OSGC Educational Resources Blog

Back in January of 2008, Online Education Database writer Heather Johnson posted an excellent article listing 100 sources for free online education podcasts.  The article, titled Skip the Tuition: 100 Free Podcasts from the Best Colleges in the World, includes audio and video course content from such schools as Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and UCLA. 

Whether you just want to brush up on an old subject or expand your knowlege base, these podcasts provide a free and flexible alternative to traditional courses.  All you need is an MP3 player and an internet connection for downloading the content.

Check out Heather’s post at the following URL:
http://oedb.org/library/beginning-online-learning/skip-the-tuition:-100-free-podcasts-from-the-best-colleges-in-the-world

Responding to evidence that Hispanics are underrepresented in science careers in the United States, Earth & Sky, -“a clear voice for science” – on radio and web – requested and has now received a major grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to produce 600 science radio spots in Spanish over the next three years.

A community-based Website for Cielo y Tierra will launch in early 2008. Like the Earth & Sky website at http://www.earthsky.org/  , it will feature science news, blogs and daily sky information – all in Spanish. Updates regarding the new website will be available soon.

Five sample shows of Cielo y Tierra are available at the following link. http://www.earthsky.org/extra/50608/spanish

What do you think is NASA’s greatest exploration achievement in the past 50 years, and why? That is the question NASA is asking students for the Second Annual 21st Century Explorer Podcast Competition. Students will create an audio recording or video — running one minute or less — with their answer to the question.

The contest is open to U.S. citizens, ages 11 to 18. Entries will be judged on content, creativity, execution, clarity and overall impression. The 15 finalists in each format (audio and video) and each age category (ages 11-14 and ages 15-1 will be displayed on the contest Web site, where the public will vote for and select a “People’s Choice” winner. Prizes will also be awarded for first, second and third place. Winners will be announced on the Web site Feb. 28, 2008.

Entries are being accepted now through Jan. 4, 2008, or when the first 1,000 entries in each category are received.

For more information, including tips for creating audio and video podcasts, visit: http://www.explorationpodcast.com/

NASA EDGE. One NASA. Two hosts. Twenty thousand plus rocket scientists. We have liftoff!

NASA EDGE is different. Unscripted and unpredictable, NASA EDGE takes a unique look in and around the greatest space program on the planet.

Whether it’s the latest launch or the coolest gadgets, NASA EDGE hosts provide an offbeat, funny and informative look behind the NASA curtain. If you’ve ever wanted to learn about NASA but thought you needed to be a rocket scientist, wait no longer. Watch NASA EDGE and embrace your inner astronaut.

You can download the video podcasts from the NASA EDGE website or from iTunes.
http://www.nasa.gov/nasaedge

More than any other time in space exploration history, it’s an exciting age for educators and students to be part of. Before the end of the next decade, NASA astronauts will return to the moon. This time, we’re planning to stay, building outposts and paving the way for eventual journeys to Mars and beyond. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s explorers.

In 2008, NASA will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Sometimes, in order to look forward, we must take a step back to study the past. Because of this, we want to ask - What do you think is NASA’s greatest exploration achievement in the past 50 years and why?

That’s the question this competition asks of students ages 11-18. Sponsored by the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and in collaboration with NASA, the second annual 21st Century Explorer Podcast Competition challenges students to create unique audio and video podcasts.

Running from October 1 through January 4, this competition is open to United States citizens ages 11-18. Students are grouped into two age divisions: 11-14 and 15-18. Students in each division will submit an entry in one of two separate categories of their choosing: audio podcast or video podcast. First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded in each age group and category within that age group. An additional “People’s Choice Award”, selected by the public, will honor one podcast for each age division.

Only one entry may be submitted for each student. More competition details and the entry form can be found at the 21st Century Explorer Podcast Competition website at http://www.explorationpodcast.com . Students under 18 need written consent from a parent or guardian.

All work needs to be original. Any use of copyrighted material will disqualify the entry.

So students, grab a computer, mic, and/or video camera and get busy. The competition begins October 1, and ends after the first 1,000 entries are submitted in each category OR at midnight on January 4, whichever comes first.

And teachers, encourage your students to put on their thinking caps, reflect on the past, and see how it connects to the future. This is a wonderful opportunity to take a close look at where space exploration may take 21st Century explorers!

Winners will be announced at the 3rd Space Exploration Conference in Denver, CO on February 28, 2008. Following the announcement, all winning entries will be posted on the competition website.

http://www.explorationpodcast.com

This week’s NASA Student Opportunities Podcast goes underwater to interview Educator Astronaut Ricky Arnold. On Aug. 6, 2007, Arnold and the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, 13 crew began a 10-day undersea mission aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Aquarius Underwater Laboratory.

The crew is testing lunar exploration concepts and long-duration spaceflight medical objectives. The mission comes at an exciting time — while Arnold is on Aquarius, mission specialist Barbara Morgan is making the first spaceflight of an Educator Astronaut on the STS-118 shuttle mission. Both missions carry with them plant growth chambers used for research related to NASA’s Engineering Design Challenge.

To hear Arnold discuss lunar exploration, NASA’s Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber and student involvement with the space agency, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/nso

Sound Science is OMSI’s weekly podcast. A podcast is a radio show you download on the internet. Your computer can subscribe to the show, and automatically download new episodes. A new episode is posted every Friday. The podcasts cover many science topics and answer your questions! To listen to the latest podcast or ask a question for future shows, visit our website!

http://www.omsi.edu/podcast/

A team of scientists has used hydrophones – like a special “ear” for listening to sounds underwater – to learn more about earthquakes, ice sheets and marine life in Antarctica.  Visit the Earth & Sky website to listen to the podcast and some of the fascinating sounds the science team recorded.  You might hear a humpback whale, an underwater earthquake, or a shifting iceberg. 

Earth & Sky website:
http://www.earthsky.org/radioshows/51322/a-symphony-of-underwater-sounds-in-antarctica.html

More Information from the Oregon State University website:
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/newsarch/2007/Mar07/antarctic.html

Sounds From the Southern Ocean Blog:
http://hmscblog.blogspot.com/

Photo and Video Archive:
http://oregonstate.edu/events/newsevents/antarctic/

As Charles Simonyi’s adventure on the International Space Station unfolds, children are encouraged to visit the entrepreneur’s website to ask him questions about his experiences in space. The website includes lots of interactive content including a space quiz, live mission coverage, podcasts, and links to more information.

Visit Charles Simonyi’s website here:
http://www.charlesinspace.com/

Make: is going to space! Have you ever wanted to go up into space? Well, you don’t have to win a golden ticket, be a millionaire, or an astronaut… you can send your own payload into space!

The video podcast details the creation of a small satellite project utilizing HAM raido, GPS, digital cameras, and weather balloons. View the video here:
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/03/diy_space_make_video_podc.html