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AAS - 2016

The Winter American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting is the largest meeting of professional astronomers in the world. NITARP educators attend an AAS first to meet their team, then they go home and work remotely for much of the year, and then attend an AAS to present their results.  At any given AAS, then, we could have two NITARP classes attending - those finishing up, and those getting started. Reload to see a different set of quotes.

The 2015 and 2016 NITARP teams attended the 2016 January AAS meeting in Kissimmee, FL. The 2015 class was presenting results and the 2016 class was starting up. We had many alumni raise money to come back as well. We sent about 50 people to the AAS and had a grand time. Please see the special article on NITARP at the AAS, and a special article on NITARP alumni at the AAS. All of the posters we presented are here:

Quotes

  • The NITARP experience inspires students to participate in research and inspires teachers to find a place in their work (either in a club, the classroom, or new programs) for authentic research. For me, personally, this year of working along with students to learn about black holes has shaped my pedagogical view that real research should be the basis for all science courses.
  • [student:] Now I realize that school is so easy compared to what we did!
  • [Now,] I actively search for ways to give my students actual research experience and try to have it so they are working collaboratively with students outside their school. While this is not for all students[...] I offer to anyone who wants to take it on. Currently I have 3 different projects in the works. [...] I now seek out other teachers and opportunities outside of my own school (as well as within).
  • [student:] When we do experiments or labs [in school], I look at our data collection and results very different[ly]. It has made the rest of my schooling seem insignificant in retrospect, just because so much of it is copying word for word out of a textbook.
  • Since starting with NITARP, my Astronomy Research Course has grown by leaps and bounds. Much of this has to do with conversation I have and connections I make at the AAS each year.

Related Teams

AAS - 2016