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Maybe so. That is a question that might
be better answered by a teacher and students of a seventh-grade
Chester-East Lincoln class after their space adventure in February.
Twenty-two students discovered the
thrill and adventure of a trip into space through a morning-long
program at the Challenger Learning Center at the Prairie Aviation
Museum in Bloomington. Students used academic skills that they have
developed -- particularly math, science and technology -- while
working on a real-life simulated space mission at the center.
Six months of preparation and
anticipation brought the best out of students, according to their
teacher, Mr. Doug Rader.
Mr. Radar informed the students
about the program at the start of the school year and challenged
them to start earning points that would qualify them to attend the
limited-enrollment program. Their science studies focused on the
solar system and the universe.
Those who qualified were rewarded
with more challenges when Mr. Radar involved them in some of the
pre-exercises. The students' interest heightened as their learning
grew more focused.
On the day of their mission, the
students arrived at the learning center at 9 a.m. charged up and
ready to be put to the test.
Defining questions that were raised
during the program, such as "What are the parts of a comet?" became
increasingly complex. Yet, no question went unanswered by the
obviously proud and well-prepared students.
In the central mission room they
were introduced to their flight directors, who provided a
pre-mission briefing and assigned each of them roles.
Then they split into two groups,
going to two locations -- either the space station or the mission
control room. Each location had corresponding sophisticated-sounding
teams to work within. Communications and data, remote, probe, life
support, medical, isolation and navigation teams were formed.
As students entered high-tech rooms
they oriented themselves with their fully equipped stations.
Notebooks detailed their job description and procedures.
Now with all in place, everyone
counted down, "Ten, 9, 8 … one, liftoff," and their mission began.
Challenger Center commanders
Janet Moore and Stacey Shrewsbury
facilitated the expedition and rallied the students in the two rooms
for collaborative decisions via video telecommunications.
Students monitored the launch and
flight activities, wearing headsets and observing overhead screens
and computers.
Announcements occasionally
interrupted the flow when unexpected things happened. Using
problem-solving techniques the students directed the mission with
collaborative decisions. Their on-the-spot decisions protected the
astronauts and led to new discoveries.
After completing their first mission
the students were debriefed and given the decision whether to start
a new mission or enter phase two of the first mission. This group
identified a comet and evaluated its significance as important
enough to continue its study.
The students switched locations so
that everyone was able to experience both a space station and the
mission control room.
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The months of advanced preparations
were revealed by students' performance. They were like athletes who
had been in training for an event as they took to their various
assigned roles. Concentration shown on their faces, and a
cooperative, respectful atmosphere dominated the morning. Vocabulary
included terms like "mass density," "spectral analysis" and
"eccentricity."
When the two groups were reunited,
the morning accomplishments were proclaimed with great enthusiasm.
The newly identified celestial body sporting a long tail was aptly
named "C-EL Panthers 7."
The pictures tell the whole story.
All of the students gave it their best. They looked and acted
professional in the high-tech environment.
[click here for the
pictures]
The C-EL superintendent, Ms. Vicky
Childs, caught up to the group at midmorning. Afterward she said she
was impressed with both the program and how she saw it bring out the
best in the students.
The general consensus of the adults
who accompanied the group was, "Cool. Makes me wish I was a kid and
could do this!"
Students from the class who had not
qualified for the space program were given a tour of the Prairie
Aviation Museum by Norm Winkler and the Image Air facility. After
that they attended a celestial program, "Tail of the Comet," at the
ISU Planetarium.
Sponsors
Heritage in Flight Museum of Lincoln
sponsored the C-EL trip.
Mr. Rader was chosen because his
past teaching history demonstrated interest in challenging students
through programs outside the classroom.
Representatives of HIF contacted Mr.
Rader early last summer and offered him the opportunity. The program
included teacher training time, materials for pre- and post-lessons
in the classroom, and the half-day program with students at the
center. Mr. Rader said that he had heard of the program, which
opened a little over a year ago, and was really interested, but he
knew that it was out of reach with the school in financially hard
times.
This was the first class that HIF
sponsored. The members who observed the students at the center were
excited by the quality of the program and plan to sponsor another
group next year.
The Challenger Center
The Challenger Learning Center in
Bloomington is one of 52 in the world. The Bloomington center has
programs designed to suit to all ages. They include social missions
for families and large groups as well as team-building exercises for
the corporate world. The school program remains their emphasis.
You can learn more about the center
at
http://www.challengercentralillinois.org.
You can visit Heritage In Flight
Museum at the Logan County Airport any Friday and Saturday from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
See
http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/
museums/il/hifm/hifm.htm for
a description or visit
http://www.heritageinflight.org/.
[Jan
Youngquist]
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