CfAO’s Summer Program in ‘Stars, Sight and Science’ Jason Porter September 19, 2001 Center for Visual Science and The Institute of Optics University of

CfAO’s Summer Program in‘Stars, Sight and Science’

Jason Porter

September 19, 2001

Center for Visual Science andThe Institute of OpticsUniversity of Rochester

Center for Adaptive Optics

‘Stars, Sight and Science’ Program

• Required the input and teaching skills of several Center members and institutions:– 8 (11 Total) Undergraduate and Graduate Students

– 1 Post-doctoral Researcher

– 7 (15 Total) Faculty and Industrial Researchers

– 5 Center Institutions (Bausch & Lomb, UCB, UCSC, Houston, Rochester)

• Engaged 15 underrepresented and minority high-school students in activities that gave them a “real science” experience.

• A component of a multi-year CfAO high school partnership program designed to serve students from local minority-serving high schools to show students that math and science are cool and exciting areas and that viable career paths exist in these fields!

• Opportunity for Center grad students and postdocs to practice, implement and expand upon inquiry based learning and teaching techniques learned at the Professional Development Conference (Kona). 2 of 9


Matching Pedagogy to Purpose:

Inquiry-based Open-ended, Hands-On Activities

Lesson from Professional Development Conference (Kona):

Teachers need to first inquire about and pay attention to the students thinking, knowledge, skills and attitudes in order to create classroom tasks and conditions that will reveal student thinking and stimulate learning.

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Hand’s On Challenge Activities


Students abilities to acquire organized sets of facts and skills are enhanced when they are connected to meaningful problem-solving activities, and when students are helped to understand why, when and how those facts and skills are relevant.

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Guided Activities


Sometimes guided activities are required to illustrate a particular fact or teach a specific skill. Depending on the teaching purpose, guided activities can be designed to leave room for inquiry and student exploration.

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Conducting Research and Disseminating Knowledge• Each student conducted and led their own research project. They were

responsible for collecting and analyzing their data.• The students were also required to present their work as a PowerPoint slide

show in a fashion that their fellow peers and families could understand.• A project conducted by two students was to design a website describing

their groups’ experiences and the lessons learned from the program: http://cfao.ucolick.org/~ncruz/Home_Page.html

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Future Directions and Careers

• A vast majority (86%) of the students stated the most valuable parts of the experience were the intangibles, such as interacting with the grad students.

– Discussing our high school and college experiences and future plans.

– Discussing their high school experiences and future plans.

– Seeing that scientists and researchers are “real people.”

• Many students greatly appreciated the field trip experiences: Lick observatory, Berkeley School of Optometry.

• Students were shown, through presentations, interactions and field trips, that viable career paths exist in astronomy and vision science.

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What’s Next?• Extremely successful and rewarding experience, but it doesn’t end here!

• Continue the “Stars, Sight and Science” program next year with similar projects in hand.

• Better accommodate the broad range of students’ abilities: Cater the projects to better facilitate those not challenged enough.

• Return to the three high schools throughout the year to follow up with students in their regular classroom environment.– Jason Porter to teach some classes at Watsonville High on September 20.

• Development of mentoring programs to continue contact with students and carry the momentum generated from this program.– Paired Mentoring Projects: Academic year science projects, preparing for college,

scholarships, etc.

LONG-TERM GOAL (high school partnerships):

• Increase the number of underrepresented students from CfAO partner high schools who are prepared and motivated to pursue a college degree in science.

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Thanks to CfAO for allowing me to participate!

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• Extremely rewarding experience!– Have received 11 e-mails and 6 e-cards from students already!

• Website designed specifically for the ‘Stars, Sight and Science’ Vision Course may be found at:

– http://www.chemistry.ucsc.edu/COSVIS/

• Website designed by students Leo Garcia and Monique Torres detailing the group’s experiences may temporarily be found at:– http://cfao.ucolick.org/~ncruz/Home_Page.html


List of ParticipantsUndergrad and Grad Students:Phil Choi

Lara Foland (C)

Sasha Hinkley (C)

Patrick Jonsson (C)

Joy Martin

Anne Metevier (C)

Malika Moutawakkil (C)

Stuart Norton (C)

Jason Porter (C)

Lynne Raschke (C)

Scott Seagroves

Faculty and Industrial Researchers:Bruce Bridgeman Jim Lewis Ian Cox (C) Patrick McKercherSandy Faber (C) Gene SwitkesEllie Gates (C) Ed RevelliJennifer Gille Austin Roorda (C)Lisa Hunter (C) Raja Guha Thakurta (C)David Kliger David Williams (C)David Koo

Postdoctoral Researchers:Eric Steinbring (C)

High-School Representative:Burnne Yew

C indicates CfAO member11

Documents

CfAO’s Summer Program in ‘Stars, Sight and Science’ Jason Porter September 19, 2001 Center for Visual Science and The Institute of Optics University of