Between January 3rd to 7th, 33 teachers from Chile and other Latin American countries attended the second edition of Latinamerican GTTP Workshop, an Astronomy training initiative for teachers. The activity was organized by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) and National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO); University of California, Berkeley; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Museo Interactivo Mirador; Universidad de La Serena; and Gemini-CONICYT Funding. It also counted on the collaboration of EXPLORA and Embassy of the United States in Chile.
Teachers and students of Pedagogy, both in Physics and Science, attended to this workshop. The worshop was organized by the GTTP representative in Chile and Education and Public Outreach Officer of AUI/NRAO in Chile, Sergio Cabezón. This event was held at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Santiago, and the topics were taught by monitors from this university, Universidad de La Serena; and University of California at Berkeley.
Carl Pennypacker, Rich Lohman and Stephanie Morgado from UC@Berkeley brought material produced by Global Hands-On Universe Association, educational initiative that promotes astronomical investigation by teachers and school students.
Attendants were trained on learning and using different astronomical tools to improve school teaching of science topics such as: using astronomical images, software, virtual telescopes, web cameras, and interdisciplinary exercises and resources, among other tools.
This initiative will benefit around 4,000 scholars, specifically with the use of clearer and easier methodologies to learn astronomy.
The workshop program included: explanation of natural phenomena (i.e. eclipses and supernova), teaching astronomical open software (SalsaJ and Stellarium), measuring digital images, parallax angle calculation, counting galaxies and visiting the Santa Martina Observatory from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
To know more about GTTP and Global Hands-On Universe programs, visit galileoteachers.org and www.globalhou.net.
About AUI/NRAO
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. AUI and NRAO represent the Norteamerican fraction in charge of operation and construction of ALMA radio observatory. AUI and NRAO also operate radiotelescopes in Virginia, New Mexico and through 8000 km from Virgin Islands to Hawaii. In Chile, AUI will be in charge of CCAT telescope, the most precise submillimeter antenna ever designed. For more information: www.nrao.cl.