Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Monday morning we visit the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Here they explore the field of Particle Physics. It is the second largest accelerator in the world. CERN in Geneva is the largest now.
Absolutely interesting was the meeting with Robert S. Peterson. He is the Education Program Leader at the Laboratory.
He made a low cost Cosmic Ray Detector to be used on High school throughout the world. Combined with a website where all the students can stall and share their data. On a couple of occasions students made some remarkable discoveries. Extremely helpful for the ‘adult’ scientists. it is becoming a lively student/scientist community.
Fermilab is situated on a large stretch of original Prairie.
On the same premises, the Lederman Science Center is situated. Here the primary and middle school kids can attend Physics workshops and Field trips.
Some schools literally fly in for the workshop in the morning and fly back the same day.
Talking about popularity!
The Monday afternoon meeting will be at the Chicago Public Schools.
Absolutely interesting was the meeting with Robert S. Peterson. He is the Education Program Leader at the Laboratory.
He made a low cost Cosmic Ray Detector to be used on High school throughout the world. Combined with a website where all the students can stall and share their data. On a couple of occasions students made some remarkable discoveries. Extremely helpful for the ‘adult’ scientists. it is becoming a lively student/scientist community.
Fermilab is situated on a large stretch of original Prairie.
On the same premises, the Lederman Science Center is situated. Here the primary and middle school kids can attend Physics workshops and Field trips.
Some schools literally fly in for the workshop in the morning and fly back the same day.
Talking about popularity!
The Monday afternoon meeting will be at the Chicago Public Schools.
first day off sunday oct 3rd
This is actually our first day off. We arrived yesterday at o’Hare airport Chicago.
Chicago is the 3rd large city in the U.S. Home of the Bears and the Socks. No need to mention it but Chicago is a totally different city compared to Washington the “ bubble”.
It actually has a skyline, which is awesome. Home of jazz & blues. Directly on Lake Michigan it is a place to fall in love with. Here we visit the Hancock hi rise. Day and night all mixed up.
At night we had a nice ‘ family dinner’. Homemade Curry made in my hotel room kitchen. The guys did the cooking. The woman went on shopping. It was a precious evening.
Tomorrow we’ll get to visit Fermilab in Batavia Illinois
Chicago is the 3rd large city in the U.S. Home of the Bears and the Socks. No need to mention it but Chicago is a totally different city compared to Washington the “ bubble”.
It actually has a skyline, which is awesome. Home of jazz & blues. Directly on Lake Michigan it is a place to fall in love with. Here we visit the Hancock hi rise. Day and night all mixed up.
At night we had a nice ‘ family dinner’. Homemade Curry made in my hotel room kitchen. The guys did the cooking. The woman went on shopping. It was a precious evening.
Tomorrow we’ll get to visit Fermilab in Batavia Illinois
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Pakistan
My dear friend and fellow participant Mr. Imdad Ali from Pakistan ans I had an interesting discussion about the role the Taliban has in Pakistan. Western people like me thinking of Pakistan come up with two issues. Of course there is the flooding closely followed by the Taliban influence in the Swat valley area.
Please watch the short documentary by Declan Walsh. It shows the colorful festival ' Sehwan Sharif ' close to the place Imdad lives. Please pay special attention during the last minute of the spoken text. That’s exactly what the most of the Pakistani think. Click here of see the link on the right.
Please watch the short documentary by Declan Walsh. It shows the colorful festival ' Sehwan Sharif ' close to the place Imdad lives. Please pay special attention during the last minute of the spoken text. That’s exactly what the most of the Pakistani think. Click here of see the link on the right.
Friday, October 1, 2010
our visit to the Sheridan school in Washington
Here we see eleven year old experimenting with ice, water, and a sensor. The topic is the weather.
more later.
more later.
last night breaking news
President Obama speaks in front of young Democrates. The issue is cutting back budget on Education as the Republicans seems to want.
dag 4
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
At the NASA Goddard Space flight center in Maryland. Here we got a look at the developing of the Hubble Telescope follow up.
A truly amazing piece of engineering. Here they do all the testing.
After that a glimpse of the education activities conducted by the NASA. We met some young and enthusiastic people developing all kind of applications to visualize NASA data.
In the afternoon we had a panel discussion with Dr. George DeBoer (AAAS) and Dr. James Fey. (NSF)
Briefly about having a national standard on STEM education. Top down as we are used to, that’s not a problem. But dealing with 52 different States, 15000 school districts and local authorities. Its like trying to establish a new government in Belgium
At the NASA Goddard Space flight center in Maryland. Here we got a look at the developing of the Hubble Telescope follow up.
A truly amazing piece of engineering. Here they do all the testing.
