Published: February 8, 2024
Ms. Ciambra writes:
Locally, I have shared my NITARP experience with the students and faculty at my school, members of the local community through talks at a local library, and members of the wider Vermont community through a talk presented at the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium. Additionally, I shared my NITARP experience with science teachers who I used to work with at a high school in New Hampshire. For the teachers in New Hampshire, I showed them how to access IRSA and some of the ways it is possible to use data. Lastly, the student I worked with and I gave a presentation to the school board and superintendent about our experience.
As a result of NITARP, one thing that I have changed in my astronomy class is that I am much better at explaining various careers you can go into if you are interested in astronomy, and that is because in all of my trips to Caltech you have provided guest speakers from across IPAC which has showed me the wide array of things that you can do if you are interested in astronomy.
In my Astronomy class I am doing an entirely new and added unit all about YSOs and data analysis because of what I learned through NITARP. I have also bolstered another unit related to satellites and the electromagnetic spectrum by showing the students how to use IRSA and what satellites have data that is accessible through IRSA. In this way students are able to experience and use real data to make three-color images, for example.
Since participating in NITARP, I have learned a lot more about different professional development opportunities available to me. Participating in NITARP put me in touch with other teachers who have done really awesome professional development which has inspired me to try to find more exciting opportunities. Lastly, I am now a participant in BINAP [a new alumni effort], which has been both fulfilling and motivating. Through working with other teachers who care and are excited about science, I am trying to incorporate more about NITARP into my classes because I want to have information to share when we all meet.
When I was first accepted to participate in NITARP, my local newspaper interviewed me and ran the article on the front page. It was exciting because I was the first teacher from Vermont chosen to participate in NITARP. After I went and presented at the AAS conference, another article was run about me and my student and what we accomplished throughout the year. Since then, my name in connection with astronomy is more "out there" and I have been contacted by multiple new sources to give information related to the upcoming eclipse (April 2024).
Due to my experience working specifically with Luisa, I make a point to take about my NITARP experience in all of my classes and discuss the role of women in science. I use Luisa as an example of a woman who didn't really like math, which is a subject that prevents a lot of young women from moving forward in a STEM career, but who was able to overcome issues with math when dealt with through a science lens. I try to really drive home the fact that if you are interested in a subject, you can pursue it and be successful regardless of your gender.
Because of NITARP, I am able to better inspire students through showing them that a teacher from a small public school can be accepted to participate in something big and successfully learn and contribute to a research project. Here is something one of my Physical Science students wrote to me after I came back from the AAS conference:
"I just want to let you know how much fun I had in your class this semester. In the first half of the semester I was very nonchalant with my work and didn't really care for it that much. As I progressed through the class and started focusing, I really started to enjoy it. I think that it's very important to have a teacher that motivates you and wants to see improvement in your work and participation in class. When I see you in the newspaper, and going to big events where top tier colleges look at your work, it really motivates me to become a better student."