MICROOBSERVATORY ONLINE DISCUSSION
MONDAY, JULY 21
TOPIC:
1) What curriculum are you or your colleagues now using?
2)  What textbook?
3)  How might MicroObservatory fit in to your current curriculum?
If you are already use MicroObservatory, please tell us how.


R Maki:	Hi Beth, When we are done today, I'd like to chat 
with you about GraphicConverter.
LFrench637:	Hello all.
BHoff1:	Hi Dick--okay, I'll stay on.  Hi Linda..
LFrench637:	Hi Beth, Dick.  Dick, have you been watching 
the Constitution sail on TV?
LFrench637:	Hi Bill, Joe.
R Maki:	Been at the dentist for almost 4 hrs!   Just calming 
down now.
LFrench637:	Oh no!
LFrench637:	Hi Bruce.
BMellin503:	Hi linda
BMellin503:	Got lots of Pallus images fri/sat night-it 
rally "cooks" from one night to another
LFrench637:	So you were able to see it move?  I only got 
as far as downloading one image.
JCatanz1:	I also got a few images of Pallas on Friday night.
JCatanz1:	And it moved!
LFrench637:	:-)  gratifying, isn't it?
JCatanz1:	Pretty amazing...
BMellin503:	My mighnight-4 am images show a small motion
(but measurable - over two nights it's great
JCatanz1:	The finder charts I got from Lowell were a big help.
LFrench637:	Hi Mike, and welcome!
LFrench637:	AOL won't let me send you an instant message...
says you aren't signed on.  :)
BHoff1:	Welcome to today's MicroObservatory Online Meeting.
BHoff1:	I will be moderating today.
BHoff1:	I would first like to welcome a fellow participant, 
Mike Richards,
BHoff1:	from Weymouth (MA) High School, who is joining us for
BHoff1:	the first time today.
BHoff1:	Here's a quick review of protocol:
BHoff1:	To make a comment, type "!",  and you will be 
recognized in turn.
BHoff1:	When you have finished, type "GA" to let others 
know you are done.
BHoff1:	Use the new symbol, !!,  when you wish to
BHoff1:	respond to something someone has just said, 
rather
BHoff1:	than to comment on the original question posed.
BHoff1:	Side conversations using Instant Messages (IM's) 
are encouraged.
BHoff1:	Steve Leiker cannot be online with us today, as I 
originally
BHoff1:	mentioned.
BHoff1:	He will probably join us tomorrow--check the bulletin
board for
BHoff1:	updates.
BHoff1:	For today's discussion, we would like each of you to 
tell us the
BHoff1:	following:
BHoff1:	1) What curriculum are you or your colleagues now 
using?
BHoff1:	2)  What textbook?
BHoff1:	2)  What textbook?
BHoff1:	3)  How might MicroObservatory fit in to your current 
curriculum?
BHoff1:	(If you are
BHoff1:	already doing this, please tell us how).
SheM2G:	!
BHoff1:	When you respond, please say what subject/s you teach.
BHoff1:	GA Sheila
SheM2G:	I am teaching a college physics course and a 
conceptual physics course
SheM2G:	at a new school.  I have experience teaching 
both courses.  For the college
SheM2G:	course I have used Cutnell and Johnson and Giancoli, 
and I cannot
SheM2G:	remember the author of the textbook I will be using 
in August (someone
SheM2G:	has some prepping to do!).  For the conceptual course 
I have been
SheM2G:	using Hewitt's conceptual Physics book (college and high 
school versions).
SheM2G:	I want to use (and have used) MO both inside and ouside 
the classroom.  Last year
SheM2G:	I was able to interest a number of student to use the 
telescopes in their free
SheM2G:	time.  We discussed trouble-shooting and image processing 
outside of the
SheM2G:	classroom.  Their enthusiasm encouraged others to join.  
In the fall
SheM2G:	I will advise the astronomy club (the school does not 
have an astronomy
SheM2G:	course -- not yet anyway!!).  I hope to interest the 
students in the scopes,
SheM2G:	and hopefully will generate enough interest to begin a 
course the
SheM2G:	following year.  I hope to use the scopes in my physics 
classes
SheM2G:	this year (perhaps the Jupiter activities we are trying 
now).  I think we
SheM2G:	can use the scopes when discussing Newtonian Mechanics, 
for example,a
SheM2G:	and maybe I could do a short unit in the conceptual 
physics courses.
SheM2G:	I would be very interested to hear ideas of how to use 
the scopes in the physics curriculum.
