, location
or school ranking, who was <i>obsessed<b> </b></i>with astronomy. These students
would ask questions about black holes, the curvature of space-time, dark
matter, quasars, and the Big Bang – topics I didn’t learn about until college.
While these enthusiasts were from various backgrounds and geographical areas,
the one commonality I did notice between them was their gender. I don’t doubt
that there were girls who were interested in astronomy, but I think the
historically patriarchal culture in Nepal made it such that girls remained
quiet. These astro-loving boys tended to dominate the conversation, answering
every question, raising their hand constantly. Later on, I learned to ask
students for written responses so I could gauge the interest and knowledge of
an entire class, not just the few enthusiasts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I went to Nepal specifically to
investigate how religion impacts children’s beliefs about astronomy. During my
time there, I learned not just about Buddhist religion in the monastery, but
also about Hindu traditions and Sanskrit astronomy. Regardless of the religion
itself, I observed that, for most kids, being religious was more ritualistic
and less spiritual. Going through the daily <i>pujas</i>
did not necessarily imply that they were thinking about their meanings. In
Sanskrit astronomy, celestial objects are worshipped and prayed to as gods, and
it is believed that the movement of these objects in the sky will have an
impact on your personal fortune. Children participate in these rituals, while
simultaneously learning in school that these same celestial objects are planets
and stars made of rock and gas. When I asked the students about this, they
didn’t seem too preoccupied with any possible contradiction. They mostly said
they didn’t think about it much, and just did as they were instructed, (again,
emphasizing point 1). Some students were naturally critical thinkers and told
me decisively that one or the other was correct, but this was rare. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
finishing my month in the monastery, I had 3 weeks to explore and be a “free
agent” in Nepal. I took time to travel around the country, see different
landscapes and engage with students in different places. I did this either
independently or with Sudeep’s help and endless connections. Highlights from
that time include going to a traditional Nepali wedding in a tiny and remote
village, spending a week traveling and visiting schools in Pokhora, a lovely
lakeside town, and passing down my small telescope to a physics teacher in a
village school that was beginning to introduce science into the high school
curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I’m so grateful to have had the
opportunity to learn about Nepal and its rich history and culture, as well as
for the chance to do what I’m passionate about in a very different environment
than what I’m used to. However, by the end of my eight weeks there, I was tired
-- mostly physically tired from noise, pollution, regular food illness and the
general chaos of Kathmandu, but also emotionally and culturally tired from the
language barrier, clear gender inequalities, and idealization of me as a white
North American. These discomforts
challenged me and pushed me to grow and adapt more rapidly than I ever have, which
was simultaneously extremely rewarding and extremely exhausting. By
mid-December, I was ready to move on to South Africa for a change of pace,
change of weather, and change of schedule.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Part II: South Africa<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> By the time I arrived in South
Africa, I was craving summer, the ocean, the mountains, English speakers, and
some time with family. I was lucky enough to have my mom visit me for a week,
and with her, I got into the swing of things in Cape Town. It was nice, even
just for a short period of time, to have someone that knows me really well by
my side to help me process everything that was going on, both with my Watson
and with things back home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">South Africa is renowned for its astounding efforts in astronomy
education. There are many well-funded, well-established programs here that aim
to educate the public about astronomy. The South African government in
particular has made science education, and astronomy education especially, a
priority in this country. There are several major scientific institutions here,
including the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), home to the
Southern African Large Telescope, which is the largest telescope in the
Southern Hemisphere. South Africa will also soon be home to a majority of the
Square Kilometre Array, the world’s largest system of radio telescopes. The
difference, however, between these institutions and the large telescopes I
visited in Chile, is the clear emphasis on education and outreach. My goal in
South Africa is to see how astronomy is reaching children in a plurality of
communities in this very racially and socioeconomically diverse place. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I’m currently based at the SAAO in
Cape Town, visiting schools and tagging along to many outreach projects. I’m
also working with the International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy
for Development, an office designed to “use astronomy to make the world a
better place.” With the OAD, I’m learning about many global astronomy education
projects, and developing resources both for myself, and for other educators who
may want them in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I’m finding myself to feel
comfortable and at home in Cape Town, with a house at the observatory, a local
frisbee team, many friends and lots of time to explore and enjoy this lovely
city. I’m feeling settled, which I suppose means that it will soon be time for
me to move on. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m now in the process of planning a two-week, cross-country
trip across South Africa to science centres, schools and planetariums. It will hopefully be an action-packed,
astronomy-and-kid-filled adventure, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of
this country.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Part III: Looking ahead<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Now that I’m at the halfway point, I
feel restricted only by time. There’s so much that I want to do, and I feel I
have the resources and the confidence to do it. Working with people here in
Cape Town has given me a global network of ideas and contacts that could help
facilitate my project anywhere I go. Now it’s just going to be about
decision-making and maximizing of time and resources. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I plan to add Ethiopia to my list of
countries, and go there for just a short, three-week visit to schools and small
observatories near the capital. It would be a less complete experience than in
the other countries I’ve been to, but I think if it’s well planned, I could get
a lot of out of it. Then I’ll come quickly back to Cape Town, gather my items,
say some inevitably difficult goodbyes, and head out to New Zealand by
mid-April. I’m looking forward to all of it and taking in the challenges and
adventures as they come. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> As always, thank you Watson HQ for
this amazing opportunity and your endless support! </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-29656639878532382242013-01-21T05:34:00.000-08:002013-01-21T05:34:04.215-08:00Sutherland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Sutherland, a small town in South Africa's Northern Cape and home to the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) and the Southern African Large Telescocpe (SALT). I was able to both spend time at the observatory to see the telescopes, as well as get a full tour of town to visit schools and talk with local students.<br />
<br />
