Local Educators To Attend NASA Workshop, Shuttle Launch
March 4, 2008, Ten Middle Tennessee educators have been selected to attend an upcoming NASA workshop and space shuttle launch at Kennedy Space Center as guests of U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon.
The group will attend the workshop on Monday, March 10, as well as the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, which is scheduled for early morning on March 11.
The educators to attend are:
• Donna Golden, Charles “Chick” Knitter and Barbara Sales of Hobgood NASA Explorer School;
• Norma Lewis of Cannon County High School;
• Ronnie Nixon of Greenbrier High School;
• Allen Robnett of Gallatin High School;
• Vickie See of Watertown Elementary School;
• Joann Shriner of Upperman High School;
• Marcia Spurlock of Avery Trace Middle School; and
• Shields Templeton of Homer Pittard Campus School
Gordon, chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, worked with NASA officials to develop an itinerary the teachers can take back to their classrooms to build enthusiasm about math and science among their students. Strengthening math and science education is a cornerstone of Gordon’s America COMPETES Act, which became law last year in an effort to keep the United States competitive in the global marketplace.
“When you ask astronauts, engineers and other scientists what inspired them to enter their fields, most of them will tell you they were inspired by a teacher,” said Gordon. “I hope this experience will give these teachers another way to inspire their students.”
The teachers will begin their experience on Monday morning with a tour of the launch pad, vehicle assembly building and shuttle landing facility at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. In the afternoon, the group will attend professional development workshops with NASA personnel to help the educators develop lessons on rocketry and technology used by astronauts.
The teachers will attend a midnight pre-launch briefing and have VIP access to view the shuttle launch, scheduled to occur at 2:31 a.m. Tuesday.
Endeavour will be making the 25th shuttle mission to the International Space Station to deliver equipment that will aid in the completion of the station.
