Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts
9, 10, 11, 12
Ms. Odden was part of the NITARP 2012 class.
Ms. Odden writes, "I am now the Dean of Studies at Phillips Academy and still teaching my astronomy research course."
Ms. Odden writes:
I went to AAS for the first time in 2011, and I have been to every winter meeting since (typically with several students in tow). This year I was not able to bring current students, but four of my former students were in attendance, two presenting, and two just there for the experience. It was a lot of fun. Thanks, NITARP!
Ms. Odden got a nice writeup in the Noble & Greenough School's magazine. Congratulations!
Several NITARP alumni are going to the AAS in Boston, MA this week!
The 2014 class has been announced! This year, we had many fewer spots to offer, and still 4.5 times as many educators applied as we had spots. Caroline Odden and John Gibbs will be our mentor educators for this class. Look for results of their projects in January 2015!
Ms. Odden writes that there is an article in the Andover Magazine on Page 9, and another one on Page 11.
Ms. Odden got some local media coverage.
It is an eye opening and life changing experience for the participants.
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.
High school students are hungry for authentic research experiences, and both high school teachers and students benefit immensely from having contact with a professional astronomer. This may seem inefficient (because it costs a lot of money to connect individuals with professionals), but it can change lives, and there are wonderful ripple effects.
Today [June 2014] I was musing about how NITARP took me to my first AAS in 2012. This summer I went on my own, had a great time connecting with established friends and meeting new ones, and even presented my own poster. I'd say that's some pretty good progress! Thanks for all that you do for us teachers!
This is my third AAS. I understand so much more than I did the first time, but I STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN! This is a fantastic professional development opportunity, and generates so many ideas each time I come.
I love learning about the myriad ways astronomers figure out how to make lemonade out of lemons. It almost seems like cheating sometimes, but it isn't. Astronomers are just so crafty when it comes to figuring out how to make the best use of the data they have.
I didn’t know just how much data is publicly available. Anyone can do astronomy – you just need to come up with a question and figure out how to use the archives.
I knew nothing about the online archives before this experience. Now I am quite familiar with them, and I have even used them a few times for reasons unrelated to NITARP. I am certain I’ll continue to use this resource going forward.
I met a lot of people over the course of [my first AAS]. So many people were interested in chatting, especially with a high school physics teacher!
The time at Caltech was fantastic. I enjoyed working alongside my students in a way that felt very different from the typical classroom setting.
I have a much better sense of what research astronomy is about now, and I think I will have more confidence to try new things (related to astronomy) going forward.
Thank you so much for providing this wonderful experience for my students and for me. I learned a lot, and I had a great time. It was a wonderful to have the chance to work with David and Steve.
NITARP is the best!
Astronomers are a remarkably collaborative lot.
Astronomers are a remarkably collaborative lot. I knew this, but I was amazed by how friendly everyone was [at my first AAS]. For the most part I was clear that I was a teacher, and they probably had nothing to gain by talking to me. For most people, this was not a deterrent.