I love how there's something common between all of the observatories I've visited, independent of global location. Whether in Chile this past year, or in Arizona or Hawai'i before that, all of the observatories I've seen have this refreshing combination of tranquility from the natural world and exciting, cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to make ground-breaking discoveries nightly. Sutherland was no different in that regard, and in a way, arriving at the SAAO felt like I was returning to something comforting and familiar.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LPTN5S025cE/UPhSV9dCsVI/AAAAAAAAEF4/V6jh_YNC94M/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LPTN5S025cE/UPhSV9dCsVI/AAAAAAAAEF4/V6jh_YNC94M/s400/021.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The SALT telescope with Orion above.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Q9icSOVQuc/UPhST5W8h8I/AAAAAAAAEFk/sCdxXjKTU2E/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Q9icSOVQuc/UPhST5W8h8I/AAAAAAAAEFk/sCdxXjKTU2E/s320/019.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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What's different about Sutherland, however, is a clear and intentional link from the observatory to the people in the neighboring community. For example, at the observatory site itself, there's a "community dome" halfway up the hill between the visitors center and the big telescopes. This open-roof geodesic is meant for all people to come and observe the stunning Sutherland night sky. The inclusion of the community also extends beyond the observatory site and into the town through projects from the SALT Collateral Benefits Program (SCBP). More on that in a minute, but first, a bit about the town of Sutherland.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90y2UHIc_mI/UPhSRKV1JvI/AAAAAAAAEEo/ttSNyghb1Ik/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90y2UHIc_mI/UPhSRKV1JvI/AAAAAAAAEEo/ttSNyghb1Ik/s400/014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Community dome with SALT in the background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sutherland is a small rural town in the Northern Cape known for its its sheep farming, the occasional snow and its clear night skies. Fifteen years ago, Sutherland received only a few dozen visitors per month, but since the inauguration of SALT in 2005, tourism has boomed in Sutherland, with over 13,000 visitors annually. This brought in outsiders from the tourism industry, leading to a creation of multiple astronomy-themed guest houses, restaurants, and tourism agencies. This has indeed boosted the economy of Sutherland, but problems such as unemployment, alcoholism and low levels of education still plague the small town, and remnants of apartheid are still shockingly visible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HtEAxYjpwBI/UPhSxLpdZbI/AAAAAAAAEKc/GJpwZTiBbaA/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HtEAxYjpwBI/UPhSxLpdZbI/AAAAAAAAEKc/GJpwZTiBbaA/s320/062.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town of Sutherland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jDUL-Lf5Cs/UPhSgWFy21I/AAAAAAAAEH4/AVtTrqufp1Y/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jDUL-Lf5Cs/UPhSgWFy21I/AAAAAAAAEH4/AVtTrqufp1Y/s320/041.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of an astro-themed site in town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Wednesday, I got a tour of Sutherland and had the opportunity to see the many projects funded by the SALT Collateral Benefits Program designed to address these remaining problems. My tour guides, Willem and Anthony are both from Sutherland originally. Anthony is now the Sutherland manager for the SALT Collateral Benefits Program and Willem is one of the tour guides of the observatory. Through them, I learned about Sutherland's history, its current realities, and how the observatory is fitting in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BAEvQKsBNI/UPhS3xVxOmI/AAAAAAAAELU/mRPW3EseCRw/s1600/068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BAEvQKsBNI/UPhS3xVxOmI/AAAAAAAAELU/mRPW3EseCRw/s320/068.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Sutherland hosts and tour guides, Willem (left) and Anthony (right)</td></tr>
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The biggest and most holistic project from the SCBP I saw was the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/270963726318975/?fref=ts">Sutherland Community Development Center</a>, equipped with 25 computers, free WiFi and printing, a small library, a study area with individual desks and a kids play area. This center provides a free and safe space for kids to do their homework, adults to use the internet to look for jobs or take online courses, and a place where people can come together for community meetings or gatherings. The idea and plan for the community center came out of extensive meetings with members of the community who expressed what they wanted for Sutherland. In this way, it is a space that is utilized and valued by the people of Sutherland. If the SAAO and National Research Foundation (NRF) had just created a space without any community input, I think it would not have been as successful as it is today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hqv2vOIAWFU/UPhSeFSDdLI/AAAAAAAAEHg/dnRnOru0Zuc/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hqv2vOIAWFU/UPhSeFSDdLI/AAAAAAAAEHg/dnRnOru0Zuc/s320/037.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sutherland Community Development Center</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I34Npmhy1Eo/UPhSeGDmwEI/AAAAAAAAEHk/-djTPXjzgCI/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I34Npmhy1Eo/UPhSeGDmwEI/AAAAAAAAEHk/-djTPXjzgCI/s320/038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Thursday, I spent the day with Willem and Anthony in two of Sutherland's schools to chat with the kids about astronomy. Perhaps because it was the second day of school after summer vacation, or because the kids do not speak English as their first language (Sutherland is a primarily Afrikaans-speaking town), or because I didn't have enough time in the classes for the kids to get to know me, overall participation was low and kids kept quiet.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w1hWWznuWa4/UPhSvKpAyhI/AAAAAAAAEKM/TCIylOWCNos/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w1hWWznuWa4/UPhSvKpAyhI/AAAAAAAAEKM/TCIylOWCNos/s400/059.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I did get some ideas from them, and it was clear that some kids were interested in the subject. They all said that they could see many many stars at night, but students were reluctant to say what it was about the stars that appealed to them. Most said they liked to look at the stars because they were pretty and sparkly, but didn't go into depth about that. When I asked where the stars came from or what they're made of, some said dense gases or the Big Bang, while others credited God or Jesus. Two girls came up to me during the break and asked how both answers could be simultaneously true, and I gave my standard diplomatic answer about how part of being an adult and a scientist is being critical of the information you're given and making opinions for yourself. I'll be returning to Sutherland with the UNAWE-South Africa team in February, and so it will be nice to go back and engage with the kids more through activities that may allow them to be more comfortable and open up.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RDh2ALT67Zk/UPhStShtNQI/AAAAAAAAEJ8/vVxznVIFFvk/s1600/058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RDh2ALT67Zk/UPhStShtNQI/AAAAAAAAEJ8/vVxznVIFFvk/s400/058.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Besides seeing the town, a major highlight of my trip was just hanging around the observatory and seeing the telescopes. Here is a picture with me and the SALT telescope (again, the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Qw1HrEnzAg/UPhSkv-ReDI/AAAAAAAAEI4/6iDo04iqRSY/s1600/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Qw1HrEnzAg/UPhSkv-ReDI/AAAAAAAAEI4/6iDo04iqRSY/s320/049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the catwalk of the SALT telescope. With a diameter of 9.8m, this is the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere</td></tr>
