eNNOUNCER April 2013

AAPT 2013 Summer Meeting

Registration opens today for the 2013 AAPT Summer Meeting in Portland, Oregon, July 13 – 17! Join us for five days of professional development provided through over 70 workshops, panels, sessions and special events. We have some interesting keynote speakers lined-up. Alan M. Nathan of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  will discuss the "Physics of Baseball."  Also, Walt Loveland of Oregon State University and Mark Stoyer of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will address "The Synthesis of Superheavy Elements."
                      It is not too late to submit a post-deadline abstract for the summer meeting.
                      Learn more about the 2013 AAPT Summer Meeting today!
  Save the Date:
                      Winter Meeting 2014, January 4-7 (Orlando, Florida)
                    2014 Summer Meeting, July 26-30 (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Thomas F. Haff Named  2013 Recipient of Paul W. Zitzewitz Excellence in Pre-College Teaching Award

The 2013 Paul Zitzewitz Excellence in Pre-College Physics Teaching Award winner is Thomas F. Haff, a high school physics teacher from Seattle, Washington. Haff epitomizes the qualities most desired in a teacher. He is an enthusiastic, expert teacher. He explains physics so the subject comes alive for students, inspiring them to seek and grasp a deeper level of understanding. He truly understands that his job is not only to teach science concepts to his students, rather to instill in them a curiosity and enthusiasm for learning science.  Haff noted, "When it is all said and done… the bottom line… whether we build a new building or buy a pencil… It is about the kids… bottom line."
                    Read more »

Michael Jackson Recognized with AAPT 2013 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching

Michael Jackson is the recipient of 2013 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching. In nominating him for this honor, his colleagues noted his singular dedication to the craft of effective physics teaching, boundless energy, enthusiasm, and good humor in the service of excellence in physics education. His leadership inspires others to emulate his exemplary teaching and commitment to effective physics teaching which he integrates into every aspect of his efforts including beyond the classroom, e.g., public outreach, research, facility planning. Additionally, they note his demonstration of the effectiveness of AAPT SPIN-UP strategies in developing thriving undergraduate physics programs, and the inspiration his example can provide to members of AAPT. Read more »

Daniel H. Phelps to Receive 2013 Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT

Daniel H. Phelps will receive the association’s Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT during the 2013 Summer Meeting in Portland, Oregon. Phelps is a retired physics teacher, having taught physics at the University of British Columbia, St. Georges School and Columbia College.
                      A member of AAPT since 1956, Phelps has been active in the British Columbia Section ceaselessly working to encourage the teaching of physics and to build up the organization. He served as a Section officer (Vice President, President, and Past President) from 2008-2011 and still serves as a section executive member. Read more »

Physics Day at Six Flags America (MD)

Attention all middle and high school physics teachers in MD, DC, VA, DE, and PA.  The annual Physics Day at Six Flags America (MD) will be held on Friday, April 26th from 10:30AM - 6:00PM.  Please register your students to participate in the Roller Coaster Contest and/or the Egg Drop Contest for a chance to win exciting prizes!  Tickets must be purchased through Six Flags, download the order form here.
Check your local amusement park to see if there is a Physics Day near you.
We are also recruiting local physicist volunteers (undergraduates included) to help staff the physics activities. Volunteer for Physics Day in Maryland.                   

2013 High School Physics Photo Contest Now Open

The 2013 contest is now open to receive submissions. The contest is open to high school students in grades 9-12. Teachers register on the AAPT website and receive a confirmation code that their students can use to submit their entries (essay and photo). Photos may be entered in either the Natural photo or Contrived photo category. The top 100 entries will be displayed and judged during the 2013 Summer Meeting in Portland, Oregon.
                      Learn more and enter today!

Reminder to Submit an Entry to the Apparatus Competition

The AAPT Apparatus Competition recognizes, rewards, and publicizes worthwhile contributions to physics teaching through lecture demonstrations, instructional laboratory equipment, and interactive exhibits. The Competition is held annually during AAPT's summer meeting and is open to all members with entries targeting all levels of physics education from K-12 to undergraduates to the general public.
                      See the entry selection criteria. Entrants must notify the Apparatus Competition Director Brian Andersson (banders@physics.umn.edu) by June 1, 2013 of their intention to enter the 2013 Apparatus Competition and any services required to display their apparatus.
                      More information and entry form.                   

Physics Department Chairs Conference

May 30-31, 2013
                      The American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers are pleased to jointly organize the 2013 Physics Department Chairs Conference, May 30 (evening) and 31 (full day) at the American Center for Physics in College Park, MD. This conference is one of a series of conferences that have been organized biennially for the past three decades.  Topics of interest to chairs representing the full range of physics departments are planned for this event.  The conference is held jointly with the Distance Education and Online Learning in Physics workshop. Register today!

