Learning Tools

New Online Telescope for Educators Brings Space Exploration to the Classroom

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 01/21/22

Slooh, the provider of online, live telescope feeds to students, announced this week it is offering an affordable way for educators to bring space exploration to all students with the Online Telescope for Teachers.

The Slooh platform gives users online access to its network of professional-grade telescopes, located in the Canary Islands and Chile. The online telescope solution allows students to explore and analyze more than 1,000 real-world space objects and events, the company said in a news release.

Available for $199 per teacher/per year, along with a free seven-day trial, the Online Telescope for Teachers allows educators to book time on a telescope for their classroom to view a specific space object or event, or instructors and their students can join other classrooms that have already reserved time to view an event. Teachers can then share the recorded event with students to foster group discussion and collaboration.

"Slooh's innovation is that an unlimited number of teachers and students can share online telescopes in a manner that includes an exchange of ideas and opportunities to learn from each other," said Slooh founder Michael Paolucci. "Just as kids learn to play video games by watching other people play, the sharing inherent in the platform enables students to learn from the amazing things other teachers and students do with our online telescopes."

In addition to online telescope access, the new program for teachers provides integrated curriculum-based lesson plans for elementary through college-level students that can be used in classrooms, as well as professional development opportunities to help educators easily use the technology.

"The Online Telescope for Teachers is a cost-effective and scalable solution that eliminates the geographic, financial and technological barriers associated with space exploration in schools," said Paolucci. "Now, teachers across the world can help their students study space and view space phenomena in real-time just like professional astronomers, via computer interface to online telescopes."

To learn more or sign up for a free seven-day trial, visit www.onlinetelescope.com.