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The views of the surrounding hills were stunning, and I was lucky enough to witness some dramatic thunderstorms (lucky for me, not for the astronomers that couldn't observe). I even got a few lightning strikes on camera!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gw6VoDEJ0XU/UPhSiKRsz0I/AAAAAAAAEIU/57TszYfPPZk/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gw6VoDEJ0XU/UPhSiKRsz0I/AAAAAAAAEIU/57TszYfPPZk/s640/044.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The sunsets in Sutherland were phenomenal. Colors not enhanced. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6M4FkYjryjE/UPhTFkcp62I/AAAAAAAAEM4/bYo0W9vfA1Y/s1600/086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6M4FkYjryjE/UPhTFkcp62I/AAAAAAAAEM4/bYo0W9vfA1Y/s640/086.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lightning photo number 1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZMOeM2x1yg/UPhTGn9QJbI/AAAAAAAAEOI/Vsla-0j5sNs/s1600/090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hZMOeM2x1yg/UPhTGn9QJbI/AAAAAAAAEOI/Vsla-0j5sNs/s640/090.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pseudo-lightning photo with views of the clear skies above. Note the Pleiades in the top left corner.</td></tr>
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That's all for now. In the weeks ahead, I'm looking forward to getting into schools around Cape Town and starting to engage with students here. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with the students in Sutherland, and hope that experience will help me shape future school visits to make them more interactive, comfortable and informative. Special thanks to Willem and Anthony for making this such a wonderful and meaningful trip!</div>
Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-17464218770078254752013-01-09T08:41:00.003-08:002013-01-09T08:41:59.501-08:00The Center of the Astronomy Education Universe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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[A long, but unapologetic, photo-light, astro-ed/project- heavy post. You're right, MKC! I shouldn't be apologizing for sharing the details of my project. I am sorry for the many many acronyms, but hopefully I've made them as clear as possible. And for you skimmers out there, feel free to skip to the photos of Cape Town at the end.]]<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="color: magenta; font-weight: bold;">Scientific endeavour is not purely utilitarian in its objectives and has </span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">important associated cultural and social values.</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> It is also important to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">maintain a basic competence in "flagship" sciences such as physics and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: magenta;">astronomy </span></b>for cultural reasons.<b><span style="color: magenta;"> Not to offer them would be to take a </span></b></span><b><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">negative view of our future - the view that we are a second class </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">nation, chained forever to the treadmill of feeding and clothing </span></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: magenta;">ourselves.</span></b>" </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">-- South African White Paper on Science & Technology, </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">4 September 1996</span></i><br />
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I've been in Cape Town for just over three weeks now, and have comfortably settled into PHASE THREE of my journey. South Africa, in many ways, is considered to be a mecca for astronomy education in that there are many well-funded, well-established programs that educate the public about astronomy. The excerpt above is one example of how the South African government has made science education, and astronomy education in particular, a priority for the country. The last sentence most clearly articulates this priority -- in order for South Africans to make an impact on today's world, and to become true global citizens, knowledge and ownership of science is imperative.<br />
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This national priority is realized through the many South African astronomical centers. The main institution is the <b><a href="http://www.saao.ac.za/">South African Astronomical Observatory</a></b> (SAAO), home to the <b><a href="http://www.salt.ac.za/">South African Large Telescope</a></b> (SALT). SALT is the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere, with a diameter of 9.8m (the largest telescope I saw in Chile was the VLT on Cerro Paranal, which has a diameter of 8.2m). The headquarters of SAAO is in the Cape Town suburb of Observatory (or "Obz" as the locals call it). This is where I'll primarily be living and working while in South Africa. The SALT telescope itself is in the town of Sutherland, about a four hour drive away. I plan to visit Sutherland next month and work with some of the outreach projects that are taking place there.<br />
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As the quote above implies, science development is not just for scientists, but also for the benefit of the whole country. Thus, SALT has implemented a Collateral Benefits Plan, which funds education and outreach activities all over South Africa. In the words of former SAAO director, Prof Patricia Whitelock, "When SALT was set up we realized that it would be a huge waste if we simply ran it for the benefit of our international partners." 10% of SALT's budget goes directly towards community projects and outreach, especially in disadvantaged communities.<br />
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** THIS IS THE PART THAT I LOVE. ** Not only is South Africa investing in innovative science projects, but they simultaneously see the importance in funding science education. SALT is therefore <i>by</i> South Africa and <i>for </i>South Africa. In Chile, there are dozens of cutting-edge observatories and research projects, but Chileans have limited access to those resources as the observatories are owned and operated by foreign institutions. While SALT has many strong international partners (the US, UK, New Zealand, Germany and Poland), the SALT Collateral Benefits Plan ensures that South Africans are profiting from the major projects on their home soil.<br />
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SAAO headquarters in Cape Town also hosts the <b><a href="http://www.astro4dev.org/">Office of Astronomy for Development</a></b> (OAD) of the International Astronomical Union (the IAU, best known for demoting Pluto in 2006). The OAD is specifically designed for "Using astronomy to make the world a better place." In addition to working with SAAO in local outreach projects, I also hope to work with the OAD to learn about astronomy education projects around the world.<br />
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The <b><a href="http://www.ska.ac.za/">Square Kilometere Array</a> </b>(SKA) is another huge project and point of pride in the South African astronomy community. The SKA, with its headquarters in the UK, will be the most powerful radio observatory in the world when it is completed in 2019. The array will incorporate thousands of radio dishes and antennae spread out over 3000km. The "Square Kilometere" describes the approximate surface area of all of those antennae combined. South Africa recently won the bid for site selection of the SKA, with a majority of the antennae and dishes being built in Southern Africa, and the rest in Australia and New Zealand. While SKA construction won't officially start until 2016, South Africa has already started MeerKAT, a 64-dish array that has now been designated as the pathfinder for the SKA in South Africa. They're doing some cool outreach projects, too, like this comic book:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uVreQ4qsJB8/UO2HKlbMQjI/AAAAAAAAECQ/NEXMATrXCWI/s1600/2013-01-09+17.04.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uVreQ4qsJB8/UO2HKlbMQjI/AAAAAAAAECQ/NEXMATrXCWI/s320/2013-01-09+17.04.05.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rgYawvZct4/UO2HCUsh_aI/AAAAAAAAECI/Obgws9k06Sc/s1600/2013-01-09+17.03.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rgYawvZct4/UO2HCUsh_aI/AAAAAAAAECI/Obgws9k06Sc/s320/2013-01-09+17.03.14.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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In addition to these major projects, there are also dozens of science centers and planetariums across South Africa. **ANOTHER GREAT THING** is that <i>everyone works together!</i> The planetarium staff collaborate and share resources with the outreach groups which work with local educators and so on. There are regular meetings of South African EPO (Education and Public Outreach) staff to discuss their current projects and how best to work together. Interestingly enough, this kind of communication and collaboration is fairly very rare, in my experience. In Chile, for example, some outreach groups were funded by Universities, others by North American-funded observatories, others by European observatories. Very rarely was there communication between the different groups. It's refreshing to learn that here ideas and resources are shared.<br />
