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Space Engine and Primary Schools
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| meniaciu | Date: Thursday, 24.03.2016, 17:19 | Message # 31 |
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Observer
Group: Newbies
Pirate
Messages: 4
Status: Offline
| He lives in Portugal
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| Frostbreath | Date: Saturday, 30.04.2016, 13:16 | Message # 32 |
 Space Pilot
Group: Translators
Netherlands
Messages: 118
Status: Offline
| It's been a while since I wrote something here, but it's time for a new update about SpaceEngine and primary schools:
I currently work as a teacher-assistant on a primary school. Two years ago, I ran my first year of intern for teacher at that same school. I had a class with 9-10 year old students and for my birthday, I got them to collect plasitc bottles, out of which we'd make water rockets. The launch had to be delayed because of the terrible weather that afternoon, so I had an alternative program to fill in the time: SpaceEngine. I took the students on a journey through the universe, showing them other stars, exoplanets and even a black hole. They were truly fascinated by it.
Two years later and last Monday, a colleague asks me to take over his class with 11-12 year old students, so he could practice the musical with them in small groups. It so happens that this class is the exact same as the one I decribed above. Guess what? The first thing they asked is if I wanted to teach them more about space and show off that "awesome app with which you can fly through space" again. I was happy to do it, of course.
Like last time, they were super enthusiastic when SpaceEngine showed up on the digiboard. I told them I'm part of the translation team and they wondered if I get paid for it. ;)
I took them on a tour past the solar system's planets. They has thousands of questions and of course I had to fly away from the solar system and show them other planets and the Milky Way. Then, I gave them an assignment: make a brochure about a holiday on a planet or moon of your choice from within the solar system. They loved to do it and the results were amazing.
Once again, SpaceEngine has inspired many students and strongly motivated them to learn about space. It has become a permanent part within my lessons about space. I've never seen a single student disliking it.
Amateur astronomer. Owner of a Celestron C8 telescope and, of course, Space Engine. Translator for Dutch.
Edited by Frostbreath - Saturday, 30.04.2016, 13:17 |
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| Destructor1701 | Date: Saturday, 30.04.2016, 14:24 | Message # 33 |
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Pioneer
Group: Users
Ireland
Messages: 533
Status: Offline
| Man, that's so great. I often think of your original project - it's wonderful to hear that those same students remember and cherish the experience!
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| Frostbreath | Date: Saturday, 30.04.2016, 15:04 | Message # 34 |
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Space Pilot
Group: Translators
Netherlands
Messages: 118
Status: Offline
| Quote Destructor1701 (  ) Man, that's so great. I often think of your original project - it's wonderful to hear that those same students remember and cherish the experience!
That was in fact another class on the same school, a year earlier. =) Still though, it's been an amazing experience.
Amateur astronomer. Owner of a Celestron C8 telescope and, of course, Space Engine. Translator for Dutch.
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| SpaceEngineer | Date: Sunday, 01.05.2016, 10:33 | Message # 35 |
 Author of Space Engine
Group: Administrators
Russian Federation
Messages: 4800
Status: Offline
| Frostbreath, as a lecturer using SE, what suggestions do you have regarding controls, UI etc? This is important to bring SE to schools and planetariums. I have no such experience, so don't know what is need to be changed/upgraded.
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| Frostbreath | Date: Monday, 02.05.2016, 07:04 | Message # 36 |
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Space Pilot
Group: Translators
Netherlands
Messages: 118
Status: Offline
| SpaceEngineer, I currently don't have any suggestions. However, maybe there's one thing...
Many schools use digiboards with a touchscreen which either requires a special pen or the hand.(Note: I do speak for Dutch schools, no idea about other countries) Maybe it would be an idea to make SE better compatible with large touchscreens like that? I'm no programmer though, so I have no idea if that's possible or not, but it could be very useful for teachers for easier navigation through the software.
Amateur astronomer. Owner of a Celestron C8 telescope and, of course, Space Engine. Translator for Dutch.
Edited by Frostbreath - Monday, 02.05.2016, 10:43 |
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| spacer | Date: Monday, 02.05.2016, 08:26 | Message # 37 |
 Star Engineer
Group: Users
Israel
Messages: 1258
Status: Offline
| yeah also here. i am in high school now but in my middle school and first grades school had touch screen with special pen.
i think lot of countries use that tech now
"we began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still"
-carl sagan
-space engine photographer
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| Mosfet | Date: Monday, 02.05.2016, 08:53 | Message # 38 |
 World Builder
Group: Users
Italy
Messages: 754
Status: Offline
| I have no direct experience, but digiboards based on different technologies are in use in Italy, projection interfaces with integrated computers and infrared pens, induction-based surfaces with external notebooks, and so on.
It could be interesting as a matter of fact, to see how the GUI behave in a touch-only environment.
"Time is illusion. Lunchtime doubly so."
Douglas N. Adams
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