SheM2G:	GA
BHoff1:	Does this sound practical for others as well?
Everhartj:	!
BHoff1:	GA John
Everhartj:	My school recently went on a semester schedule which 
means I must teach...
Everhartj:	the entire course in 90 days.  I would find it very 
difficult to integrate...
Everhartj:	MO in these classes.  We are lucky enough to also have 
an Astronomy...
JCatanz1:	!
Everhartj:	class.  This is where we have and will use MO.  By the 
way, we use
Nazin:	!
Everhartj:	the book "Skywatching"  by David Levy (I know its not a 
textbook)...
Lwaxman:	!
Everhartj:	in our class.  My class is a mixture of students with 
high to medium motivation ...
THocking:	!
Everhartj:	but very poor background as it relates to astronomy.  
GA
BHoff1:	GA Joe
THocking:	I jsut observee that EST does not mean what I think 
it does... :)
JCatanz1:	I will be taeching 1st and 3rd semesters of
MrichardXX:	!
JCatanz1:	Calculus-based Physics (Mechanics, Waves, Sound, 
Fluids
JCatanz1:	Thermo, Optics, Modern Physics) as well as 
Introductory Astronomy
JCatanz1:	and Astronomy Lab.
JCatanz1:	he Astronomy Lab course is new,
JCatanz1:	and I am spending a good part of  the summer
JCatanz1:	creating the curriculum for it.
JCatanz1:	I have chosen to do without a textbook, since
JCatanz1:	A) curently available lab manuals are expensive
JCatanz1:	B) I would only use a few of the labs in any
JCatanz1:	currently available manual.
JCatanz1:	C) there is no manual or text for what I want to 
do,
JCatanz1:	which is a hands-on introduction to methods of 
MODERN astronomy
JCatanz1:	I am drawing almost entirely on resources available 
on
JCatanz1:	the web for my curriculum, writing supplementary 
materials
JCatanz1:	and exercises where necessary.
JCatanz1:	A major component of the course will be observational 
astronomy
JCatanz1:	and an intro to image processing
JCatanz1:	I have also thought of getting my Intro Astronomy 
students
JCatanz1:	involved with projects as extra credit
JCatanz1:	I had not thought of trying to integrate it into 
Physics as Sheila is doing,
JCatanz1:	but the Moons of Jupiter  may be a good thing to do 
when we get to gravity.
JCatanz1:	GA
BHoff1:	Joe--I wish we could all sit in on your image processing 
course. GA Bill
Nazin:	I teach 4th and 5th grade in a school that frowns on text 
based learning.  They and I
Nazin:	believe in hands-on context based learning.
Nazin:	This makes it easy to fit MO into my "Curriculum
Nazin:	While there are things that must be taught
AlbertM497:	!!
Nazin:	nothing comes before the child's passion
Nazin:	It is my job to find a way to integrate the math, s.ss. 
english into their studies
Nazin:	I see MO as being popular with the children so as not to 
have a problem getting enough
Nazin:	children involved
Nazin:	I have discussed how I want to us MO  and am in the process 
of getting this to happen
Nazin:	Ga
BHoff1:	GA Mary
AlbertM497:	'd like to ditto Bill's hands-on context based 
learning,
AlbertM497:	especially with the younger kids.  Astronomy is 
so abstract
AlbertM497:	and the MO offers an opportunity to make it less so. GA
BHoff1:	GA Larryu
Lwaxman:	I teach a year long astronomy  pilot that I have breken 
into two semesters
Lwaxman:	The first is based on object and the physics of those 
objects.
Lwaxman:	The second is based on all that happens oustide of our 
solar system.
Lwaxman:	The students can take them in any sequence.  I use MO 
in the lectures. for Pictures of the
Lwaxman:	objects we are studying.
Lwaxman:	I am lucky enough to have a planetarium with internet 
connections.  Then they are assigned
Lwaxman:	projects that they have to complete and teach with a 
partner.
Lwaxman:	This muct include photos taken with the MO.
Lwaxman:	I have been processing them with SKyProbe.
Lwaxman:	Sometimes We also use PHotoShop.
Lwaxman:	We don't have a specic test that we use.  I use a lot 
of material from George Reed.
Lwaxman:	Westchester college and Spitz Corp.
Lwaxman:	I also use Explorations By Thomas  Arny.
Lwaxman:	Then we use many internet sights that catalogue and 
describe
Lwaxman:	the objects that they are studying.
R Maki:	!
