My video introduction is here
Hi My name is Patty Cleveland aka @scienceesl on twitter and http://scienceesl.blogspot.comI am a fourth grade teacher at Jeffersonville Elementary School in Twiggs County Georgia. I was born in Iowa City, Iowa, where my grandparents still live. My family moved to Arizona when I was 9, and I went to Arizona State University and got my bachelors of science in Education with a minor in science.
My husband is active duty Air Force and we have traveled and lived in Arizona, Florida, England and now Georgia. We have three children Kelsey 18, Natalie 15, and Declan John 6.
I applied to attend the #nasatweetup for the final launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis because it has been a dream/goal for me since I was a young child. I remember watching different launches on tv, and I remember being mad on that fateful January day in 1986. I was not going to be in my 7th grade science class at the time of the launch, but instead in social studies and I was jealous that my friends were going to get to watch the launch live, while "I" was going to have to watch it on video tape. I distinctly remember the principal of the school coming over the intercom and announcing the disaster. I went home for lunch (as I always did), and watched the news over and over until it was time to go back to school. I remember praying for the astronauts and their families at home, at school, and at church. Seventh grade was the year that I had Mr. Zielinski for science and he explained everything as best he could, and kept our interest in the space program.
When I was in 9th grade I had Mr. Scott Kardel for science. Mr. Kardel was very big into astronomy and kept all of us students into it with his telescope that he had placed on school campus.
Fast forward a few years and I minored in science in college, then taught high school science for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools at RAF Lakenheath. Which continued my interest in the NASA program.
When I first learned about the NASA Tweetup program I couldn't hardly believe it! I mean the chance to watch a launch, or meet people that worked with NASA? HOW COOL! But it always seemed that the tweetups fell when I had to work, and getting time off of work to go seemed impossible.
Then NASA announced the Tweetup for STS-135! OH BOY! It's summer and I am off of work! I sat on top of my computer the entire morning before the registration window opened (as Shannon can verify, as she kept me fairly sane with her assurances that I didn't have to apply right at noon!) As soon as the registration window opened I submitted my registration, the whole time figuring that I had a small chance to be accepted. I posted this to my blog, just because I was so excited.
A few days later I saw that there was a guess how many twitter users signed up to have a chance t be part of Nasa Tweetup STS-135, and so I searched and realized that for STS134 they had over 4,000 people sign up, and I figured I was doomed!
The 10th rolled around after what felt like a million days instead of just the ten it really was, and I got up and checked my email. When I didn't see an email from @nasatweetup I just knew that I hadn't gotten in, so I went about my day, saw on twitter that no one had gotten an answer yet, but still didn't figure that it was good news. I came home a few hours later and checked my email and SCREAMED, jumped up and down all over the place (its a good thing that our closest neighbors are 1/4 a mile away!) This is what I posted when I found out.
Since finding out that I got accepted to attend the tweetup I have hardly slept for excitement. I have friends from all over the world that are jealous of me. I am so excited to be able to attend and to be able to bring the knowledge that I will gain through this experience back to my students.
I am looking forward to meeting everyone at the tweetup and gaining new friends, and knowledge through this opportunity.
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