GAVRT Day 1

What is genuine science?  That is something we were asked today and it really made me stop and think about it's meaning and how I teach it in my classroom.  Some of the responses were that it is a way of thinking, looking at different viewpoints, problem solving, inquiry.  All of them great answers, but I really loved Dr. Steve Levin's answer which was that the universe teaches you, and it shows you you are wrong.  We are curious so we ask questions, try to figure them out, and we are proven wrong time and again.  However, having the perseverance to keep trying to figure the problem is what can eventually lead us to the right answer.  That is what science is and it is such an amazing journey and experience.  I had this personal experience for the first time during our zero gravity experiment and I wished they had taught us this way of thinking in college.  However, at least I learned it somewhat early on in my teaching career.  It is only the first day of the Goldstone NASA Explorer school opportunity and I am already loving every minute of it.  This morning we also talked about the magnetic spectrum, the radio telescopes (tried to calibrate them, but not really behaving), and learned a lot about the Juno satellite that will be leaving for Jupiter in August.  The teachers here are amazing and I am already learning so much from them.  Each person has wonderful information and experiences to share that I can take back to the classroom.  I am so blessed.  Tomorrow we head out to the actual telescopes and I will be sure to post pics! Ask yourself today, what is genuine science?