After years of putting it off, I’ve finally taken the plunge and decided it was high time I tackled vlogging. I mean, how hard can it be, right? Grab a camera, film myself rattling off about my favourite subject (astronomy, people, ASTRONOMY) and see if I can’t get others excited about all things stellar and scientific.
School incursions are great, but it takes a long time to build a reputation doing the old one-on-one astronomy lessons. I can see the enormous potential of tapping into what today’s youngsters are glued to (namely YouTube – my kids certainly are!) and trying to engage their minds there, to let them know science isn’t so daunting and difficult, or only for boring old f…amily members.
Platforms like Youtube are now THE place to connect with a wider audience, and I’m willing to embrace just about anything if it will help spread the word that astronomy and stargazing is a whole heap of fun – not just for kids, but for adults, too.
My vlogs are still in their infancy, so go easy on me. It’s a steep learning curve, but I’ve roped in some help from generous family members to help me get started. So far, my Samsung phone is my primary camera, held aloft with a recently purchased selfie stick. Yeah, I feel like a prat running around talking up to a plastic rectangle held above my head, but they say you get used to that. It may lend me that air of ‘mad scientist’ – why not?
My work commitments at the Gravity Discovery Centre up at Gingin and my business, Astronomy Education Services as well as a time hungry home life means that it may be weeks between vlogs, but I think once I get the hang of it, it may come easier and I’ll be able to upload more frequently.
For now, my subjects centre around the GDC Observatory and their telescopes and displays, but hopefully this will expand into events like the up-coming National Science Week/ Perth Science Festival that will hopefully inform as well as entertain. Go check out my very first vlog on my YouTube channel.