eNNOUNCER October 2020
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AAPT News
2020 AAPT Board of Directors Election
The election of officers for the AAPT Board of Directors will end October 16. Student members are eligible to vote in this election for the first time. Members with a paid through date greater than or equal to 7/31/2020 received instructions in mid-September through email or, if no email is on file, through the mail to help you vote electronically. Be sure your vote is submitted before the deadline. Learn more about the candidates.
Davies Named as First Recipient of the Doc Brown Futures Award
AAPT has announced that the recipient of the Doc Brown Futures Award is Kenric Davies. He has the honor of being the first recipient of this new award. The Doc Brown Futures Award recognizes early-career members who demonstrate excellence in their contributions to AAPT and physics education and exhibit the potential to serve in an AAPT leadership role. The award will be presented during the 2021 Virtual Winter Meeting. Read more
2021 AAPT Virtual Winter Meeting, January 9-12
Registration
Registration is now open for the 2021 AAPT Virtual Winter Meeting. Attend virtual sessions, plenaries, workshops and special activities designed with you in mind. Don't miss this opportunity to share your expertise and learn from and network with leaders in the field. Please click here for more information.
Workshops
AAPT is offering a number of virtual workshops in association with the upcoming 2021 AAPT Virtual Winter Meeting. This is a great opportunity to gather with your colleagues and learn some new teaching techniques, while engaging in thoughtful discussion. Be sure and register early as these workshops can fill-up quickly. Click here for more information.
Abstract Submissions
AAPT is now accepting abstract submissions until October 2, 2020. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to present your research and share your teaching methods with other physics educators from around the globe. Click here to submit an abstract.
Join Us for the AAPT Virtual Coffee Hour and Remote Instruction Share-a-thon
AAPT is working to help our members communicate with one another to provide the best physics education possible. AAPT members bring questions about physics education (taken broadly) to discuss and share their experiences in a confidential setting.
Please join us for these events!
Check the calendar for next Virtual Coffee Hour. Check your in-box for an invitation. Please make sure you RSVP (marketing@aapt.org) to the event. Everyone who RSVPs will be sent log-in instructions a few hours prior to the call. We hope you can join us!
AAPT One Minute Survey - October 2020
Please take a minute to complete this survey on online learning. Click here to take the survey. Last month's survey results.
Help Support AAPT!
We are living in incredibly challenging times right now. Many physics educators have been impacted and had to change their classes mid-spring from in-person to remote learning. AAPT has been on the forefront providing resources to help with this transition. However, we need your support to continue AAPT's programs and resources. Gifts to the AAPT Annual Fund support the everyday operations of AAPT, from inspiring excellence through educational programming to recognizing award winning physics professionals, all critical pieces in supporting the advancement of physics education. Many of these programs run year round that need your support--donate today to the Annual Fund to make a difference!
AAPT Career Center
No matter what degree you hold or what level you are in your career, the AAPT Career Center is here to help make your job search a more manageable and fulfilling process.
While here, you can:
View job listings for careers at every level, with filtering tools to help you locate exactly what you want
Browse career advice articles to help keep your ambitions fresh and your goals attainable
Brush up on industry trends and employment reports so you can plan your next career pivot
Watch webinars geared towards assisting scientists and engineers in their development
Join the AAPT Career Center today to kickstart your journey towards a job that works for you.
New Book Companion, Statistical and Thermal Physics Programs
This freely available online collection includes all the programs used in the text "Statistical and Thermal Physics: With Computer Applications", 2nd ed., Harvey Gould and Jan Tobochnik, Princeton University Press (2021). These ready-to-run, interactive simulations are designed to help students gain a better understanding of statistical and thermal physics. Physical parameters in the simulations can be changed to explore the systems being modeled. The topics covered range from temperature and approaches to equilibrium, solid and gas models, spin systems, critical phenomena, and near-equilibrium time-dependent phenomena. All simulations are provided in HTML5-JavaScript and will run on most computers and mobile devices.
AAPT Books Program - Calling All Authors!
We are interested in hearing from authors who desire to publish books in the areas of physics content, the history and philosophy of physics, physics education research, and the application of pedagogical techniques in physics. Book topics must fit within the AAPT mission of “enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching.” Send questions about authoring an AAPT book to eo@aapt.org.
PTRA
Are you needing some lesson plans that are more than just a single worksheet or demo? PTRA is quickly working on putting together some lessons for different topics that will be useful for your classroom. The lessons will be powerpoints that include multiple components such as an activity for the students to learn the concept, notes for the teachers, some videos, and interactive simulations. Lessons will be posted soon on https://aaptptra.com/. If there are topics you would like to see done, just drop us an email or leave a message on the website.