Distance Education and Online Learning Workshop

June 1-2, 2013
                      Immediately following the Department Chairs Conference, the Distance Education and Online Learning Workshop on June 1-2 will provide participants a chance to discuss the opportunities and implications of distance education and online learning for the physics community.  Topics will include: MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), Hybrid and Fully Online Courses, The Flipped Classroom, Assessment and Research, and Laboratories.
                      Participants may register for either or both conferences.
  Register today!

AAPT and the American Modeling Teachers Association are Partners in the 100Kin10 Network

100Kin10 is an alliance of over 100 leading public, private, and non-profit partner organizations that have committed to strategically addressing the nation's shortage of STEM teachers and improving STEM learning for all students by training 100,000 excellent science, technology, engineering, and math teachers over the coming 10 years.  An important tool for reaching this goal is the Force concept Inventory (FCI),  an online inventory of core concepts and assessment items used by teachers of introductory physics to help measure student learning of physics concepts. Teachers share assessment results with colleagues nationwide and learn how to teach these concepts more effectively.
                      Read more.                   

AAPT Undergraduate Physics Program Review Project

AAPT recognizes that undergraduate physics programs benefit from receiving feedback on the quality of the program.  In order to assist physics programs that are planning a review, AAPT maintains a list of reviewers whose names will be supplied to institutions submitting requests.    To be a reviewer, you must meet a number of qualifications - see the qualifications. If you fulfill the qualifications and are interested in serving as an external reviewer, please send a short message to eo@aapt.org to begin the process for being placed on the list.  If your department or program is interested in requesting names of potential reviewers, please send a request to eo@aapt.org or via fax at 301-209-0845.

Hashim A. Yamani Membership Scholarships

Each year, AAPT awards several two-year Hashim A. Yamani AAPT Memberships,  which are regular electronic memberships and include electronic only access to copies of the American Journal of Physics, The Physics Teacher, and Physics Today. The deadline to apply is July 1, 2013. Read more!

Clifford E. Swartz Fund

The Clifford E. Swartz Fund, established by his family to support The Physics Teacher (TPT), is managed by the AAPT Publications Committee and is used to improve and enhance TPT with ever advancing and expensive publishing technology. Donate to this fund!

The Frederick and Florence Bauder Endowment

The Frederick and Florence Bauder Endowment provides grants to support special activities in the area of physics teaching. The deadline for applications to request funds is July 1, 2013. Learn more.

Social Media Update

AAPT wants to connect with you on social media!  Stay abreast of the latest AAPT and physics-related news.  We invite you to like us, follow us, connect with us, and pin us. You can find us here:
 

Get More From Your Membership!

Most AAPT memberships include current and back issues of American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher. You can save and share your favorite articles plus find the answers to the monthly "Figuring Physics." Your Scitation registration and current AAPT membership open the door to your online access. Log into your member record at AAPT.org using your ID and password. You can verify your status from your profile page and use the link provided  to renew your membership, if necessary.  You can get help with your Scitation registration at help@scitation.org. If you have any questions, or concerns or need further assistance, feel free to contact Member Services at 301-209-3333, or by e-mail at membership@aapt.org.

PER-Central Gets a New Look!

PER-Central is an online resource collection for the physics education research (PER) community. It provides access to PER-related articles, reviews, theses and dissertations, research groups, curricular material, and event information. It is also a source of information from the PER Topical Group.
                      The new design is intended to improve the site's navigation and includes an expanded curriculum area on the front page that provides access to transformed course packages, PER-based student tutorials, research instruments, and PER pedagogy guides.
                      Visitors are encouraged to suggest articles or PER-based curricular materials not yet added or to contact PER-Central regarding sets of  materials.
                      We would like to thank the members of the PER Central advisory group for their help in this redesign.  If you have suggestions or comments, please let us know.                   

Section News

Michigan Section Spring Meeting
                      Apr. 20, 2013, Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, MI
  MIAAPT Email: Mike Faleski
For other April Spring Meetings previously listed see the Section News from the March issue.
To list your section meeting in the AAPT Calendar of Events, e-mail the information to mgardner@aapt.org. See the December 2012 Section News.

Release of the Next Generation Science Standards

The final release of the NGSS will take place during the second week in April (April 8-12). Watch the NGSS website for more information.                   

2013 ALPhA Laboratory Immersions

The Advanced Laboratory Physics Association (ALPhA) is pleased to announce the 2013 ALPhA Laboratory Immersions. ALPhA’s Immersion experiences provide participants with two to three days of intensive hands-on work with a single advanced laboratory experiment. Enrollment is limited to two to three participants per experiment in order to ensure that every participant learns the experiment well enough to teach it themselves. Get more information about each of the experiments offered in 2013 and to register for the Immersion of your choice.