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In the coming days, I'll be getting settled in at SAAO and carving out how I'll fit into these many wonderful, pre-existing programs. I'll also be thinking about projects that I want to do independently. After three weeks of a "vacation" without anything project related, I definitely feel ready to get moving again on the project.<br />
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These three weeks have been wonderful, though, as I've been able to explore the area, make friends (mostly by playing frisbee), and get settled. I was lucky enough to have my mom over the holidays, and she proved to be the best travel and adventure companion for exploring this amazing city. Some pictures:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KZ8B5Oq-HAU/UO2KS4cSBnI/AAAAAAAAECw/XeRPB7KL7Ok/s1600/2012-12-22+18.36.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KZ8B5Oq-HAU/UO2KS4cSBnI/AAAAAAAAECw/XeRPB7KL7Ok/s1600/2012-12-22+18.36.15.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring Cape Town cuisine with Mom!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6dTnP29wrTw/UO2KN0ni4KI/AAAAAAAAECo/sTMoWKu2waY/s1600/2012-12-30+12.36.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6dTnP29wrTw/UO2KN0ni4KI/AAAAAAAAECo/sTMoWKu2waY/s1600/2012-12-30+12.36.56.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking through the Cape Winelands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfNJVFiz_vk/UO1xzn1GoxI/AAAAAAAAD74/Dn3ORYiRiks/s1600/422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfNJVFiz_vk/UO1xzn1GoxI/AAAAAAAAD74/Dn3ORYiRiks/s320/422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over the Atlantic Ocean from Signal Hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ks81I6c54Xo/UO1z6a6XvuI/AAAAAAAAD_4/Q1M2o5uQlUM/s1600/473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ks81I6c54Xo/UO1z6a6XvuI/AAAAAAAAD_4/Q1M2o5uQlUM/s320/473.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cloudy view from the top of Table Mountain after our Christmas morning hike. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-arSSD85biRE/UO1zhNqMOhI/AAAAAAAAD_I/4F6yaGfCHWE/s1600/463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-arSSD85biRE/UO1zhNqMOhI/AAAAAAAAD_I/4F6yaGfCHWE/s320/463.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penguin-watching at Boulder's beach</td></tr>
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Thanks for reading! SAAO has let me borrow a computer for my time here, so I hope to be writing and updating more often. That means I'll be more contactable by email, but you can also send SNAIL MAIL to:<br />
<br />
Maya Barlev<br />
Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD)<br />
South African Astronomical Observatory<br />
P.O. Box 9<br />
Observatory<br />
7935<br />
South Africa<br />
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-64857281399759681412012-12-16T03:54:00.003-08:002013-01-09T04:29:12.446-08:00Danyabad, Nepal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In just a few hours, I'll be embarking on my journey from Kathmandu to Cape Town, officially starting PHASE 3 of my Watson year. Hard to believe it's already been four and a half months! Time is flying...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My final days in Nepal have been a good combination of relaxation, preparation, wrapping up the project, and saying my last goodbyes. On Friday I did one last school visit, to the St. Xavier Higher Secondary School, a private Jesuit academy. </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LosvSnhma9I/UM20jm7nA2I/AAAAAAAAD3g/vnkU5FeqHWw/s1600/MB+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LosvSnhma9I/UM20jm7nA2I/AAAAAAAAD3g/vnkU5FeqHWw/s320/MB+047.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Xavier Higher Secondary School</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4-xdrZfMQto/UM20HOSRQwI/AAAAAAAAD2w/yORvorS1Wlk/s1600/MB+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4-xdrZfMQto/UM20HOSRQwI/AAAAAAAAD2w/yORvorS1Wlk/s320/MB+042.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was by far the nicest school I've been to in Nepal. In addition to being a chewing gum and plastic bag-free zone, the school was also stunning, with gardens and huge sports fields. I gave my standard talk to an auditorium full of 11th and 12th graders, having them first individually answer the same five questions I asked of the students in Pokhora. Here were some of the most interesting responses:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>"Stars are just symbols of our own feelings with we see as glittering light."</li>
<li>"A planet is a light like the one I saw rising in the east this morning."</li>
<li>"There are so many things that humans are not able to explain or explore and this is ridiculous." (In response to "What exists in our Universe besides planets and stars?")</li>
<li>"Is it possible for a black hole to be made in Nepal?"</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, though, again I found that most students gave standard definitions and answers. Stars were said to be "heavenly bodies that twinkle and are made of gas." Planets were "heavenly bodies that orbit around stars." Other things in our Universe included meteors, satellites, asteroids, moons and galaxies. Some students knew the Universe began with the Big Bang, but many didn't know what it was in detail. And, the most common question asked by students (about 50%) was "ARE WE ALL GOING TO DIE ON DECEMBER 21, 2012?!?" So while there was some variation in the room of 200-300 students, many of their interests and ideas were along the same lines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I prepare to leave this country and think back on my time here, I feel really proud of all of things I've accomplished and really grateful for the people I've met. I've had a very active life here, going on adventures and to schools almost every day. Simultaneously, I've had a lot of time for reading, writing and introspection. It's been incredibly rewarding to be in motion and seeing my project come to life. After seven and a half weeks here, I feel like a better educator and more confident traveler. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But in all honesty, I couldn't have done it alone. I have so many good friends here who have made fantastic adventure companions and a great support network. Special thanks to Sudeep Neupane and the Nepal Astronomical Society for helping me to realize my project and making my time here so meaningful. And so with that, I say a sincere <i>Danyabad </i>(thank you). </span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SuM9Yv5fMv8/UM2z3ih4hUI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/Fsvqh0rDiO8/s1600/MB+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SuM9Yv5fMv8/UM2z3ih4hUI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/Fsvqh0rDiO8/s320/MB+039.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The happiest picture, in closing</td></tr>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-52289520479859827232012-12-13T00:56:00.000-08:002012-12-13T00:56:42.949-08:00Gumba-ing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since leaving the monastery and Kathmandu two weeks ago, it has been non-stop, action-packed travel and adventure mixed in with a good number of school visits and talking with kids (and adults) about astronomy. It's been wonderful to have a little more independence, deciding where I go and what I do while still having support from Sudeep and the Nepal Astronomical Society to make strides in my project and make my time here meaningful.<br />
