Khagol Bulletin # 135 (Jan 2025) - ENG

| 17 | KHAG L | No. 135 - JANUARY 2025 IAU - Astronomy for Education Teacher Training Program 2025 The Tamil Nadu Astronomy & Science Society (TASS) and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru organised an OAE-Center India supported Teacher Training Program on Astronomy on December 6-8, 2024 at the Bishop Herber College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, to support school teachers and resource personnel dedicated to teaching science, g e o g r a p h y , m a t h e m a t i c s , a n d environmental studies and desired to impart astronomy concepts to their students directly or indirectly. The workshop was attended by 35 participants, and the program addressed pedagogical aspects of the teaching-learning process concerning concepts in astronomy and included hands-on activities, simple calculations, and a skywatch session. The workshop primarily aimed to improve astronomy education for primary and high school students through teachers. The workshop included concepts covered in school textbooks, such as the effects of the The workshop is expected to help teachers introduce astronomy engagingly and tilt of the Earth's axis, the phases of the moon, eclipses, tides, in addition to basics of the solar system, astronomy in daily life and the various missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The teachers were also introduced to scales in the Universe, constellations and stars, pre- telescopic observational astronomy, galaxies, and cosmology. interactively, whichwill kindle the students' curiosity to learn about astronomy. One of the workshop's themes was introducing teachers to different teaching techniques. The resource persons for the workshop were drawn from reputed national astronomy institutes in India, along with staff from the TASS and IIA. Through visual and s tudy a i ds , wor kshee t s and demonstrations, as well as hands-on activities and role plays, some of the complex concepts were broken into smaller bits which would be easier for school children to digest. The workshop was well received by the participants based on their feedback and is expected to enhance the quality of astronomy education in schools, especially to make both astronomy and science education more fruitful for students and learners. Theworkshopwas coordinated by SurhudMore (IUCAA). ( Based on the report submitted by organisers, along with Niruj Mohan RamanujamandSurhudMore https://astro4edu.org/news/oT131XO/) . Manipal-IUCAA Astrostatistics School-2024 The Manipal Astrostatistics School 2024 (MAS 2024) was organised at the Manipal Centre for Natural Sciences (MCNS), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) from December 10-15, 2024, in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University, IUCAA, Harvard Smithsonian, SINP, andBARC. 170applicationswere received from various parts of India, and a few from outside India, such as South Africa, France, and the UK. Applications came frommore than 20different states of India. Over 23 eminent institutes such as various IITs, IISERs, NITs, IUCAA, 35 universities across India, spanning from Srinagar in theNorth to Trivandrum in the The School was coordinated by Debbijoy Bhattacharya (MAHE) and Ranjeev Misra (IUCAA). south, including many North-eastern parts like Assam, Manipur. The total number of participants, including MAHE and nearby regions, was close to 100.