Lwaxman:	I want to be able to more closely combine MO into my 
every day
Lwaxman:	curriculum with labs that the students can work on as 
class assignments.
Lwaxman:	Thats why I am here.  GA
BHoff1:	Tom Hocking, who is also new to our online meetings, is 
up next.
BHoff1:	As some of you may know,
THocking:	Hello, Everyone!
BHoff1:	GA Tom
THocking:	I'm getting used to the protocol.....
THocking:	Forgive me for being late...
THocking:	Here in Indiana we keep EST all yr long, so I'm 10 mins 
early!
THocking:	:)
THocking:	I know know you meant EDT...
THocking:	time zones..another one of the foibles of the astronomer..
THocking:	I just weanted to say that I'm glad to be here--finally 
and I look forward to "meeting" you
THocking:	all...
THocking:	GA
BHoff1:	Thanks Tom--welcome again.  GA Mike.
MrichardXX:	Hi eveyone-I'm glad to be with you. I teach earth science, 
10-12.  I make up my own
MrichardXX:	curriculum. For textbooks I use
MrichardXX:	Project STAR and Astronomy Today as a resource
MrichardXX:	I have used MO a little
MrichardXX:	I have given to teams of students the problem of 
learning
MrichardXX:	to use the scope and then get an image.
MrichardXX:	I want to have them take the image and using NIH 
process it
MrichardXX:	and take some measurments from it . I'm talking about 
images of the moon
MrichardXX:	GA
BHoff1:	GA Dick
R Maki:	I teach earth science in grade 9 and use Heath's "Earth Sci." 
as a text.
R Maki:	The curriculum is pretty open.  Right now I do 8 weeks of 
astronomy in the fall
R Maki:	and another 2 weeks in the late spring when different things 
are "up".
R Maki:	Kids are using the internet and several computer programs 
incl. Voyager to augment the text
R Maki:	and my labs (which are frequently from ESCP)
R Maki:	I expect to us MO by assigning projects to teams and then 
ask for presentations in class.
R Maki:	The program is open enough so that I interrupt whenever 
anything current is in the news...co
R Maki:	comets, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.
R Maki:	Our new physics man may be able to use MO with his conceptual
 physics and honors physics
R Maki:	students....dont know yet.  Honors physics uses 
Gioncoli.
R Maki:	GA
LFrench637:	!
BHoff1:	Please stay on a bit longer if you can so you can 
hear Linda's and
BHoff1:	Tom's responses to the question.  GA Linda
LFrench637:	Next semester I will be teaching both introductory 
astronomy and astrophysics for majors.
LFrench637:	I teach astronomy almost every semester.  Text is 
new this year, Fraknoi et al.
LFrench637:	I'm very impressed with their understanding of 
misconceptions and the like.
LFrench637:	I also draw heavily on Project STAR, GEMS activities 
which I adapt,
LFrench637:	and some activities I have developed myself.  I 
try to focus on basic physics underlying
LFrench637:	astronomy--like buoyancy when we study the structure 
of the Earth,
LFrench637:	or light and color when we are studying telescopes 
and spectroscopy.
LFrench637:	For astrophysics I don't have a great text and 
would welcome suggestions.
LFrench637:	In astrophysics the first time I used Voyager 
heavily--as a source of data about binary star
LFrench637:	systems, and to see the differences between 
stars of different luminosity classes.
LFrench637:	Then I adapted those activities for the intro 
class.
LFrench637:	I want to use the Jupiter exercise with astrophysics, 
to do a quantiative
LFrench637:	treatment of Kepler's law,
LFrench637:	and then a more general treatment for astronomy.
LFrench637:	I will use images of the Moon to supplement the Moon 
Journals that students keep.
LFrench637:	I'm considering doing something with lunar geography, 
now that I can actually identify
LFrench637:	features!
LFrench637:	GA
BHoff1:	GA Tom
THocking:	As my bio says, I'm looking for work...
THocking:	but I will either be teaching at a hi-tech private 
school...
THocking:	or a lo-tech public one--middle school science...
THocking:	In either case I plan to use MO...
THocking:	The diff will be whether the kids can get online...
THocking:	I will be using bits of books I have as well as net-
materials...
ASTRO book...
THocking:	I'm a big fan of the Abrams Sky Calendar as a prequel 
to computer-based star charts...
THocking:	I know your late, :)  so I'll stop now.... John knows 
how long
THocking:	winded I can be...
THocking:	GA
BHoff1:	Thanks Tom--I believe everyone had a chance except Bruce.