AAPT Programs
Support the U.S. Physics Team - Donate Now
Each year AAPT sponsors a competition for high school students to represent the United States at the International Physics Olympiad Competition. The mission of the U.S. Physics Team Program is to promote and demonstrate academic excellence through preparation for and participation in the International Physics Olympiad. AAPT is responsible for recruiting, selecting and training teams each year to compete in the International Physics Olympiad Competition. Your contribution is needed to support these high school students as they prepare to represent the U.S. internationally. Donate now!
2021 F=ma Contest
A decision on the status of the 2021 F=ma exam will be made in October.
Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop
The virtual 2020 Physics and Astronomy "New" Faculty Workshop will be held on October 15-17, 2020.
Get the Facts Out - Facts about Teaching
Do you have students that might be interested in becoming a teacher? There are probably more than you are aware of. Research from the GFO Project and the POPA Report has shown that "nearly half of STEM majors have shown an interest in teaching". You can read a short summary here. Check out the Facts About Teaching section of our webpage https://getthefactsout.org/facts-and-data for more useful information that you can share with your students when they ask you about becoming a teacher.
New Fellowship Opportunity for Underrepresented Minority Teachers of Physics
A joint project from the American Institute of Physics and the American Association of Physics Teachers is starting and we are looking for applicants. Eligible applicants should be Black, African American, African, Black LatinX, Black Caribbean, and those who identify within the African Diaspora and are either a current, recent, or pre-service physics Teacher. Read more.
PhysTEC Conference 2021
March 5-6, 2021
The PhysTEC Conference is the nation's largest meeting dedicated to the education of future physics teachers. It features workshops on best practices, panel discussions by national leaders, and networking opportunities for physics teacher educators. This virtual conference will take place March 5-6.
Learn more.
STEP UP
Have you done the STEP UP lessons this year? The Careers in Physics lesson helps your students understand "why physics?" and is a great way to start off the year. Once you've built a classroom culture around discussion practices, give Women in Physics a try to discuss representation and how we can build a more equitable field. We even have recommendations for running them remotely on our Online Community (create a free login to join!)
AAPT Membership
AAPT Member Spotlight
Troy Messina
Berea College
Berea, KY
Read More.
Delivery Options for Print Journals
Many of you receive the print editions of our journals at your workplace, which you may not have access to currently. We wanted to provide you with instructions on how to update your preferred mailing address in your member profile.
- 1. Log in to www.aapt.org and sign in.
- 2. Click on MY ACCOUNT.
- 3. Click the EDIT button (pencil) under ADDRESSES.
- 4. Address preferences should be listed on the right side.
As always, if you need assistance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us (membership@aapt.org, 301.209.3333).
Membership Renewal
We appreciate our community of members, and we are here to serve you. If you have any difficulties renewing your membership or have any membership-related questions, please do not hesitate to contact us in the Membership Department at 301.209.3333 or membership@aapt.org.
Member Discounts Now Available!
AAPT Members can now take advantage of major discounts at retailers such as Hertz, Office Depot/Office Max and HotelEngine.com. You save a percentage of your bill and a portion of the proceeds helps to support AAPT as well! Be sure to check the Member Discounts Program page for details.
What Do You Want Your Legacy to Be?
Teachers make a difference. Given the chance, most of us would like to leave a legacy to organizations we valued in our lifetime. You help shape the future. AAPT can help you determine what you want your legacy to be-to your family, to your fellow teachers, and to tomorrow's future teachers. Planned Giving creates opportunities for you to make a lasting difference to physics education and AAPT. Consider including AAPT in your estate and financial plans. Click here for more information or contact eo@aapt.org
New AAPT Member Benefit: Up to 25 Free Downloads of AIP Journals Every Year
AAPT has partnered with AIP Publishing on a valuable new benefit. AAPT members now have access to 25 free article downloads every year from any of the AIP Publishing journals
This is an exclusive AAPT member benefit. Access any one of the journals in this list, now by clicking the 'SIGN IN' link in the right hand corner, and logging in with your Scitation username and password. Access the full text of an article from the journal by going to the article page and clicking either the "PDF" download or the "FULL TEXT" menu buttons. You will then be given an option to use one of your AAPT member credits to access the article. If you do not have a Scitation username and password e-mail Scitation and let them know.
Articles you download will be saved in your Scitation profile. AAPT members receive 25 free downloads each year as long as their membership remains in good standing.
Thank you for supporting AAPT, and we hope you enjoy this new membership benefit.
Call for Award Nominations
The AAPT Awards Committee invites nominations for all of AAPT awards, citations, and medals. We are particularly interested in nominations for AAPT Fellows and for the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT.
Infusing Engineering into the Science Classroom
Join other teachers seeking to integrate engineering into their science classroom with this unique professional development opportunity. Headed by AAPT/AIP Master Teacher Policy fellows Matthew Peterie and Andrew Edmondson, you will learn from experienced and skillful teachers. The cost will be $385 for individual attendee which includes your registration for the year long program and meals for the two days at Olathe Northwest. If a group of teachers from a building or district would like to attend, reduced pricing is available. After registering your team by completing the form below, subsequent correspondence will make arrangements for payment. Sign up here.
