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Tuesday afternoon
tion/faculty resources or with endowment/financial resources, but
may instead simply reflect the degree to which individual programs
explicitly co-value lab instruction, both as a developmental platform
for students and as a foundation for their future careers in scientific
and technical areas. This talk will share some of the data collected,
highlighting a variety of curricular models, and the possibility of
ranking physics programs, according to their laboratory curricula.
Session GG: Inservice Preparation
for Pre High School Teachers
Location: Salon 10
Sponsor: Committee on Physics in Pre-High School Education
Date: Tuesday, January 7
Time: 12–1:20 p.m.
Presider: Kathleen Falconer
GG01:
12-12:30 p.m. PET and the PET Diagnostic at
Buffalo State College
Invited – David Abbott, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY 14222;
Daniel MacIsaac, Buffalo State College
For more than a decade, Buffalo State College Physics has taught
courses for pre-service elementary teachers, mostly using the Phys-
ics for Everyday Thinking curriculum and its precursor, Physics for
Elementary Teachers. Over the last seven years, we have administered
the PET Diagnostic Test to these students. We will present data and
discuss lessons learned from the use of this instrument.
GG02:
12:30-12:40 p.m. Energy: Deeper and Cheaper:
Lessons Low Cost but High Potential Part 1
Contributed – Gene Easter, retired, 540 South Ridgecliff, Tallmadge, OH
44278;
Bill Reitz, retired
Nina Daye, Orange High School, Hillsborough, NC
Leslie Embrey, Apopka High School, Orlando,FL
Marge Cotton, University of Arkansas
A workshop was given to local Orlando third to fifth grade teachers
prior to this Winter 2014 AAPT Meeting by a number of PTRAs. In
this talk we will share the difficulties and successes of that workshop
and the philosophy and hopes for future workshops. Meant as a
guide to teaching energy concepts using the cheap and the familiar,
the workshop attempted to develop deeper conceptual understand-
ing of energy storage, transfer, transformation and degradation. We
emphasized cutting down the cognitive load by reducing jargon and
providing concrete examples from everyday experience. Activities
were chosen to align with the NGSS and CCSS and were drawn from
Energy Theater (Seattle Pacific University), Operation Primary Physi-
cal Science, Robert Karplus, Fred Goldberg and Pat Heller among
others.
GG03:
12:40-12:50 p.m. Energy: Deeper and Cheaper: Low
Cost High Potential Part 2
Contributed – William E. Reitz, retired, 2921 Kent Rd., Silver Lake, OH
44224;
Leslie Embrey, Apopka High School, Orlando,FL
Mari Hayes, Russelville High School, Russelville,AR
Marge Cotton, University of Arkansas
Nina Daye, Orange High School, Hillsborough,NC
A continuation of the discussion of a workshop presented in Orlando
to grade 3 to 5 teachers prior to this Winter AAPT meeting. Part of
the motivation to organize this workshop was to serve local pre-high
school teachers of host city by utilizing the expertise of members who
would be attending the meeting and introducing that community to
the services of PTRA and AAPT. We will share the difficulties and
successes of the workshop and the philosophy and hopes for future
workshops.
GG04:
12:50-1 p.m. Online Inquiry-based Physics Content
and Pedagogy for the Enhancement of Science
Teacher Development: Elementary and Middle
Contributed – Chuck Fidler, Florida International University, Engineering
and Computer Science Building, Miami, FL 33199;
With the advent of digital learning platforms, approaches to providing
inquiry-based professional development can facilitate physics educa-
tion for pre- and in-service teachers. This approach uses research-
based methods of online techniques and combines a best-practice ap-
proach to learner-centered experimental-based physics education. The
cohort-model design employs flexibility within an instructor-paced
program, uses digital platforms accessible from off-campus web-based
environments, and is cost-effective. Proving these types of experience
proved to be a valuable mechanism for promoting successful physics
education to educational professionals. Results (n=20) demonstrated
this approach provides a sustainable platform for the growth and
access to exceptional physics teacher development structure within
the elementary and middle school levels. Specific design strategies
encompassed sustainability concerns including access, cost, time, at-
tendance, resources, availability, peer-collaboration, and professional
application. Program development was supported by NASA.
GG05:
1-1:10 p.m. Some Steps Toward Successful School
Change*
Contributed – Gordon J. Aubrecht, OSU Marion, Delaware, OH 43015-
1609;
Bill Schmitt, Science Center of Inquiry
Jennifer L. Esswein, Tennessee Department of Education
A project that has been running in a high-needs urban district in a
central Ohio rural area for the past five years has resulted in changes
in teacher behavior. The project involved a summer and school year
content program, grade-level lesson development by teachers working
together during the school year, and (most novel) the use of common
grade-level formative assessment analysis by teachers. These measures
helped teachers become more active and involved students in hands-
on, minds-on activities. Originally, the participating middle school
teachers worked independently and seldom consulted one another.
Minimal consultation also occurred among high school teachers.
Now, teachers now work together in coordinating lessons at grade-
level through the grant-supported quarterly meetings. After several
years, teachers began trading topics among the grade levels, and also
started to trust that the teachers at lower grade levels addressed desig-
nated topics with students.
*This work supported in part by grants from the Ohio Department of Education
C1457-OSCI-09-49 (2008-2009), C1667-MSP-10-410 (2009-2010), EDU01-
0000006141 (2010-2011), EDU01-0000007902 (2011-2012), GRT00029161
(2012-2013), and ODE-MSP-10673 (2013-2014).
GG06:
1:10-1:20 p.m. Science and Math Links: Research-
based Teaching Institute
Contributed – Sydney C. Henson,* Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA
24503;
Katherine P. Lesnak, Peter A. Sheldon, Peggy Schimmoeller, Amanda
Rumore, Randolph College
Student success within the science classroom is most evident when
the teacher possesses an effective skill set and is fully prepared with
a variety of methods and techniques. The Randolph College Science
and Mathematics Teaching Institute aims to build teacher knowledge
with hands-on and inquiry-based teaching in science and mathemat-
ics. The project examines the benefits and improvements in attitude
and success displayed by teachers after an intensive week-long
institute held on the college campus. The Institute’s lessons are led
by faculty members from mathematics, science, and education, and