BHoff1:	Bruce--did you want to respond?
BHoff1:	Anyone else before we sign off?
BHoff1:	Please feel free to continue your side-conversations.
BHoff1:	Or use the central area for now.
BHoff1:	This officially ends the meeting and protocol.
BMellin503:	!
BHoff1:	Bruce--we've officially ended the meeting but please GA, 
as many are still here
BMellin503:	Sorry I was in a side conversation..I'll wait
BMellin503:	Do you want me to go ahead anyway...
BHoff1:	Yes--there are still 13 of us here--I'd very much like to 
hear your response.
BMellin503:	I teach two astronomy sections and one geo in the fall
BMellin503:	The course is a non sci elective
BMellin503:	The students are good...but do not have extensive sci 
background
BMellin503:	The school lets me invent my own cirriculum
BMellin503:	I use Project Star / Image Processing activities from 
CIPE(Cent for Im Processing-Uni Arizona)...
BMellin503:	and activities I have written myself
BMellin503:	We use Eric Chaisson's "Astronomy Today" it's a great 
book when you "navigate around the math...
BMellin503:	In the fall we use 1/2 plastic spheres for Proj STAR 
to model the path of the Sun....
BMellin503:	The culminating activity has the students predict the 
Sun's path for Dec 7...It seems to work well
BMellin503:	This fall I plan to Focus around an activity that 
models the velocity and dimension of Comet Hyakutake
BMellin503:	The skills are usfull when investigating any other 
moving solar system object
BMellin503:	I "hope" to have students tracking "something' and 
measuring "something as a final semester project
R Maki:	!
BMellin503:	Bot am I long winded..Tom thinks he is bad....sorry...
someoneelse...GA
BHoff1:	GA Dick--no more need for protocol--feel free to chat with 
each other.
R Maki:	Mike, send me an e-mail so I can call you.
MrichardXX:	I'm new to AOL. Can anyone tell me why "send instant 
Message" gets "Unable to locate member"
MrichardXX:	I will Dick
BHoff1:	Are you typing in their correct username Mike?
LFrench637:	Mike, several of us were having trouble sending you an 
Instant Message.
SheM2G:	Re: Mrichard  That person is no longer logged on.  AOL 
could have
SheM2G:	boot them off.
RGould50:	Or just double click on the names in the "People here 
box at right."
MrichardXX:	i am typing in the name from PEOPLE HERE
LFrench637:	No, when I tried to send Mike the greeting AOL said 
he was not signed on!
Nazin:	You might not have the name exactly correct
SheM2G:	SOmetimes AOL boots you off and keeps your name in there 
momentarily
LFrench637:	Mike, I recommend checking your preferences.  Then, 
if it still doesn't work, try Member
MrichardXX:	linda- whats not signed on?
LFrench637:	Services.
SheM2G:	ditto on Nazin's comment
LFrench637:	AOL Said you weren't signed on!
JCatanz1:	I got same result as Linda
LFrench637:	It still does.  I just tried sending you an IM.
MrichardXX:	If I'm not signed on then how did I get here
LFrench637:	The "stealth" astronomy teacher!  :)
LFrench637:	AOL is screwed up, that's how.  I sent you mail with 
the greeting.
BHoff1:	I can't send Mike an IM either--I think there is a problem 
with Mike's account specifically.
LFrench637:	Yes, it looks that way.
LFrench637:	I need to go, all.  See you tomorrow at 3, right?
LFrench637:	Eastern time, that is.
BHoff1:	Yes--bye linda!
LFrench637:	bye all!
Lwaxman:	Bye
AlbertM497:	Bye
THocking:	3?   I wish y'all would make up your minds... :)
Nazin:	Bye all
SheM2G:	Gotto go, Bye!!
BHoff1:	Tom--we've changed the time a few times.
R Maki:	Tom, it will be 3-4 this Tuesday through thursday, NOT 
friday...1:30
BHoff1:	It is normally 1:30 eDt.  We just changed it for this Tues 
thru Thrus.
THocking:	Ok Dick... Thanks!
BHoff1:	Are we making sense now?
THocking:	Loud and clear!
BMellin503:	Thanks for the 3-4 time change..I will be working 
with a group of students making annimations
R Maki:	see, y'all
BMellin503:	Signing off
THocking:	Talk to you tomorrow!
JCatanz1:	bye all
BHoff1:	Me too--bye all--see you tomorrow at 3 (edt--bye Tom:)
THocking:	Now off to mIRC.... :)