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My first stop when I left Kathmandu was back to Panauti, in the Joining Hands orphan home, where I went in my first week in Nepal (technically couch surfing). The orphan home was started by Eric from the U.S. and Himal from Nepal. Himal is one of 11 siblings and I was invited to attend the marriage ceremony of one of his brothers in their remote home village. Going to the wedding consisted of a lot of travel on bumpy Nepali roads, but the ceremony was gorgeous, as was the village.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u5fJ9mHThNY/UMKu7_mjfLI/AAAAAAAADiU/kfP8HOxJs_Y/s1600/221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u5fJ9mHThNY/UMKu7_mjfLI/AAAAAAAADiU/kfP8HOxJs_Y/s320/221.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bride and groom leaving the bride's village.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kgZs6aG7oKw/UMKwN7fzJsI/AAAAAAAADkM/3Fl3Chsjjoc/s1600/235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kgZs6aG7oKw/UMKwN7fzJsI/AAAAAAAADkM/3Fl3Chsjjoc/s320/235.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the groom's village, with the bride and groom receiving gifts and tika from family and friends. </td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The marriage ceremony lasted through the night, but I eventually went to bed partially because of exhaustion, but mostly because if I sat still for too long another giant plate of food appeared in front of me, and there's really only so much I can eat. When I woke up the next morning just before sunrise (as is my habit in Nepal), Venus was visible through the window, motivating me to get up and walk around. The village is the most picturesque place I've been to in Nepal, as you can see by these photos: </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yObojxW8VGU/UMKwxJx0r8I/AAAAAAAADlg/PHT2IEeBsKE/s1600/245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yObojxW8VGU/UMKwxJx0r8I/AAAAAAAADlg/PHT2IEeBsKE/s320/245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8W2j0YgYBwY/UMKwYJyWiTI/AAAAAAAADkk/XbCbz7ZVdHs/s1600/238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8W2j0YgYBwY/UMKwYJyWiTI/AAAAAAAADkk/XbCbz7ZVdHs/s320/238.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Village + moon</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qkbESle3_N0/UMKxPlSCziI/AAAAAAAADms/hKrz-yZoE4Q/s1600/254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qkbESle3_N0/UMKxPlSCziI/AAAAAAAADms/hKrz-yZoE4Q/s320/254.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">View of the entire village from the next hilltop.</td></tr>
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The group I was with then took the day to walk through the hills back to Panauti. The walk (hike?) took all day and it was great to see more of the countryside on foot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P3lBu1dA97s/UMKyAhSD8MI/AAAAAAAADog/JQ3uiid2ZtA/s1600/268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P3lBu1dA97s/UMKyAhSD8MI/AAAAAAAADog/JQ3uiid2ZtA/s320/268.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over some rivers and through the hills, back to Panauti we go...</td></tr>
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After being in Panauti for another day, I traveled with two of Himal's brothers to Pokhora, a lakeside town covered in tourists and tourist activity, but also with great mountain views and much less chaos and pollution than Kathmandu. On the second day I arrived, I met up with Suman Gautam from the Pokhora Astronomical Society and visited two schools. First, we went to a public school and spoke with a group of 120+ students in grades 9 and 10. Many had said that private schools in Nepal were much worse than private schools, but the only difference I noticed was larger class sizes. Besides this, though, the students asked the same questions and seemed to have the same basis of astronomy knowledge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BzdzVtzHGm8/UMK0hN7jYxI/AAAAAAAADq0/VYZNSDyfWjc/s1600/285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BzdzVtzHGm8/UMK0hN7jYxI/AAAAAAAADq0/VYZNSDyfWjc/s320/285.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking to hoards of students about astronomy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pilFb2wWNOY/UMK0uq4FsGI/AAAAAAAADrU/3uyxWU8rEP8/s1600/289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pilFb2wWNOY/UMK0uq4FsGI/AAAAAAAADrU/3uyxWU8rEP8/s320/289.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public school in front of the Himalayas</td></tr>
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The second school we went to in the afternoon was a private English boarding school (although I saw the students go home at the end of the day). My presentation here was part of a larger program by the Pokhora Astronomical Society with an audience of 200-300 students, grades 6-8. As I mentioned in my previous post, during my school visits, I often only get responses and questions from a few select students who like astronomy and therefore have a greater basis of knowledge. During this visit, I wanted to know the ideas from a variety of students, and so I asked each of them to answer 5 basic questions about astronomy: 1.) What is a star and how is it made? 2) What is a planet and how is it made? 3) What other things exist in the Universe besides planets and stars? 4) How was our Universe made? and 5) What questions do you have about astronomy? Here's a sample response:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tz_LytmNokU/UMK012lSIZI/AAAAAAAADyE/uHigYrEIVaE/s1600/291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tz_LytmNokU/UMK012lSIZI/AAAAAAAADyE/uHigYrEIVaE/s400/291.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample response to astronomy questions. Note the response to question 5.</td></tr>
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I told them it was fine to say they didn't know the answer, or just to make it up. It was really interesting to see a full range of responses and get ideas from all of the students, not just the few who participate. Many students knew the terminology, but not necessarily the processes. For example, students usually said that stars were "heavenly bodies" made of gas, but didn't know how they formed. Many said the Universe was made by the Big Bang, but didn't know what that was, or thought that it was when a star exploded and created planets. The things that were repeated the most often were words or definitions that seemed to be memorized, not well-understood. This seems representative of the education system here, which is more focused on memorization and regurgitation of facts as opposed to a more analytic understanding of the subject matter.<br />
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After a day of rest enjoying the views of the lake and mountains in Pokhora, I met up again with Sudeep and his friend Manoj. The three of us journeyed to host a star party in Phalebas, a village a few hours away from Pokhora. The area was rural, but by no means as remote as the village I went to for the wedding. We were unsure how publicized the star party would be, and thought maybe a dozen people would attend. Instead, over 200 people showed up! Mostly the people who came were older boys, but there were also some girls, younger students and adults from the village. It was so chaotic, especially with only two small telescopes, but most of the people who came had the chance to see Jupiter and the Galilean moons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m60gSCzYq2k/UMK08TX3PJI/AAAAAAAADr4/vGIGgnj21Lo/s1600/293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m60gSCzYq2k/UMK08TX3PJI/AAAAAAAADr4/vGIGgnj21Lo/s320/293.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To Phalebas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iWTgdiugbyw/UMK1sDiZ45I/AAAAAAAADts/LaWdrlc6QsQ/s1600/307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iWTgdiugbyw/UMK1sDiZ45I/AAAAAAAADts/LaWdrlc6QsQ/s320/307.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoards of students at the star party.</td></tr>