After that a glimpse of the education activities conducted by the NASA. We met some young and enthusiastic people developing all kind of applications to visualize NASA data.
In the afternoon we had a panel discussion with Dr. George DeBoer (AAAS) and Dr. James Fey. (NSF)
Briefly about having a national standard on STEM education. Top down as we are used to, that’s not a problem. But dealing with 52 different States, 15000 school districts and local authorities. Its like trying to establish a new government in Belgium
dag 3 middag
After lunch. We visit the U.S. Department of State. Harry S. Truman building.
Only to enter after some heavy Airport Security XL. Ms. Clinton could be at her office.
We met Mr James Brown (alive an kick’n) Assistant Director for Advocacy, Office of Public Affairs American Chemical Society. (this one is for you Dave)
And Zipporah Miller ( Associate Executive Director, Professional Programs and Conferences National Science Teachers Association).
These representatives will address efforts to improve STEM education in de U.S.
Than up to ‘The Hill’
On Capital Hill we are guests at the office of Congressman Bart Gordon. He’s the congressman of the state of Tennessee.
He is currently the Chairman of the House of Science and Technology Committee.
Only to enter after some heavy Airport Security XL. Ms. Clinton could be at her office.
We met Mr James Brown (alive an kick’n) Assistant Director for Advocacy, Office of Public Affairs American Chemical Society. (this one is for you Dave)
And Zipporah Miller ( Associate Executive Director, Professional Programs and Conferences National Science Teachers Association).
These representatives will address efforts to improve STEM education in de U.S.
Than up to ‘The Hill’
On Capital Hill we are guests at the office of Congressman Bart Gordon. He’s the congressman of the state of Tennessee.
He is currently the Chairman of the House of Science and Technology Committee.
dag 3 ochtend
Even een inhaalslag. We maken met zijn allen erg lange dagen. Voor degene die thuiszitten, het lijkt echt op werken.
Today we had a meeting at the IIE (institute of international Education). This building is more or less our home office.
Briefly.
We had a panel discussion with: (hold on) Ms. Alice Gill.(senior associate Director, Educational Issues Department. AFT)
Founded in 1916. Today they stand for higher professional standards and better salaries. (amongst lot of other issues ).
Robert Boege (Director, Policy and Programs American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. AACTE). And Mary Harrill-McClellan. (The Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America. ASTRA)
I know about a trillion abbreviations by now.
We are having a steam-course of the American system of education that differs so much from the system we know.
By know I’m for sure were getting experts on the subject.
Mind you that this is a (very) short version of the meetings in order to keep the BLOG readable.
Today we had a meeting at the IIE (institute of international Education). This building is more or less our home office.
Briefly.
We had a panel discussion with: (hold on) Ms. Alice Gill.(senior associate Director, Educational Issues Department. AFT)
Founded in 1916. Today they stand for higher professional standards and better salaries. (amongst lot of other issues ).
Robert Boege (Director, Policy and Programs American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. AACTE). And Mary Harrill-McClellan. (The Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America. ASTRA)
I know about a trillion abbreviations by now.
We are having a steam-course of the American system of education that differs so much from the system we know.
By know I’m for sure were getting experts on the subject.
Mind you that this is a (very) short version of the meetings in order to keep the BLOG readable.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Dag 2
Them Americans shure make long hours!
Today the first meeting at the U.S. Department of Education. Same safety procedures as a airport check-in. Om een goed beeld te krijgen van onderwijs in de States krijgen we van Dr. Patricia Johnson (Head of Math and Science Department) een stoomcursus U.S. Education system. Bottom up in plaats van Top down als in de rest van de wereld.
De invloed van de Federale regering is minimaal. Local authorities make the difference.
Om in dit blog alles uit de doeken te doen gaat wat ver. Onderwijs wordt betaald middels belasting op eigen grond en eigen huis. You will not want to live in a state like Mississippi where the houses won’t sell. Beverly Hills is the place to be.
Na de lunch een afspraak op de U.S Department of State. Hier heeft Hillary haar kantoor. So, securitywise, it took a wile to get in.
Hier een ‘ panel discussion’ met de mensen die verantwoordelijk zijn voor de invoering van het STEM onderwijs in de U.S.
Het is hun gelukt voor de eerste keer een nationale standaard neer te zetten (voor 45 staten). Dat is de eerste keer sinds het bestaan van de V.S. Onderdeel van het plan is tevens: ‘ Recruit and train 100.000!! great STEM teachers over the next decade!’ . Verder nog een presentatie van ‘The Globe Program’ door de directeur hiervan. Ph.D. Teresa J. Kennedy. Een mooi mondiaal programma om op jonge leeftijd de kinderen te enthousiastmeren voor onderzoek. We’ll check it out
Morgen op bezoek op Capitol Hill. So maybe?
