Introduction of Astronomy from kindergarten to

upper secondary education: a holistic approach

City College, John Moore University, Athens 2013

Dr. Manos Apostolakis

Innovation

• Innovation: the deliberate and systematic effort for change in schools through new ideas and techniques (House 1979), mainly about small scale changes aiming at the improvement of specific aspects of school reality (Vandenberghe 1988).

Introduction of innovation

According to Fullan (1988) there are 3 phases for the introduction of an innovation:

• Initiation, • Implementation, • Institutionalization.

Characteristics of Innovation

Morisson (1998) made a literature review and concluded that innovation is:

• more structural and systematic than superficial and shakes the whole system,

• a dynamic procedure in the course of time than a single fact,

• not linear,

1/4

Characteristics of Innovation

• a multidimensional fact, that includes targets and functions, organization and administration, structure, knowledge, competencies, attitudes, values, roles and relationships, aims of the curriculum

• resistance and conflict are considered more as opportunities and less as unsurpassable difficulties

2/4

Characteristics of Innovation

• Demands the involvement of people and the investment in human asset, leads in anxiety and uncertainty as well as in the development of new competencies,

• A personal as well as a organizational issue,• Succeeds or fails due to circumstances

3/4

Characteristics of Innovation

• Usually comes before change in beliefs and is efficient when it corresponds to existing and real needs,

• Creative and demands identifying and solving problems

4/4

Astronomy in EA

The case of a continuously …expanding innovation or

a …holistic approach of astronomy in education.

• Official mirror site of NASA (JPL) for mission “Mars Pathfinder” (1998)

The beginning...

Our Observatory

• Our observatory was built in 2007.

Our Observatory

• It houses a MEADE LX200R telescope, 16’ in diameter f/10 focal length.

Our Observatory

• The dome of the observatory: 6,3 m diameter, 12m height.

The

Obs

erva

tory

The Observatory

• Our observatory has already been used for scientific research in astronomy:– Christou et al, 2009, Astronomy & Astrophysics 497, 589-594– Christou et al, 2010, Minor Planet Center Circular, No: 71532– Tsamis, V. & Tigani, K., 2010, Journal for Occultation Astronomy, Vol. 1, Nr. 1, p. 8-10.– Christou et al, 2011, Journal for Occultation Astronomy, Vol. 1, Nr. 2, p. 8-11

Para

llel e

duca

tiona

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tiviti

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• Siberia 2008 • Shanghai 2009

Expeditions of EA track down solar eclipses:• Greece 2006

• “Impressions from Universe walkabouts” Union of Greek Physicists (International year of Astronomy 2009) www.ea.gr/astronomy2009/

Parallel educational activities

• European contests “SKYWATCH”, 2005, 2006, 2007 www.ea.gr/ep/sky-watch/

Parallel educational activities

• 11th grade.... (upper secondary education)

Lesson of Astronomy

• ... 5th and 6th grade (primary school)

Lesson of Astronomy

• ... 5th and 6th grade (primary school)

Lesson of Astronomy

• ... 5th and 6th grade (primary school)

Lesson of Astronomy

• ..... and in Kindergarten!

Lesson of Astronomy

• ..... and in Kindergarten!

Lesson of Astronomy

Achievements of our students in contests about Astronomy:• 2nd place in Greek national competition Greece, 2007• Honorable distinction in the pan-European competition

“CATCH A STAR” 2004

Lesson of Astronomy

Rese

arch

pr

ojec

tsResearch & Development Dept of

Ellinogermaniki Agogi

• ΕUDOXOSwww.ea.gr/ep/eudoxos

Res

earc

hpr

ojec

tsResearch & Development Dept of

Ellinogermaniki Agogi

• D-SPACEwww.ea.gr/ep/d-space

Rese

arch

proj

ects

Research & Development Dept of Ellinogermaniki Agogi

• COSMOSwww.ea.gr/ep/cosmos

Sum

mer

sch

ools

For A

stro

nom

y te

ache

rs Research & Development Dept of Ellinogermaniki Agogi

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012Crete, Greece

• Space Camp, Izmir, Turkey

Space Camp

• Space Camp

Space Camp

Venus transit

• June, 2012

Venus transit

• June, 2012

Comet hunt!

• March, 2013

• Opening of our observatory in the local community

Our next step....

““We are voyagers on the Earth through We are voyagers on the Earth through space, as passengers on a ship, and space, as passengers on a ship, and many of us have never thought of any many of us have never thought of any part of the vessel but the cabin where part of the vessel but the cabin where we quartered”we quartered”

S. P. LangleyS. P. Langley

Introduction of Astronomy from kindergarten to

upper secondary education: a holistic approach

Thank you very much!

City College, John Moore University, Athens 2013