When I was 12 years old, before my eyes live on television I saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on and walk on the moon. It was the most awesome thing I had ever seen and I have been afflicted by the awe of space exploration ever since.
Here in this link is a blog on my memories of Apollo 11 written in 2007
That event happened on July 20th 1969 during my summer holidays. In September ’69 I returned to school, fully expecting my teacher to fill my days with details of this fantastic human achievement and tell me more about the future plans for space exploration. I was so excited, a week went by and nothing was said at all, not one mention of the moon landing. My disappointment was immense . However I said nothing about it as back in ’69 children were still living under the post Victorian cloud ‘children may be seen but never heard’. The moon landing or space exploration were never ever brought into my classroom at any point. This is most likely why I do outreach, definitely it is most rooted in this twinned experience of elation in the moon landing and total desolation at the lack of information from my primary educators at the time.
I am at my happiest when I am doing my workshops and talks for children there is no experience that can compare. This week I am running four free workshops Rapid Rockets and Wicked Robots in Wexford Libraries. Here below are a few sample drawings from the workshops in Enniscorthy and Bunclody libraries. Tomorrow I am in New Ross and Wexford Town Libraries a few places left if you live in the area, contact the libraries directly. 053 9121637
Here in this link is a blog on my memories of Apollo 11 written in 2007
That event happened on July 20th 1969 during my summer holidays. In September ’69 I returned to school, fully expecting my teacher to fill my days with details of this fantastic human achievement and tell me more about the future plans for space exploration. I was so excited, a week went by and nothing was said at all, not one mention of the moon landing. My disappointment was immense . However I said nothing about it as back in ’69 children were still living under the post Victorian cloud ‘children may be seen but never heard’. The moon landing or space exploration were never ever brought into my classroom at any point. This is most likely why I do outreach, definitely it is most rooted in this twinned experience of elation in the moon landing and total desolation at the lack of information from my primary educators at the time.
I am at my happiest when I am doing my workshops and talks for children there is no experience that can compare. This week I am running four free workshops Rapid Rockets and Wicked Robots in Wexford Libraries. Here below are a few sample drawings from the workshops in Enniscorthy and Bunclody libraries. Tomorrow I am in New Ross and Wexford Town Libraries a few places left if you live in the area, contact the libraries directly. 053 9121637
This month you can see dark interstellar clouds blocking patches of Milky Way stars.
Jane Houston Jones talks about these wonders in her latest podcast .
Jane Houston Jones talks about these wonders in her latest podcast .
