Chelen Johnson
C-CWEL (Continuing Cool WISE ExpLoration of BRC 38): Continuing on some work started by the C-WAYS team last year, this team is using Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) infrared images to search for newly forming stars in bright rimmed cloud (BRC) 38.
I will say that I think part of every good astronomy (or any science) research project is asking a question you don't know the answer to, and I hope that as a teacher I can bring that back to my class. Along with asking questions, both collaboration and organization are important parts of working together for science.
The most interesting thing I learned was that it is possible for very young students to wrap their heads around complex “higher level” science if they are motivated and engaged.
I already had a pretty good idea of how astronomers do science, but NITARP helped me see more exactly how data is collected, processed, and analyzed. It helped me also see that I can do astronomy myself, and can make a contribution beyond my own classroom. Not only can I analyze astronomical data to find scientifically useful results, but I can publish my work as a poster and be part of this community. I did not feel like a stranger or usurper or even out of place – it felt like I belonged.