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The next day we visited the 11th grade science class and spoke with the students about astronomy. This school is just introducing science into the curriculum for the first time, and the students here had very little prior knowledge about astronomy. I decided this was the best place to leave the Galileoscope and tripod given to me in La Serena. Hopefully by having this small tool, the teachers can motivate the students as they start to learn science in school.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kHi-Vmn8ubM/UMK2QLyCUGI/AAAAAAAADug/p1CdfeCfzR8/s1600/313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kHi-Vmn8ubM/UMK2QLyCUGI/AAAAAAAADug/p1CdfeCfzR8/s320/313.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing the physics teacher how to focus the Galileoscope. I was generously given this telescope (and tripod!) in Chile, and now it has a happy and permanent home in Phalebas. I can only hope that it helps inspire students to learn more about astronomy in the years ahead.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---12tb4j2-U/UMK3D2fmafI/AAAAAAAADvo/OqUxuZDoSWk/s1600/321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---12tb4j2-U/UMK3D2fmafI/AAAAAAAADvo/OqUxuZDoSWk/s320/321.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The official handing over of the telescope.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1FV0IGa0K3E/UMK3lBfBudI/AAAAAAAADwY/95jsZvwymA0/s1600/326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1FV0IGa0K3E/UMK3lBfBudI/AAAAAAAADwY/95jsZvwymA0/s320/326.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Receiving tika as a traditional thank you</td></tr>
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On the journey to and from Phalebas, we also stopped and chatted with local people about astronomy, as the telescopes and tripod we carried probably seemed odd to the locals. When we asked what they knew about astronomy, people mentioned constellations they can see and also alluded to the Nepali astronomy/astrology traditions. I spoke with Sudeep and Manoj more about these traditions as we walked, and they explained how each naked-eye object in the ecliptic (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) plus two "nodes" in the ecliptic are considered gods. The placement of these gods at birth determines a person's fortune, which is how my future was read by Shivraj the astrologer in Kathmandu. Additionally, people pray to these gods to show respect and ensure good fortune. Very interesting to learn about as different ways that people here connect with the Univserse.<br />
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After returning from Phalebas, I spent a few lovely days hanging out in Pokhora, eating well, doing yoga, hiking, exploring the area, and meeting up with other travelers and friends. Now I'm back in Kathmandu with only a few days left here in Nepal. I'm planning to do one more school visit, and will also be just spending time running errands and preparing for my trip to South Africa!<br />
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Thanks for reading! Oh, and for the record, <i>Gumba </i>means "to go around" in Nepali. The title of this post is a thus the English-ization often by my friend Eric, as in, "So, what's the plan for today?" "Oh, you know, eating, reading, gumba-ing." Since I've been going around Nepal and doing many things these past few weeks, it seemed to be a fitting title.</div>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-75745752839329028812012-11-28T21:44:00.005-08:002012-12-09T19:36:53.752-08:00The fast part of the roller coaster<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
(Apologies in advance for this long and mostly project-related post. There are some pictures at the end!)<br />
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If the Watson is like a roller coaster ride (which it is), then my last post described the part where you're slowly ascending up the track, feeling the anticipation build as you're unsure exactly when the drop is going to come. Since then, I've been going through the exciting parts of the ride-- all the drops, loop-di-loops and fast turns.<br />
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In other words, I've been busy. I 've continued teaching in the monastery every day for three hours in the mornings. I managed to fold in some astronomy into the lessons and hear what the monklets have learned from their science classes. They could all identify the sun, the moon and the stars, but it was unclear if they knew their relationships. Some said the moon was bigger than Earth, since the Sun was bigger than the Earth and the moon looked about the same size. Some knew the size relations, but thought the moon went around the Sun, and not the Earth. A select few knew that all of that was wrong, and they knew the causes of moon phases, seasons and so on. So, in general, a big mix, but nothing too advanced.<br />
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I looked at their science books (made by the Nepali Curriculum Development Center), and in the 2-4 pages related to astronomy, there was only very basic information. They gave the names of the planets, and some small facts, but not in detail. They said the moon changes shape, but didn't explain why. They described the rotation of the Earth as the reason for day and night, but again, not in detail. So no wonder the knowledge was mixed. Even though the monks have science class, astronomy is by no means emphasized or taught well. Moreover, most of the students seemed generally uninterested in the conversation. While a few seemed engaged and excited to share what they knew, most of them were looking at me like "Why are you talking about this?"<br />
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Meanwhile, I've been taking the afternoons to travel to schools around Kathmandu and give lessons to students on astronomy with the help of Sudeep Neupane, founder and vice president of the <a href="http://astronomy-nepal.blogspot.com/">Nepal Astronomical Society</a> (NASO). NASO also works with <a href="http://www.unawe.org/">UNAWE</a>, <a href="http://astronomerswithoutborders.org/">Astronomers without Borders</a>, <a href="http://www.eurastro.de/">EurAstro</a>, the <a href="http://www.site.galileoteachers.org/">Galileo Teacher Training Program</a>, and many other related organizations. Needless to say, Sudeep has a LOT of connections with schools and teachers in Nepal interested in astronomy.<br />
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During my school visits, I've been giving general lessons to large groups of students in grades 8-10 (ages 13-16). The knowledge in these groups is widely varied, although there are usually a few students that take the lead, showing that they know more about astronomy, asking questions as sophisticated as "How do black holes form?" "What is the Universe expanding into?" and "Could you please explain the concept of Hawking Radiation?" These students seem to exist in every school. They have long lists of questions and are thirsty for more knowledge about science. It's incredible to see such young people so passionate about astronomy, but I'm also aware that their knowledge is not representative of their classmates'. Some other students asked questions like "Why does the Sun seem to follow me when I'm walking home?" "What happens when you make a wish on a falling star?" and, the most popular, "Is it true the world will end in 2012?" But those questions only came out quietly, after the main talk. Students are embarrassed to ask questions if there's a chance that the answer is obvious and their classmates will laugh at them.<br />
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Last week, after going to a school in the early afternoon, I accompanied Sudeep to visit one of his old professors, Shivraj, who has since left astronomy to become a professional astrologer (more lucrative, I assume). I was hoping to ask him questions about astrology, its history and its importance in Nepal. But Shivraj, upon seeing me, assumed that I wanted my future told. I didn't want to be rude, so I gave him my date, time and place of birth and he looked up how the planets, sun and moon were aligned during my birth. He predicted success in my academic future, and a long and happy life. Thank goodness!<br />
