AstronomyTeacher

NSTA :: News Story


NSTA member Barbara R. Morgan believes students learn best by “doing and being actively engaged.” Now Morgan, a former Idaho elementary science teacher, is preparing to be actively engaged in space exploration as one of five NASA mission specialists aboard space shuttle Endeavour, now scheduled to launch on August 8. Endeavour’s 11-day mission, designated STS-118, will continue assembly of the International Space Station. In addition to leading in-orbit educational activities, Morgan’s duties will include operating the shuttle’s and station’s robotic arms during spacewalks and other activities and overseeing the transfer of 5,000 pounds of supplies and equipment between the shuttle and station. She will also be on the flight deck to assist with re-entry. She says she looks forward to “doing the job of an astronaut with the eyes, ears, heart, and mind of a teacher.”
Morgan, 55, has waited 22 years to board a shuttle—although she asserts that she has spent the time working, not passively waiting. In 1985, she was chosen as the backup candidate for the NASA Teacher in Space Program and trained with Christa McAuliffe, the teacher who perished in the space shuttle Challenger accident. Since then, Morgan has worked with NASA’s Education Division on such tasks as public speaking, educational consulting, and curriculum design. In 1998, NASA selected her to become the first Educator Astronaut: a teacher...

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