Introduction of Astronomy from kindergarten to upper secondary education: a holistic approach City College, John Moore University, Athens 2013 Dr. Manos Apostolakis

Innovation Innovation: the deliberate and systematic effort for change in schools through new ideas and techniques (House 1979), mainly about small scale changes aiming at the improvement of specific aspects of school reality (Vandenberghe 1988).

Introduction of innovation According to Fullan (1988) there are 3 phases for the introduction of an innovation: Initiation, Implementation, Institutionalization.

Characteristics of Innovation Morisson (1998) made a literature review and concluded that innovation is: more structural and systematic than superficial and shakes the whole system, a dynamic procedure in the course of time than a single fact, not linear, 1/4

Characteristics of Innovation a multidimensional fact, that includes targets and functions, organization and administration, structure, knowledge, competencies, attitudes, values, roles and relationships, aims of the curriculum resistance and conflict are considered more as opportunities and less as unsurpassable difficulties 2/4

Characteristics of Innovation Demands the involvement of people and the investment in human asset, leads in anxiety and uncertainty as well as in the development of new competencies, A personal as well as a organizational issue, Succeeds or fails due to circumstances 3/4

Characteristics of Innovation Usually comes before change in beliefs and is efficient when it corresponds to existing and real needs, Creative and demands identifying and solving problems 4/4

Astronomy in EA The case of a continuously …expanding innovation or a …holistic approach of astronomy in education.

Official mirror site of NASA (JPL) for mission “Mars Pathfinder” (1998) The beginning...

Our Observatory Our observatory was built in 2007.

Our Observatory It houses a MEADE LX200R telescope, 16’ in diameter f/10 focal length.

Our Observatory The dome of the observatory: 6,3 m diameter, 12m height.

The Observatory

Our observatory has already been used for scientific research in astronomy: – Christou et al, 2009, Astronomy & Astrophysics 497, – Christou et al, 2010, Minor Planet Center Circular, No: – Tsamis, V. & Tigani, K., 2010, Journal for Occultation Astronomy, Vol. 1, Nr. 1, p – Christou et al, 2011, Journal for Occultation Astronomy, Vol. 1, Nr. 2, p. 8-11

Parallel educational activities Siberia 2008 Shanghai 2009 Expeditions of EA track down solar eclipses: Greece 2006

“Impressions from Universe walkabouts” Union of Greek Physicists (International year of Astronomy 2009) Parallel educational activities

European contests “SKYWATCH”, 2005, 2006, Parallel educational activities

11 th grade.... (upper secondary education) Lesson of Astronomy

... 5 th and 6 th grade (primary school) Lesson of Astronomy

... 5 th and 6 th grade (primary school) Lesson of Astronomy

... 5 th and 6 th grade (primary school) Lesson of Astronomy

..... and in Kindergarten! Lesson of Astronomy

..... and in Kindergarten! Lesson of Astronomy

Achievements of our students in contests about Astronomy: 2 nd place in Greek national competition Greece, 2007 Honorable distinction in the pan-European competition “CATCH A STAR” 2004 Lesson of Astronomy

Research projects Research & Development Dept of Ellinogermaniki Agogi ΕUDOXOS /eudoxos

Research projects Research & Development Dept of Ellinogermaniki Agogi D-SPACE

Research projects Research & Development Dept of Ellinogermaniki Agogi COSMOS

Summer schools For Astronomy teachers Research & Development Dept of Ellinogermaniki Agogi 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Crete, Greece

Space Camp, Izmir, Turkey Space Camp

Venus transit June, 2012

Venus transit June, 2012

Comet hunt! March, 2013

Opening of our observatory in the local community Our next step....

“We are voyagers on the Earth through space, as passengers on a ship, and many of us have never thought of any part of the vessel but the cabin where we quartered” S. P. Langley

Introduction of Astronomy from kindergarten to upper secondary education: a holistic approach Thank you very much! City College, John Moore University, Athens 2013