Teacher Workshops in Astronomy
- ATNF Teacher Workshops
- Workshop for VCE Teachers with VSSEC & Scienceworks
- Out & On Top of the World Science Teacher Tour to Hawai'i
- Other Teacher Professional Development Sessions
The CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility runs workshops to support science teachers around Australia. In addition to those we run ourselves our Education Officer and other staff present sessions at professional development opportunities organised by other groups such as the Australian Science Teachers Association and the various state Science Teachers' associations.
Details on recent and upcoming ATNF workshops or other workshop sessions are provided below.
ATNF Teacher Workshops for 2010
Semester 1 of 2010:
- Astronomy from the Ground Up! is our annual three-day workshop held at the Parkes Observatory, in the shadow of "The Dish". The 2010 workshop runs from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 May. It targets the requirements of junior Science syllabi from around Australia whilst also providing depth and enrichment for teachers of senior physics. Teachers meet professional astronomers, hear lectures on different aspects of astronomy including some of the latest discoveries and tour the radio telescope. Emphasis is placed on practical and hands-on activities to take back and use in the classroom. Explore the wonderful dark night skies through optical telescopes. Participants also receive an extensive range of resources. We are hoping that this workshop will also qualify as a Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) workshop, providing international certifcation for participants. If you are interested in finding out more about this workshops please click here for further details and registration. Places are limited.
- Astrophysics for Physics Teachers is a one-day workshop held at our Marsfield headquarters near Sydney on Friday 26 March 2010. It covers the theory required for parts of the Cosmic Engine core topic and Astrophysics option for the NSW Stage 6 Physics syllabus although the content is also suitable for teachers from other states. A range of professional astronomers discuss techniques used in modern astronomy and what their observations reveal about the Universe. Participants discuss practical ideas for addressing syllabus requirements with their students and receive a range of useful resources including a CD-Rom packed with software and other material. Click here for more details and registration.
Go here for Workshop Registration
Workshop on Teaching Astronomy & Astrophysics in 20101 (VCE) with VSSEC and Scienceworks
Teaching Astronomy & Astrophysics in 2010 is a one-day workshop held in collaboration with VSSEC and the Melbourne Planetarium aimed at teachers teaching VCE Physics. The workshop will be conducted at Scienceworks museum.
Date: Wednesday April 28th, 2010
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Venue: Scienceworks, 2 Booker St, Spotswood, Victoria
Cost: $100 plus GST (Total Cost: $110) (this includes cost of materials and catering)
For the program, more details and registration please visit the workshop page at VSSEC (external link).
Out and On Top of the World Science Teacher Tour to Hawai`i
Come and join a group of colleagues on an exciting and stimulating professional development tour to Hawai'i in September and October 2010. The focus of this tour is a workshop on astronomy presented by some of the best astronomy educators in the US. This is followed by a behind-the-scenes trip to the 4,200m summit of Mauna Kea to visit some of the world's largest optical telescopes such as Gemini. You'll also have the chance to explore the night skies with a viewing night at almost 3,000m plus visit other astronomy and space sites.
The trip isn't just about astronomy though. We will also visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to view Kilauea, explore the unique ecosystems of the Hawaiian chain and visit other cultural sites.
Place are limited for this opportunity and prompt bookings are encouraged to reserve a place. Visit the tour webpage for more details.
Other Workshop Sessions and Talks
Our Education Officer, Robert Hollow, presents numerous workshop sessions at other teacher professional development days around Australia. In 2010 ATNF will be collaborating with other organisations to run specific events. Future sessions include:
A. STAV/AIP Physics Conference
Friday 5 February, Monash University, Clayton Victoria.
2010 STAV/AIP Physics Conference
Workshop session B1 (time tbc)
Title: Using Authentic Astronomical Data in Investigations & Activities.
Abstract: Astronomy is undergoing a revolution in the size and availability of real data, much of it freely and publicly available via the web. Rather than use simplified or fake data and examples, students can now access the same data as used by professional astronomers and use it to make their own discoveries. This workshop presents several schemes bringing real data to students including SkyServer, Galaxy Zoo and PULSE@Parkes. Examples of how to incorporate this into a range of classroom activities, ranging from traditional printed handouts to online and interactive use are presented. Possibilities for both guided and open-ended investigations will be discussed.
B. CONASTA 59, 4 - 7 July, Sydney, NSW
There will be astronomy-related workshoops during CONASTA 59 held at the University of Technology Sydney, 4 - 7 July. More details once workshop submissions and the program have been finalised.
More Information?
If you would like to know more about any upcoming workshops or are interested in having one of our staff present a session at an upcoming event, please contact our Education Officer, Robert Hollow for more information. He can be reached on:
Phone: 02 9372 4247
Fax: 02 9372 4444
Email: Robert.Hollow@csiro.au