My first experience as CAPCOM Conrad with the Flight Director. Let me start with a little background...December of 2015, my coworker (pictured above) asked if I would dress up like an engineer in Mission Control to start a space unit. For those of you who know me, it's no surprise that with absolutely no hesitation, I agreed! He rearranged his room to create a new setup and we chose NASA call signs. I, a fan of alliteration, chose CAPCOM. For those of you unfamiliar with the acronym, it stands for Capsule Communicator. It is the one person on the ground who communicates directly with the astronauts in space. A famous past CAPCOM was Deke Slayton, a Mercury 7 astronaut grounded due to a heart condition. As a teacher, I thought this was the perfect fit. On a daily basis, I take the information given to me by the state standards, administration and district guidelines and communicate this to the kiddos I am working with. You may be thinking, okay, how do I use this in my classroom? Change your classroom jobs to NASA acronyms that best fit the duties. It not only sounds awesome, but it also gives real-world context and significance. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_People_Behind_the_Astronauts.html The awesome Escape Hunt Houston "Houston, We've had a Problem" Room. I would definitely recommend this amazing experience!! I had a blast with my fellow crew mates in the extremely well designed room. * Notice I'm sitting in the CAPCOMM seat :) As a member of the SEEC Crew, I have definitely felt like a CAPCOM. I have been able to go to Space Center Houston and then bring back all that I've learned to Indiana to help inspire teachers and students. I know that space exploration is a high interest topic that can be incorporated in your classroom, regardless of grade level or content area. You just have to be willing to put yourself in the mindset of Mission Control during the Apollo 13 mission. You may be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. If there's one thing that my year in space has taught me, it's how vital everyone's unique strengths are. I'm so thankful for the awesome coworkers and crew members that I've been able to collaborate with on this journey. No one on the crew teaches the same thing in the same environment, but we are all committed to working together, helping other teachers and sharing our passion with students. When people think of NASA, they think of astronauts, but it takes a whole team to get to the moon, build a low-earth orbit ISS laboratory, send Voyager rovers to deep space and eventually send humans to Mars. There are so many Hidden Figures and Unsung Heroes to celebrate. Michael Collins was an Apollo 11 astronaut and the Columbia Command Module Pilot, but his impact is not as well known. While Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon, Collins flew around it, alone and outside radio contact. Without him, the astronauts would not have made it home. A great book for a read aloud or as a whole group or in small groups (depending on your grade level) is The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins by: Bea Uusma Schyffert. This expository non-fiction text has awesome graphics and photos too! Excerpts have been published in Pearson's Reading Street and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Storytown and there are several teaching resources available. I never thought teaching would take me where it has. I also never imagined the huge impact this year in space would have on me. I loved being asked questions about the Solar Eclipse and being able to share resources and experience that with my entire school. I know it was significant for at least one kiddo, because a student came to me and asked if we had any books about eclipses! I was ecstatic to help him find one!
I am now in a new role in a new school and loving it! I am working on updating our library to an Innovation Center. Keeping the space theme, I have labelled the doors with the space programs. Why put up a number one when you can use a Mercury mission patch? The capsule only had room for one astronaut anyway, so it's synonymous to me. I have added awesome NASA Mars posters to the walls showcasing the different skills and people needed to make the mission successful. I will co-teaching to facilitate Genius Hour and my goal is to emphasize the importance to students of finding a passion with a purpose. So, teachers, wherever you are, whatever you're teaching, share your passion! If it's space or STEAM and you want to know how to get started or build on what you already have, I would LOVE to help!! Peace, love and space exploration, CAPCOM CONRAD Signing Off
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AuthorApollo 13 fan. Educator. Lifelong Learner. Third generation Boilermaker. Space Exploration Enthusiast. Collaborator. Click Subscribe to stay updated!Archives
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