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While I don't believe that the location of celestial bodies at my birth could predict my future, I respect that this is a practice that some people follow here in Nepal. After all, it's just another way that people connect with the Universe. Many families consult an astrologer at the birth of their child, and name the baby based on what the astrologer says. I wanted to speak more to Shivraj about the history, but claiming a lack of time, he suggested that I come back another day. So far, he hasn't had time to see me again (surprise!) but I do hope to discuss astrology more with people in the know before I leave Nepal in just over two weeks.<br />
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Yesterday I gave my final monklet English classes and moved out of the monastery. It was a really important experience for me, even though it was nothing like what I had hoped or expected. Even though I didn't get to focus as much on astronomy as I thought I would, teaching those kids every day still gave me some much needed lessons about how to be an effective educator. Again, on this roller-coaster Watson ride, its always impossible to predict what kinds of challenges you'll encounter and what value each new experience will present. Working with those kids taught me a lot about classroom management, patience, and how to communicate with young people who don't speak the same language as me. All very important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.<br />
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Now that I'm moved out, I'm moving onto the next phase of my time here. Here's what's on the agenda for me in the weeks to come:<br />
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1. Today I leave Kathmandu and head back to Panauti, the small town I went to my first week here. I'll be going with friends there to a Nepali wedding, which will be a blast and a much needed break from the busy project-related things I've been doing lately.<br />
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2. From Panauti, I'll go to Pokhora, the second-largest city in Nepal. Pokhora is a tourist hot-spot, situated on a beautiful lake with a lot of options for outdoor adventure. My priorities for that trip (in order) are as follows:<br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;"><ol>
<li>Talk to as many children about outer space as possible. With Sudeep's help, I'll be going to several schools in the area. I hope to connect with younger students, too, since I've only been talking with students ages 13-16 so far, plus the younger kids from the monastery.</li>
<li>Find adults who are knowledgeable about ancient astronomy and astrology in Nepal and hear about those histories and practices.</li>
<li>Enjoy being out of Kathmandu. Maybe trekking, maybe mountain biking. In general, though, I hope to avoid the tourist scene. If I go trekking, I'll do it solo or with friends, and not with a trekking company or guide.</li>
</ol>
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3. Hopefully on the way back, Sudeep and I will also be hosting a star party for a school in a small village halfway between Pokhora and Kathmandu. That would be a perfect way to end the trip before coming back to Kathmandu for final business and goodbyes.<br />
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Apologies that this post has been all project and word updates with no pictures. Here are some fun ones from the past few weeks to close with.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D0xNojC81Qg/ULXmO3Nnd0I/AAAAAAAADfE/UG98bqL3mFk/s1600/201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D0xNojC81Qg/ULXmO3Nnd0I/AAAAAAAADfE/UG98bqL3mFk/s320/201.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving with a hodge-podge of friends and travelers. We made a delicious meal of mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, Annie's mac and cheese, store-bought rotisserie chicken and apple pie. While I missed my own family a lot, it was nice to be with other Americans and find a make-shift family. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K3_MBNGEK5o/ULXmgwrLjAI/AAAAAAAADfc/tn0Fa5S6EUM/s1600/204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K3_MBNGEK5o/ULXmgwrLjAI/AAAAAAAADfc/tn0Fa5S6EUM/s320/204.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing frisbee with the monks. They LOVED it... perhaps even too much. My disc is pretty tacoed and one kid got a bloody nose from getting hit in the face, but they asked me again and again to play with it later. (The other funny thing about this picture is that the kid in the foreground was more interested in my camera than the frisbee. He jumped into every picture I took screaming "MISS PICTURE ME MISS PICTURE." Love it.)</td></tr>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408593603390113107.post-78744995336263922082012-11-20T04:03:00.002-08:002013-01-09T04:30:18.721-08:00New Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past week was the Nepali festival <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tihar_(festival)">Tihar</a>, the festival of lights and also a celebration of the Nepali lunar New Year. Kathmandu became decorated with flowers, candles and Christmas-type lights for Tihar, which is often considered the second-most important festival after Dasain. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNucjK8J3w-IU7mTLAAy0L0a49xN9xKstBatf39ev091H63C9P1WGWy9GsKP5hXetgmsi9AZPvNViqCrxD4c8QmUwAELXTLTfOP6j5VsiYh5-KRF7ZwxVCL6v7UgQI0G6jsonQiAQDnvc/s1600/DSCN2062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNucjK8J3w-IU7mTLAAy0L0a49xN9xKstBatf39ev091H63C9P1WGWy9GsKP5hXetgmsi9AZPvNViqCrxD4c8QmUwAELXTLTfOP6j5VsiYh5-KRF7ZwxVCL6v7UgQI0G6jsonQiAQDnvc/s320/DSCN2062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oynKTEZskhe4Fa8RTeTdn0od0AGrKkh3iOsbFlU-MjEj-1DnhPt-uZ_oruqLLcg3G9wdlL7wpeVrY3AXdazRDxaLioF_qpdtwNF8pLSiRE2x4ruakcLVABaeI0rRnxmtFqgiAhx5frY/s1600/DSCN2081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oynKTEZskhe4Fa8RTeTdn0od0AGrKkh3iOsbFlU-MjEj-1DnhPt-uZ_oruqLLcg3G9wdlL7wpeVrY3AXdazRDxaLioF_qpdtwNF8pLSiRE2x4ruakcLVABaeI0rRnxmtFqgiAhx5frY/s320/DSCN2081.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tihar decorations</span></td></tr>
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I had the opportunity to celebrate Tihar with the family of Bhupendra Ghimire,
the head of Volunteer Initiatives Nepal (VIN). He openly invited a whole hoard
of volunteers to participate in the festivities of his family, watching as he
and his siblings exchanged gifts and put tika on each others foreheads. We were
then invited to do the same and were spoiled as special
guests.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bhupi and his sister exchanging tika for Tihar. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIdZB7wwx8DmqWRitywNdweKBfFuK-bDVZH4vo3kz9q9EosMFq0Vid29mmE-dkSSH4dNpGf9Cv94tQOwn_4iZqoZTVb7FrIBYbPSF9-alymsQdlEPgolG4AuBV-KdEJSNLny4GvKEqUU/s1600/DSCN2119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIdZB7wwx8DmqWRitywNdweKBfFuK-bDVZH4vo3kz9q9EosMFq0Vid29mmE-dkSSH4dNpGf9Cv94tQOwn_4iZqoZTVb7FrIBYbPSF9-alymsQdlEPgolG4AuBV-KdEJSNLny4GvKEqUU/s320/DSCN2119.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our turn to be spoiled with flowers, tika and food</span></td></tr>
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Even though Tihar is mainly a Hindu festival, the monastery also took a day and a half off and the kids celebrated by watching movies, playing games, and enjoying the fireworks and celebrations taking place in the neighborhood. The school next door held a traditional celebration with music and dance in their courtyard, and so we at the monastery climbed onto the roof to watch. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tWgLyyF1L8JTQ1F-GcFDsmS-cVTyeBVF0P8m4QHyC_yRTabxUtDuycVGgPAuXH6GJcNUJsnRacuhIz84NMxQe-lRJF2Nz088vPCNI02DR7d6KNlZ8PjNfCWlweG3ZAbnnB_iUmhbjPY/s1600/DSCN2095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tWgLyyF1L8JTQ1F-GcFDsmS-cVTyeBVF0P8m4QHyC_yRTabxUtDuycVGgPAuXH6GJcNUJsnRacuhIz84NMxQe-lRJF2Nz088vPCNI02DR7d6KNlZ8PjNfCWlweG3ZAbnnB_iUmhbjPY/s320/DSCN2095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Tihar holiday has inspired a sort of personal "New
