Journal Entry

Hearing the News!

I was in class when the call came from Sarah. I had been carrying my phone around with me all day because I knew I needed to answer if I was going to get THE call. My students didn't know why I would take a call...IN CLASS... that made me huddle in the corner of the room, so when Sarah quickly told me that I had been selected by the NASA researchers I had interviewed with a few weeks earlier, I gasped and my kids all started asking if I was alright!

My eyes were wide, and my breath came quickly. "I" I said breathlessly, "I'm going to fly over Antarctica...next Fall...with NASA!" I sat down quickly, "Whoa" said my students. And so the news began to spread from one class to the others.

My mind started spinning with ideas for lessons, projects, books to read with kids, ways to connect to my community. I printed off a map of Antarctica that night and posted it above my desk to study. How would I know what I was looking at if it was all covered in ice? How many mountains will I see to help orient where I was? How does LIDAR work? What will the data be like that we collect? How often will we fly? What will the plane be like? So many questions! I was so excited, so ready to learn more.

NASA Earth Observatory http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/51000/51781/antarctica_ice_velocity_lrg.pdf

Comments

Thu, 02/25/2016 - 09:21

Vanessa Hernandez

How did you feel when they told you the news? Were you nervous of going to the Arctic??

Thu, 02/25/2016 - 09:24

Fran Gonzales

Was it as big as you thought, or was it smaller? What did you think when you saw it?

Thu, 02/25/2016 - 09:24

Fenna

I thought that it was funny that you got the call when you were in class.

Thu, 02/25/2016 - 09:26

me yamo juan:}

intresing was it fun doing that?

Thu, 02/25/2016 - 09:27

Neva Sunday

Congratulations! We are all so happy for you!

Thu, 02/25/2016 - 09:30

joselyn C

were your students surprised when you told them?

Thu, 02/25/2016 - 13:33

Ricardo Gurrola

It was really interesting

Sat, 02/27/2016 - 14:41

Maggie Kane

When I heard the news, I was thrilled and shocked! I just didn't think that I would get to do such an amazing thing, and it was very humbling. What I mean is that so few people get to go to Antarctica and I so honored to get to one of the few who gets to see that continent. I am very excited!

Sat, 02/27/2016 - 14:45

Maggie Kane

Hi Fran,the training was in Alaska, and my work will be next fall over Antarctica, so I haven't seen Antarctica yet. But Alaska is very big! Flying to it from Denver was really fun - I flew first to Seattle, and changed planes there. The second flight was really long as it is really far from Washington State to Alaska. We flew right up the coast most of the way, which was really beautiful. We saw lots of snow on the higher mountains, and some glaciers too. Then the last part of the flight was over the drier inland area of Alaska. We flew over some large rivers that are called "braided" - you know what a hair braid looks like, right? Well the rivers look that way too. The sun was low when we landed even though it was only 4:00 pm. What an interesting place!

Sat, 02/27/2016 - 14:47

Maggie Kane

Hi Joselyn,great question! Yes, my crew class heard the news first and they were surprised and had some questions right away. As I get closer to the expedition in October, we will all become more knowledgeable about Antarctica and what the work will be, so new questions will arise. It was a fun day!

Sat, 02/27/2016 - 14:49

Maggie Kane

Hi Fenna,I know, it was funny! Since we are all supposed to keep our phones away, I felt a little bit bad, BUT it was good that I took the call!

Sat, 02/27/2016 - 14:50

Maggie Kane

Hi Neva,Thanks, and I'm so happy for all of you to get to learn right along with me! It will be so much fun!

Wed, 02/10/2016 - 22:41

Janet Warburton

Welcome back to PolarTREC and congrats on landing an expedition to Antarctica! You rock! I love that you are here 10 years later!! How crazy is that? I can't wait to read your journals and hear about Antarctica and iceBridge!