OSTP/NSF working group on Quantum Information Education
The OSTP/NSF working group on Quantum Information Education finished its report and there was a NSF press release. Read more. Also click here for full report.
In the News
Dr. Jeff Groff named 2019 West Virginia Professor of the Year
Dr. Jeff Groff, chair of Shepherd University's Department of Environmental and Physical Sciences, has been named the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia 2019 Professor of the Year. The foundation made the announcement via letter after its annual spring banquet had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more.
Teaching Quantum Information Science in High School
A terrific near-term opportunity for U.S. high school physics and more broadly STEM teachers is coming up within the coming weeks. This is a free opportunity to receive materials as well as attend an on-line workshop to help expose teachers to methods of teaching quantum information science to high school students in the U.S. and Canada. The workshop is sponsored by the University of Waterloo in Canada and information about the sign-up deadline coming up in October as well as the event itself in November can be found here.
FREE Quantum Mechanics for Teachers session
Register now before this special free event is sold out: From quantum theory to quantum technology: how the laws of the microscopic world are shaping our future, led by Columbia Prof. Sebastian Will and physics teacher Paul Bianchi. One 1.5 Hour Session, Saturday, Oct 24th 1:45-3:15pm EDT. Register here.
Tools for Teaching Science
Tools for Teaching Science is a new reference resource for teachers packed full of tools and strategies to improve student learning. The full resource is free to download from our Resource Centre, and the videos are also available on YouTube.
Black Holes
We've updated our popular Black Holes resource! Explore energy, gravitation, gravitational lensing, orbits, Kepler's laws, and scientific models - all within the context of the latest discoveries. Click here for more.
Let U.S. K-12 Educators Know: Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Application is live!
The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program is a yearlong professional learning opportunity and short-term exchange for elementary, middle, and high school educators from the United States to develop skills to prepare students for a competitive global economy. Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms equips educators to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration.
The Living Physics Portal is now seeking beta users!
The Living Physics Portal is a new online environment for physics faculty to share and discuss free curricular resources for teaching introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS). The objective of the Portal is to improve the education of the next generation of medical professionals and biologists by making physics classes more relevant for life sciences students. We are currently looking for beta users to contribute curricular materials to this early version of the site, browse our existing collection of high quality materials from our team, and give us feedback on the site. To learn more about what's available in the beta version of the site, and what will be available in the future, see what's available and what's coming and become a beta tester. To get involved in our upcoming in-person events, see our events page.
JavaScript Physlet Physics Now Available
The new JavaScript edition of Physlet Physics is now available from the Open Source Physics ComPADRE Collection. The original functionality and interactivity of Physlets is maintained and all 800+ Illustrations, Explorations, and Problems are mobile friendly and ready-to-use by students without installing any additional plug-in. Try them out on AAPT-ComPADRE at: www.compadre.org/physlets/
Career Toolbox for Undergraduates
The Careers Toolbox for Undergraduate Physics Students is a set of tools and exercises designed to help undergraduate physics students prepare to enter the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce. Tools range from exploring the common job titles of physics bachelor's to preparing for interviews, and are all geared specifically for physics students. This resource is brought to you by the American Institute of Physics and the Society of Physics Students. The 4th Edition is now ready for use.
Help students find the right grad program. Tell them about GradSchoolShopper.com
Advise your students to check out GradSchoolShopper.com, the most complete directory of graduate programs in the physical sciences. Students headed for graduate school can use this FREE service to search by degree programs, admission deadlines, research specialties, faculty profiles, GRE requirements, and more! New 2020 departmental data is now available. If your program isn't listed, contact us to find out how to have it included.
Physics Careers
Recruit STEM Interns from the Best Job Sites for FREE!
The AAPT Career Center offers no-cost postings to employers recruiting seasonal interns. Locate the best fit for your organization by reaching the future of the science community - the AAPT membership, as well as the members and student members of the American Physical Society (APS Physics), AVS Science and Technology, and the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma.
Get the word out! Your posting will also appear on the Physics Today Jobs site, which when combined with the job sites of the organizations mentioned above forms the ultimate online science, engineering, and computing career network, ensuring maximum relevant visibility for your internship. Visit https://jobs.aapt.org/employers/ to get posting!
Jobs Announcements from the Career Center
Assistant Professor
Rice University
Click here for job description.
FACULTY POSITION - Theoretical Nuclear Physics
Florida State University
Click here for job description.
More Physics Resources
Social Media @ AAPT
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Section News
Please submit your Section Report for the AAPT Section News. To list your section meeting in the AAPT Calendar of Events, e-mail the information to mhall@aapt.org. See the Fall 2019 Section News.
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© 2020, American Association of Physics Teachers
Table of Contents
Featured Journal Articles
American Journal of Physics
A physical model for intuiting linear regression
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The Physics Teacher
Viewing the Core of the Sun
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