Years" mentality, meaning that I'm ready and actively working to shift my
project into a higher gear. This started for me last Wednesday when I took the
day off from the monastery and went to an exhibit on Science and Buddhism. The focus of the
exhibit was primarily on neuroscience, and specifically on how both modern
science and Buddhism view the five senses. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxZ9DRoiD8CC0gQ3H1XBZK3Zn9ZKaZSrd_y-Tr9pMjHmj8pRHDJULr0fI51og9l3psisyfsPzC2QvO3jz60CCsKefDR53BLB5UmlTRkBkt-eHVrdOUlC5SoO2snWPhKApodpTLSxGl7Q/s1600/DSCN2068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxZ9DRoiD8CC0gQ3H1XBZK3Zn9ZKaZSrd_y-Tr9pMjHmj8pRHDJULr0fI51og9l3psisyfsPzC2QvO3jz60CCsKefDR53BLB5UmlTRkBkt-eHVrdOUlC5SoO2snWPhKApodpTLSxGl7Q/s320/DSCN2068.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Science and Buddhism exhibit</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQH6OlxYYe_tFyqkFeohBmjjjQhYRU8GRUuBWChhmSEhUrT5uE5kkJNCsvou6IaAxCF45X6BXzZ8ImYw9h2aisGZOaTbjvu7TJ5Fbk3J6kTB7K_Qe_9s2_SoTVCWWivXShsM3FnwToXA/s1600/DSCN2074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQH6OlxYYe_tFyqkFeohBmjjjQhYRU8GRUuBWChhmSEhUrT5uE5kkJNCsvou6IaAxCF45X6BXzZ8ImYw9h2aisGZOaTbjvu7TJ5Fbk3J6kTB7K_Qe_9s2_SoTVCWWivXShsM3FnwToXA/s320/DSCN2074.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Science texts written for monks</span></td></tr>
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There was also a talk by
previous-geneticist, current-monk, and overall famous guy, Matthieu Richard. Sara
Taggart sent me a <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness.html">TED talk by him</a> just as I was transitioning from Chile to
Nepal, and it was great to hear him speak in person about how meditation physically changes the structure of the brain. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq5Nc0PUh5uoqrqmofg2u567Y_Zso4-QiVL-wdysquLG8hXzSmQ1daYmZQ7qzGLw5qWBvYL8CNf5lwP-h2Jpw42d9RhjVc1qwGaWNoHWg5WN3AxnTeSwDMjsoJmSUODruldZLxyDkPFg/s1600/DSCN2080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq5Nc0PUh5uoqrqmofg2u567Y_Zso4-QiVL-wdysquLG8hXzSmQ1daYmZQ7qzGLw5qWBvYL8CNf5lwP-h2Jpw42d9RhjVc1qwGaWNoHWg5WN3AxnTeSwDMjsoJmSUODruldZLxyDkPFg/s320/DSCN2080.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Matthieu Ricard giving a talk on meditation and the brain.</span></td></tr>
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While the focus of the exhibit wasn't
astronomy/physics based, I did get to talk to a few people about the
collaborations between astronomy and Buddhism (and science and religion in general). Before
going to the exhibit, I was feeling antsy about delving into my project. Afterwards, the antsy-ness turned into actual action to plan out what
the rest of my time here is going to be like.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On Friday I met with Sudeep Neupane, who is UNAWE Nepal's main point of
contact. (<a href="http://news.haverford.edu/blogs/unawe/">I did an internship at the headquarters of Universe Awareness</a>, or <a href="http://www.unawe.org/">UNAWE</a>, in Leiden, the Netherlands, last summer.) Sudeep just received his masters degree in physics with a focus in
astronomy and has been actively involved with astronomy outreach in Nepal for
the past few years. He generously offered to help me find schools to visit and children
to talk with about astronomy. Through this connection, I went to my first
school (or second, if you count the monastery as my first) today, and will be
teaching a lesson on astronomy to four classes there tomorrow afternoon. The
lessons will be very similar to the ones I gave in Chile -- general overviews of astronomy with a focus on interactivity
so I can simultaneously gauge what the students already know. When I met the
classes today to introduce myself, the students seemed to know a lot
about what astronomy is and how things in the Universe work. I told them that
tonight they should go out and look at the stars, as well as think about any
stories or legends they know about astronomy so that tomorrow they can share
what they know and observed before I share what I know. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It feels great to be making moves with my project, while still
taking time to explore and enjoy Kathmandu. This past weekend, I went with some monks and the regular English teacher at the monastery for a
walk (hike? our flip flops would indicate no, but the steep
uphill trails would indicate yes) to the Amitabha Monastery. The "White Temple," as it is known by the locals, is a gorgeous and ornate monastery that sits high in the hills above my own neighborhood, giving dramatic views of the Kathmandu valley. The monastery is only open to visitors on Saturdays, and most of the visitors are local Nepali people. For some reason, perhaps its remote location, this is not a main tourist destination, despite its beauty. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtZKnSY0JX9DX__ZEEDTG0ngs3BV5ZQe_Q5HKACCSEA5Fkdn5qwaJSaGhS6jmCsg7FTl14E6NGurFAcyHEz4iCIWl_UHHryWIe7kMBU23vNLTk1fyGp-crucx1jgwnLFDKPWdu5dXR58/s1600/DSCN2153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtZKnSY0JX9DX__ZEEDTG0ngs3BV5ZQe_Q5HKACCSEA5Fkdn5qwaJSaGhS6jmCsg7FTl14E6NGurFAcyHEz4iCIWl_UHHryWIe7kMBU23vNLTk1fyGp-crucx1jgwnLFDKPWdu5dXR58/s320/DSCN2153.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Views form the hike.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaozHN5yJ3aKGKvCtWTqX-1NLgH0iTNA9_LF9tymQBJQ2ELIS4k48qVw9vOa52u939weB1VqtWqHoTp61wzeQH0_tjqAyo8fUowelBDGrZyFZs1kfRYZVxO0lIEXKVTFv2071agdA6G9E/s1600/DSCN2156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaozHN5yJ3aKGKvCtWTqX-1NLgH0iTNA9_LF9tymQBJQ2ELIS4k48qVw9vOa52u939weB1VqtWqHoTp61wzeQH0_tjqAyo8fUowelBDGrZyFZs1kfRYZVxO0lIEXKVTFv2071agdA6G9E/s320/DSCN2156.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The monks I went with are all about my age, and while I sometimes
tried to steer the conversation towards science or Buddhism, they would often change the subject to pop culture. They
haven't gone on their retreat yet, and so they said their knowledge of Buddhism
is basic, even though they've been living in the monastery since childhood.
Just like how the kids I teach are like any other kids who like to play and fight
and get wild, these monks are just like any other 20ish-year-olds, who enjoy
sports and music, joking around, and thinking about the future. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Only just over a week left in the monastery, and then another
two weeks after that in Nepal. I hope to be able to mix school visits with a
bit of travel, and also to get the most out of my time at the monastery while
I'm here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some fun pictures to end with:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirs9di03KxgIQ3RUSaBywe1-S7rYaBuLKSGFFzfe9SM6e52WfqgnT9XKslVl9kmyBchn1ip4968ecR0LgCqXvps9FJtRrgl14WC_8uMI75y8eyUlLRajdo2baD582ol4InwSndYBHJMVI/s1600/DSCN2087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirs9di03KxgIQ3RUSaBywe1-S7rYaBuLKSGFFzfe9SM6e52WfqgnT9XKslVl9kmyBchn1ip4968ecR0LgCqXvps9FJtRrgl14WC_8uMI75y8eyUlLRajdo2baD582ol4InwSndYBHJMVI/s320/DSCN2087.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Helping to cook at the monastery. LARGEST pots and pans I've every seen -- even at Catoctin.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUciKRAvqnw6546Z7ZiOBSmsbF5gJY48Tm2moCmFlcQZYoz8_0KWQn29UIIXkOxEfpWO4aB0gJOpCz0tlS1S9md_u2ahtss9gGVvEGSmiOLrWi7EU0-pU4Z11658vaMaO69lpgUYsNBEU/s1600/DSCN2196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUciKRAvqnw6546Z7ZiOBSmsbF5gJY48Tm2moCmFlcQZYoz8_0KWQn29UIIXkOxEfpWO4aB0gJOpCz0tlS1S9md_u2ahtss9gGVvEGSmiOLrWi7EU0-pU4Z11658vaMaO69lpgUYsNBEU/s320/DSCN2196.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Swinging after the white temple hike. Probably my last time on a Dasain swing! </span></td></tr>
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Maya Barlevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08509585975290783749noreply@blogger.com0