Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/29/2008 - 04:49
Forums
Oden Antarctic Expedition 08

What did you learn from being on this expadition and how did it help you?

 Jordyn, HHS

Tue, 12/30/2008 - 10:53

Jeff Peneston

Jordyn,
Wow!  That is the shortest question with the biggest answer of the entire expedition.  It would take me all day to list the things I have learned and to predict the ways that I will be able to use these experiences.  Certainly I have gained first hand experience of what real field science looks like in an extreme location.  All of these scientific quests start with the ideas and questions in the heads of the scientists that they describe in written proposals to national and international funding agencies.  Once selected for the expedition, the scientists must gather, safely package and ship their equipment for the long, long journey. The truth about much of the data collection is that it is like the tip of a research iceberg.  The time spent collecting samples is dwarfed by the time spent preparing to collect and interpreting the data.  
As a science teacher, I want to help my students understand that “real science” is not like the demonstrations and lab activities we often have out students perform.  Real scientists don’t get to walk into a room where someone gives them a handout and asks them to use prearranged equipment and samples to  perform the same 10 steps that will always lead to a predetermined answer.   Real scientists attempt to create original ways to collect data that has never been seen before so that they can try to better understand what no one else understands.  Real science is exploration and problem solving.  That is the most important thing that I can work at helping my students to understand.
Take care,
Jeff Peneston