Chelen Johnson
This virtual team collects all independent research presented in 2017, and done by NITARP or Spitzer alumni with (or without) students outside of a formal NITARP team.
This experience has reinforced to me the importance of learning science by doing science.
The experience I had at the 2012 AAS meeting as well as the entire NITARP experience will change the way I teach astronomy. Having spent 5 days meeting and discussing authentic scietific research with so many people from many different facilities was extremely rejuvinating as an educator.
I think this [AAS] trip is a crucial part of the program. I learned so much about the many different telescopes, enjoyed the historical presentations, and found the exposure to the more specific research to be beneficial, even if I didn't understand that much about the research itself. It was also a great chance to meet scientists as well as other educators.
