Mark Greenman, who is currently the Boston University Physics Department Physics Teacher in Residence is the 2016 Janet Guernsey New England Physics Teacher of the Year!
Advertisements
Archive | Uncategorized RSS feed for this section
Summer opportunity at BU Space Physics for teachers
23 Feb
Here is a great summer professional development opportunity to earn some good money while working on stuff you love. You know the rule of thumb, “if it is too good to be true, then it probably isn’t as good as you think,” well I have a deal for you that is the exception to this rule.
Read below and contact Professor Paul Withers, withers@bu.edu, as soon as possible if interested.
The Boston University Center for Space Physics is seeking several K-12 science teachers to participate in 4-6 week program in Summer 2016. Participants will conduct cutting-edge astronomical research on the Boston University campus. The research project will focus on the analysis of spacecraft data from the upper atmosphere of Venus, our closest planetary neighbor. Participants will review the history of the exploration of Venus, will learn how familiar scientific principles control conditions in the upper atmosphere of Venus, and will use computers to organize and investigate relevant scientific datasets.
It is hoped that exposure to a research environment will give educators a deeper appreciation for how real-life science is conducted: the realization that science is messy and uncertain, rather than unassailable and immutable facts listed in textbooks, is tremendously important for keeping children engaged in science as students and later as active citizens.
No prior research experience is required. A stipend of $6,000 per participant will be provided, in addition to minor transportation costs. Start and end dates are negotiable, but a minimum of 4 weeks is required.
Active Learning Short Course July 28-30 Sect2
7 FebActive Learning in Introductory Physics Courses: Research-Based Strategies that Improve Student Learning—July 28-30, 2016, Portland, Oregon
Designed for those who teach introductory physics at universities, colleges and high schools. Graduate credit will be available through the University of Oregon.*
Instructors: Priscilla Laws, Dickinson College, David Sokoloff, University of Oregon, Ronald Thornton, Tufts University
Participants will be introduced to research-validated, classroom-tested strategies for each component of the introductory course that have been demonstrated to improve learning. These include Interactive Lecture Demonstration (ILDs), RealTime Physics (RTP) labs, Collaborative Problem-Solving Tutorials, Workshop Physics (WP), Physics with Video Analysis (PVA), and related online video analysis exercises. The course will also include the use of video analysis to identify analytic functions describing real data. Among other recent developments are (1) 3rd ed. RTP E & M labs using video analysis, (2) ILDs using clickers, and (3) online homework using Interactive Video Vignettes (IVVs). Topics will be chosen from both semesters of introductory physics. Research on the effectiveness of these strategies will also be discussed.
The tools and software used in these active learning curricula are compatible with Macintosh and Windows OS, and with the popular interfaces and sensors. Participants will receive complimentary printed copies of the curricula (published by Wiley and Vernier, and also available for high school use as the ABP High School E-dition). Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite, a comprehensive book by E.F. Redish (University of Maryland) on strategies for implementing physics education research-based curricula, will also be distributed.
The course fee is $200. (Early bird registration until April 15 is $180.)
* Up to three graduate credits from the University of Oregon will be available for an additional $90/credit.
For more information and to register: http://pages.uoregon.edu/sokoloff/CHAUT.htm
David Sokoloff
Professor of Physics, University of Oregon
Way Past President, American Association of Physics Teachers (2011)
Spring meeting at Thayer Academy
7 Jan| Friday – May 20 | ||
| 4-6 pm | Registration | Vendors |
| 5-6:30 pm | Poster Session | |
| 6 pm | Hors d’euvres | |
| 6:30 pm | Share a Demo | |
| 7 pm | Dinner | |
| following dinner | Keynote Speaker | |
| 9:15 PM | Observatory open | |
| Saturday – May 21 | ||
| 7:30-8:00 AM | Registration | |
| 7:30 AM | Continental Breakfast | |
| 8-10 AM | Contributed Talks A | Contributed Talks B |
| 10-10:15 AM | Coffee Break | |
| 10:15-11:45 AM | Invited Speakers (2) | |
| 11:45 AM | Lunch / Board Meeting | Vendors |
| 1:00 PM | Membership Meeting | |
| 1:30-3:00 PM | Workshop I | Workshop II |
| 3:00-4:30 PM | Workshop II | Workshop IV |
Upcoming Meetings
24 Nov
AAPT-NES Spring Meeting @ Thayer Academy, Friday May 20 – Saturday May 21, 2016
Provisional topic: “NGSS and its Impact on Teaching”
AAPT-NES Fall Regional Meeting with AAPT-NYS & NJ @ Wesleyan University, Friday October 21 – Sunday October 23, 2016
Provisional topic: “How Physics Teaching Has Changed Since 1950:
66 years after the landmark AAPT National Meeting at Wesleyan”
APS-NES Spring Meeting @ Wheaton, Friday April 1 – Saturday April 2, 2016
APS-NES Fall Meeting @ MCLA, Friday October 28 – Saturday October 29, 2016
New England Joint APS/AAPT Meeting at Dartmouth
23 SepDear NES-AAPT Members and Friends,
The Fall Joint meeting of the New England Sections of the AAPT and APS will be held at Dartmouth College on November 6-7, 2015. The theme is Inner Space Meets Outer Space.
There is a poster session scheduled from 5:30-6:30 pm Friday evening, and we will have a Physics Education parallel contributed talk session on Saturday morning from 8:30-10:30 am.
I invite all of you to consider submitting posters and papers related to teaching, physics education research, or combined demonstration/talks. The deadline for abstracts is October 10th.
The links for registering and abstract submissions are at: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~aps-conference
To submit abstracts for the Joint meeting in November, you will need to do the following:
once you click on submit abstract, the APS website asks for your member ID. For the purposes
of this meeting, type 9999999 into the member ID field. Or type Membership Pending.
I have tested the “seven-nines” method, and it seems to be working properly. Remember,
abstracts are due by October 10th.
Best,
Deb
Astronomy Forum at Southern CT State U. on Nov 16
30 AugI wanted to let you know about an astronomy forum coming up this fall at Southern Connecticut State University that might be of interest to you.
The event is called, “Missions Possible: A Manned Flight to Mars, & Finding ‘New Earths’ in the Milky Way Galaxy.” It will be held on Monday, Nov. 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at SCSU’s Michael J. Adanti Student Center, Grand Ballroom.
The program will explore two hot topics in astronomy – the Kepler Mission (which seeks to identify potential Earth-like planets elsewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy); and plans for a manned mission to Mars. We have two excellent speakers lined up to talk about these subjects. Steve Howell is the project scientist for Kepler and will be the keynote speaker. And Jennifer Stern, space scientist and an expert on Mars, will talk about the potential for human exploration of Mars and the challenges associated with it. Both Steve and Jennifer are from NASA.
We’ll also have a panel discussion following the two speakers that will include three astronomers — Elliott Horch, professor of physics at Southern and an astrophysicist who developed a telescopic device that has been used during the Kepler Mission; Jim Fullmer, associate professor of earth science at Southern; and Tabetha Boyajian, post-doctoral fellow at Yale University. We’ll have Q & A after the panel discussion.
We anticipate having some light refreshments, but there is a food court on the first floor of the Student Center that is available.
If you or your colleagues/members are interested in attending, or if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me. The event is free and open the public, but I thought I would mention this to you and your organization because of the topic.
If you would be willing to pass the word along to your members, via emails/social media/Web or any other method you think would be appropriate, we would certainly appreciate it. I should have a flyer or poster within the next couple of weeks that I could send you, as well.
The website for the forum is: http://www.southernct.edu/special/astronomyforum.html
