What is Scientist

Pre-service teachers, particularly those focusing on early childhood and elementary education, consistently view science as one of the disciplines they felt the least comfortable teaching. Connecting students, pre-service teachers, and in-service teachers with STEM experts, such as astronauts, through downlinks or other virtual visits, creates invaluable learning opportunities in and out of the classroom. In February 2017, pre-service teachers at UHD connected with Astronaut Joseph Acaba while he was on the International Space Station through an Educational Downlink. It was an opportunity for pre-service teachers to learn first-hand about living and working in space, what life is like for an astronaut, and how to translate the research happening in space into their everyday lives and classrooms. The experience of interacting with Acaba had a profound short- and long-term impacts for the pre-service teachers directly involved in the downlink and shaped how they approach teaching, science education, and NASA-related opportunities for their students.