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ADTO # 76 - September 3, 1999 PART 1: Aerospace Team Online 1999-200 Aerospace Team ONLINE 1999 - 2000
Welcome to a new academic year with NASA Quest's Aerospace Team Online
(ADTO). We hope that you will make us a part of your routine this year. We
have planned several events that may make this easier to schedule on a
regular basis. (See the Fall Features below.)
Unlike the typical Updates Newsletter, at the onset of each new school
year we like to give newcomers an overview of this project and remind the
rest of us of the multiple facets of ADTO.
The usual content of this Updates Newsletter will be heads-up alerts to
upcoming events and stories written by the men and women behind the
scenes who work in NASA's aerospace design program.
I'd like to introduce you to the NASA Quest team who contribute fairly
frequently to the ADTO project:
Arlene, our LTC WebCast technician
Chris, our multiple Lists manager and Smart Filter manager
Dan, our QuestChat software technician
Marc, our peerless NASA Quest project manager
Oran, our QuestChat manager
Kate, our Learning Technologies Channel manager
Sandy, our friendly chat hostess
Susan, that's me
We always enjoy hearing from you. Please feel free to send your comments
and suggestions to slee@mail.arc.nasa.gov
and I will share them with the rest of the team.
We're looking forward to making 99/00 the best yet!
Thanks for joining us,
Susan Lee
FALL FEATURES
Starting in July we began to get biographies and journals from the people at NASA and Boeing working on the last test of the airliner of the future. Theses are online and in the fall we will have a series of chats with the people working on this test. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/events/hsct.html We have also followed the repairs to the fans in the 40 x 80 wind tunnel and the de-icing test this summer. We are working up some special problem solving activities on these. CHATTING WITH ENTHUSIASTIC NASA EXPERTS
One of our most exciting and basic activities on NASA Quest is the opportunity for students to "chat" live with the Aerospace Team Online experts: Exciting, because students begin to connect the on-line profile with a "real" person who responds to their questions in real time. Basic, because you only need simple connectivity through a web browser to participate. Even if all you have is one computer in the classroom, there are many ways to use this part of ADTO. To help you with this process, QuestChat manager, Oran Cox has developed a NASA QuestChat Information Center complete with regularly scheduled practice chats so that you may get familiar with the technology. It is located at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats Our chats provide the security of NASA Quest team moderation. If you plan to actively participate in a chat, you will need to register for the event ahead of time. Everybody is always welcome to observe the chat (no RSVP is required). A great example is our upcoming chat with Dan Cooper. An instrumentation technician on the High Speed Civil Transport Test. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/chats/ Add to the QuestChats a video component, (yes, on your computer) so that students can see the expert with whom they're interacting, and you have the Learning Technologies Channel WebCasts. Aerospace Team will be planning some of these for the upcoming school year. If you're a first timer, you'll want to get acquainted with the technology and download the necessary (free) software beforehand. Kate has provided a section of the LTC website to help: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/check.html Hint: If technology scares you, assign a student to help you! BIOGRAPHIES AND FIELD JOURNALS
Autobiographical profiles of the men and women of the Aerospace Team
Online project provide the core reading material that brings to life the
real world excitement of America's aerospace program.
Each participant shares a bit of the path that led them to their present
position. Personal information about family, pets and hobbies puts a human
face on the "rocket scientist" impression youngsters have and helps your
students to visualize themselves on a similar path.
The so-called "Field Journals" are stories that describe in detail the
work it takes to make the aerospace design come to life. The
format will vary and may include "what I did today," or "a problem I
recently solved," or a "problem I wish I could solve," or "my goals for
the next month." Regardless of the style, the stories bring to life for
your students the diversity of skills and people needed for NASA's
face on the "rocket scientist" impression youngsters have and helps your
students to visualize themselves on a similar path.
The so-called "Field Journals" are stories that describe in detail the
work it takes to make the aerospace design come to life. The
format will vary and may include "what I did today," or "a problem I
recently solved," or a "problem I wish I could solve," or "my goals for
the next month." Regardless of the style, the stories bring to life for
your students the diversity of skills and people needed for NASA's
aerospace design program to work. We hope that these snippets of NASA's
world will be useful as reading exercises and to illustrate related topics
within your curriculum. The team page is at:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/team
and the journals at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/team/fjournals
EMAIL QUESTIONS GET PERSONALLY ANSWERED
The opportunity to send email questions to the men and women of NASA's ADTO team is available. In most cases, you will receive a reply within 10 days to two weeks. K-12 students and teachers can email questions to NASA engineers, scientists and support staff. This interaction is supported by a "Smart Filter" who protects the professional from Internet overload by acting as a buffer. A database of replies to previously asked questions is provided online. We believe that the email Q&A service is a good complement to the bios, journals and other materials. Students have an opportunity to follow-up on any Aerospace Team Online information, or they can pursue their own lines of interest. Instructions may be found at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/question/ask.html STUDENTS PUBLISH ON NASA'S WEB
Students are the primary reason for Aerospace Team Online and seeing
them take an active role in this project is one of our primary goals. We'd
like to get pictures of your students at work or samples of their work we
may publish on NASA's website. Many kids will be very excited to point
their browser to NASA and see themselves at
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/kids
We can accept submissions electronically as e-mail, Web pages, or
file transfers. If it is easier, send us faxes or mail us hardcopy.
For details about how to get your material to us, see
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/teachers/posting.html
Students are also invited to interact with each other in the Student
Stumpers area. Students make up challenging questions about this project
that they think would be difficult to answer, and other students respond
directly to the author of the question. We have received several entries
this summer and invite your students to respond at:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/kids/stumpers.html
CONNECTING TO THE NASA QUEST COMMUNITY
The classroom can be an isolating environment, and at times teachers
express the feeling that they are the only ones struggling to lead in the
challenge to incorporate the exciting content available through the
Internet into their curriculum needs. Others need help in finding out just
how to start. NASA Quest is devoted to trying to help you whether you are
a "newbie" or an experienced "techie." Often that is best done by letting
teachers chat with each other to discuss a wide variety of issues,
concerns, teaching strategies, useful resources, project collaboration
opportunities, and suggestions on other projects hosted on NASA Quest. You
can join this discussion list simply called "discuss", or on any of the
other lists available as a part of this project. See:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/teachers/subscribe.html
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