2. Mission on the Moon

Glossary of Terms

1. Mission on the Moon: ‘Mission on the Moon’ is a lunar rover themed coding and robotics course for students in grade 6 –9. The project is led by Dr. Julie Mueller at Laurier’s Faculty of Education in partnership with Inksmith and supported by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
2. STEM: STEM education refers to teaching and learning that develops a mindset, skills, and processes required to learn and advance in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics . The acronym “ STEAM” is also used to include the arts recognizing the value of creativity and innovation in solving real-world problems that may not always be considered in reference to STEM.
3. Lunar Rover Science and AI-Enabled Robotics for Youth: Lunar Rover Science and AI enabled robotics for youth is a class grant and contribution program by CSA to support research awareness and learning in space, science and technology. The grant was announced in 2021.
4. Astrophysics: According to Britannica astrophysics is a branch of astronomy concerned primarily with the properties and structure of cosmic objects, including the universe as a whole. Britannica, T. Editors of encyclopaedia (2023, April 12). astrophysics. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/astrophysics
5. Inksmith InkSmith is an education technology company that specializes in introducing 3D printing, coding, robotics. It was founded in 2016 by now CEO Jeremy Hedges and is based in Kitchener, Ontario
6. Scratch: Scratch is a coding community for children. It employs a coding language with a simple visual interface that allows young people to create digital stories, games, and animations.
7. Tinkercad : Tinkercad is a free web app for 3D design, electronics, and coding.
8. CSSE TATE: CSSE stands for the Canadian Society for the Study of Education and is the primary national voice for people who develop new knowledge in education, train educators and leaders in the field, and implement research in Canadian institutions including schools and classrooms. The Technology and Teacher Education (TATE) is a Special Interest Group within CSSE.

Guests on the Episode:

1. Janice Cudlip: Janice leads the Youth STEM Initiatives team at the Canadian Space Agency. Having joined in February 2021, she brings not only a wealth of experience creating opportunities for people and ideas to come together, but also a deep curiosity about the power of hands-on approaches to learning. Janice's team at the Space Agency opened funding opportunities for organizations to develop and implement activities connecting youth to Canada's contributions to exploring the Moon.
2. Julie Mueller: Julie Mueller is a Professor and Associate Dean of the Graduate Programs and Research at Wilfrid Laurier’s Faculty of Education. She is also the lead investigator on the Mission on the Moon project.
3. Joe Monks: Joe Monks is an international educator of over 25 years. Having been a teacher and administrator working in schools in the UK, Bahrain, Malaysia, Japan and the Czech Republic he now finds himself at Wilfrid Laurier University Canada as the Outreach Coordinator for the Mission on the Moon. As a former Director of Student Activities, Joe had been key in ensuring authentic STEM opportunities were available to students throughout their schooling. He has hosted both First Lego League (FLL) and First Teach Challenge (FTC) events and was the FTC International Partner for Central and Eastern Europe.

Support & Funding

• The Centre for Leading Research in Education
• WLU Office of Research Services
• Canadian Space Agency

Resources

• The Centre for Leading Research in Education
• Mission on the Moon Modules
• Teach Digital Lab
• WLU Faculty of Education
• Know the Land
• Whose Land