Grand Rapids — Joline Andrews’ interest in science and space was born out of necessity.
Years ago, the fifth-grade teacher at Southwest Elementary found herself in charge of science lessons — that’s just how things shook out with the Spanish-English school’s staffing at the time. Despite having no prior experience in the field, she dove right in. And she loved it.
“I had to teach science, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so cool,’” Andrews said. “It was never my favorite subject in school or anything, but I want to make it students’ favorite subject. I love it when they get excited about it.”
This summer, Andrews participated in the LiftOff Summer Institute offered by the University of Texas Center for Space Research and NASA. There, she got plenty of ideas about how to give students like her — who perhaps don’t believe themselves to be naturally science-minded — a gentle nudge toward an appreciation of STEM, so they can find out just how rewarding it can be.
The weeklong institute took place at Johnson Space Center in Houston in late June. Around 50 educators from 24 states took part in the program, which used space education to increase teachers’ knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math through workshops, hands-on activities, field investigations and more.
Participants learned from astronauts, researchers and other aerospace professionals about how space exploration drives innovation. They also shared ideas for how to highlight space education in their classrooms.
‘I just want to give my students new ideas of all the possibilities that are out there.’
— Fifth-grade teacher Joline Andrews
Learning from Storied Space-travelers
Andrews learned about LiftOff as a result of her involvement with another summer program, the National Air and Space Museum’s Teacher Innovator Institute, during which she made connections with teacher groups on social media. These educators often share ideas and opportunities for professional development, and LiftOff was heavily recommended.
It looked like a great opportunity to Andrews, who received a sponsorship from the Michigan Space Grant Consortium to attend.
“It’s very space-heavy,” she said of the institute. “Obviously I love space, and I’m interested in space, but it is also a topic that we cover in fifth grade.”
When participating teachers weren’t touring NASA facilities, they spent the bulk of their time at Johnson Space Center, networking and attending various presentations and workshops led by some storied space-travelers.
“Fred Haise, who was from the Apollo 13 mission, he came and talked to us about his experience. … It was so amazing,” Andrews said. “And Daniel Tani, an astronaut who’s been on the International Space Station, he came and spoke to us as well.”
The theme of this summer’s institute focused on Mars, and Andrews and her fellow participants learned from industry professionals about what it would take to grow vegetation on the Red Planet.
She also got to tour mission control sites for the Apollo and Artemis missions and the International Space Station, as well as NASA’s Building 9, which houses the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility for astronaut training.
‘So jazzed about space’
Andrews said she loved learning about the various career opportunities at NASA — each one a potential inroad for student interest.
“Obviously you hear about astronauts, but there’s graphic designers, there’s photographers, there’s mathematicians — there’s so many jobs that go into it,” she said. “I just want to give my students new ideas of all the possibilities that are out there.
“Maybe you’re interested in space but you know math is not your strong suit. There’s still a possibility of how you could take your love of space and combine it with something else and still work for NASA, even if you’re not great at math.”
Another standout moment was collaborating with other educators and hearing about how they encourage students to think like scientists.
One of those ideas might make its way into her own classroom in the future: a lesson challenging students to design the worst pencil possible. The assignment is a unique, conceptual approach to STEM critical thinking. By designing something that doesn’t work, students have the opportunity to learn, in a non-traditional way, what does, and why, without focusing too much on perfection, Andrews said.
“There’s a lot of ways that you can make students be more creative but not be worried about the right answer or being the best,” she said.
At the moment, she’s not exactly sure how she’ll apply lessons from the institute in the classroom, but that will come in time. For now, she’s just grateful for the experience, and excited to tell her students all about it.
“I think the more I’ve done these programs, the more amazed I am at space, and the more I think it’s such a good way to get kids engaged in science, because it’s something you can see when you walk outside at night,” she said. “I’m just so jazzed about space.”
Read more from Grand Rapids:
• Poetry an outlet for ‘righteous anger,’ says award-winning writer
• What drives him? A desire to advocate, educate & represent