Today the first meeting at the U.S. Department of Education. Same safety procedures as a airport check-in. Om een goed beeld te krijgen van onderwijs in de States krijgen we van Dr. Patricia Johnson (Head of Math and Science Department) een stoomcursus U.S. Education system. Bottom up in plaats van Top down als in de rest van de wereld.
De invloed van de Federale regering is minimaal. Local authorities make the difference.
Om in dit blog alles uit de doeken te doen gaat wat ver. Onderwijs wordt betaald middels belasting op eigen grond en eigen huis. You will not want to live in a state like Mississippi where the houses won’t sell. Beverly Hills is the place to be.
Na de lunch een afspraak op de U.S Department of State. Hier heeft Hillary haar kantoor. So, securitywise, it took a wile to get in.
Hier een ‘ panel discussion’ met de mensen die verantwoordelijk zijn voor de invoering van het STEM onderwijs in de U.S.
Het is hun gelukt voor de eerste keer een nationale standaard neer te zetten (voor 45 staten). Dat is de eerste keer sinds het bestaan van de V.S. Onderdeel van het plan is tevens: ‘ Recruit and train 100.000!! great STEM teachers over the next decade!’ . Verder nog een presentatie van ‘The Globe Program’ door de directeur hiervan. Ph.D. Teresa J. Kennedy. Een mooi mondiaal programma om op jonge leeftijd de kinderen te enthousiastmeren voor onderzoek. We’ll check it out
Morgen op bezoek op Capitol Hill. So maybe?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
dag 2 de ochtend
Dag 2
De ochtend
De drukste dag zou vandaag zijn er daar is geen woord van gelogen. Eight o’clock sharp stond de limousine service voor de deur. Om 21.30 kon ik de deur van hotelkamer weer openen.
Locatie voor de eerste meeting was the National Museum of the American Indian. Een enorm gebouw (daar zijn er meer van in Washington) zonder hoeken. Abgeect . Geesten hebben zo geen kans om zich te verstoppen.
Het eerste onderdeel was met de mensen die dit programma mogelijk maakten en verder begeleiden. Allen werkzaam bij de U.S. Department of State. What do we personally want to achieve on this mission. Zoveel mensen, zoveel landen en zoveel wensen. Er wordt door de mensen hier hard gewerkt om iedereen antwoord op zijn of haar vragen te geven. Meiden in de science is een ‘hot topic’ in de VS en ik kom op genoeg plekken waar ze op dit gebied het voortouw nemen.
Tweede onderdeel van de ochtend was een bijeenkomst (briefing) met Dr Kent Hughes.
(director,Science, Technology, America, and the Global Economy Woodrow Wilson Center of International Scholars) Met in zijn kielzog een tiental mensen van ‘The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows’ .
(Men houd hier wel van lange titels.) Zij zijn ‘The movers and shakers of science in the VS’. Inhoudelijk te omvattend om in dit blog uiteen te zetten.
Met alle kleuren en nationaliteiten rond de tafel is het net een vergadering van de UN.
Filmpje is in de maak.
De ochtend
De drukste dag zou vandaag zijn er daar is geen woord van gelogen. Eight o’clock sharp stond de limousine service voor de deur. Om 21.30 kon ik de deur van hotelkamer weer openen.
Locatie voor de eerste meeting was the National Museum of the American Indian. Een enorm gebouw (daar zijn er meer van in Washington) zonder hoeken. Abgeect . Geesten hebben zo geen kans om zich te verstoppen.
Het eerste onderdeel was met de mensen die dit programma mogelijk maakten en verder begeleiden. Allen werkzaam bij de U.S. Department of State. What do we personally want to achieve on this mission. Zoveel mensen, zoveel landen en zoveel wensen. Er wordt door de mensen hier hard gewerkt om iedereen antwoord op zijn of haar vragen te geven. Meiden in de science is een ‘hot topic’ in de VS en ik kom op genoeg plekken waar ze op dit gebied het voortouw nemen.
Tweede onderdeel van de ochtend was een bijeenkomst (briefing) met Dr Kent Hughes.
(director,Science, Technology, America, and the Global Economy Woodrow Wilson Center of International Scholars) Met in zijn kielzog een tiental mensen van ‘The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows’ .
(Men houd hier wel van lange titels.) Zij zijn ‘The movers and shakers of science in the VS’. Inhoudelijk te omvattend om in dit blog uiteen te zetten.
Met alle kleuren en nationaliteiten rond de tafel is het net een vergadering van de UN.
Filmpje is in de maak.
Monday, September 27, 2010
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