Energy 101: A Model Interdisciplinary Higher Education Course for Teaching the Fundamentals of Energy

April 10th: Live Webcast on "The Energy 101 Course Framework"
                      Wednesday, April 10th, 2013 2:00-4:00 PM EST
                      The Department of Energy and its Energy 101 project collaborators will present a live webcast titled "The Energy 101 Course Framework" on Wednesday, April 10th, 2013, from 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time. This webinar is for educators, administrators, and other interested parties who would like to learn about the Energy 101 course framework and how their institutions can get involved in this effort, as well as how the framework has been used in the development of an ongoing pilot course at the University of Maryland. The framework was designed to challenge college students at two and four-year schools across the country to explore systematically the science and social science behind sound energy decision-making. It also builds on DOE's work, through the National Training and Educational Resource (NTER).
  Follow this link to register for the webinar.

Transforming STEM Education: Inquiry, Innovation, Inclusion, and Evidence

October 31–November 2, 2013
                      San Diego, California
                      Proposals Due April 11, 2013
                      AAC&U and Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) invite proposals for concurrent sessions at the 2013 Network for Academic Renewal conference, Transforming STEM Education: Inquiry, Innovation, Inclusion, and Evidence. We seek proposals focused on practices that engage students in integrative STEM learning, problem-based inquiry, and cross-disciplinary analysis. Proposals are also sought that give special attention to practices that demonstrably increase underrepresented student persistence and success in STEM disciplines. Special attention will be paid to proposals that feature ways that STEM teaching innovations can raise the level of student engagement in STEM fields and evidence about what actually works, both to advance integrative and interdisciplinary learning in STEM fields and to improve student success in STEM. Sessions will also explore ways to link STEM innovation to related institutional change priorities, such as general education renewal, underrepresented student success, assessment of student learning outcomes, and public and policy support for practices that strengthen STEM learning and achievement.
                      Meeting tracks will address three primary themes:
                      Theme I: Advancing Integrative and Problem-Centered STEM Learning
                      Theme II: Supporting Underrepresented Student Achievement and Reversing the Talent Loss in STEM Fields
                      Theme III: Supporting and Scaling Faculty Leadership and Innovation Visit the Call for Proposals to find out how to submit a proposal to share your work at this conference.

The Power of Principles

Despite such renown figures as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, the precise nature of theoretical research remains a mystery to most members of the general public. We are all taught the "scientific method" of how theory converges on the truth through experimental verification, but how can we push our understanding well beyond where experiments can currently reach? Can theorists then simply make up whatever they please? These are precisely the questions put to Nima Arkani-Hamed in the most recent issue of Ideas Roadshow entitled "The Power of Principles: Physics Revealed". Not only does Nima eloquently explain how the underlying principles of quantum mechanics and relativity guide our theories of reality to the truth, but he goes further to propose why it is that the very nature of this type of theoretical research is so poorly communicated to the general public.  AAPT meeting attendees will remember Nima as a popular plenary speaker from our Summer 2012 meeting in Philadelphia.

LearnLab Workshop for Early Career  Professional

LearnLab announces its secon annual workshop for early career professionals including graduate students, post-docs, and early career faculty.  This year's theme is  Research and Innovation for Enhancing Achievement and Equity.  This is a *free* professional development workshop at Carnegie Mellon University that will include keynote speakers Dr. Nora Newcombe and Dr. Tammy Clegg.
                      Read more.

IACPE Paper Submission Deadline

The InterAmerican Conference on Physics Education (IACPE) will celebrate their 50th anniversary at the  XI IACPE from July 1- 5 in Guayaquil, Ecuador.  The paper submission deadline is April 5, 2013. Submit your abstract.                   

Modeling Workshops

Fifty Modeling Workshops in high school physics, chemistry,  physical science, and biology will be offered in summer 2013, in many states. Modeling Workshops are peer-led. Modeling Instruction is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as an Exemplary K-12 science program. Some sites offer stipends, usually for in-state teachers.  Graduate credit is available at some sites. Pre-service teachers and TYC faculty are welcome too. More information. Workshop descriptions.

ASU Modeling Workshops in Physics and Chemistry

Four Modeling Workshops (June 10-28, June 17-28, July 1-19) for high school physics, chemistry, and physical science teachers nationwide are offered by Arizona State University in Tempe. The program can lead to a Master of Natural Science degree. Low-cost family housing. Modeling Instruction is designated as an Exemplary K-12 science program by the U.S. Department of Education.
                      More information. Workshop descriptions.

2013 U.S. Professors of the Year

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recently kicked off the nomination period for the 2013 U.S.Professors of the Year awards.  Since 1981, the annual program has honored a select group of U.S. professors who excel as educators and influence the lives and careers of their students. It is the only national initiative designed to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.  The deadline for 2013 program entries is April 15. More information.                   

Physics of Atomic Nuclei (PAN) Free Residential Summer Program

The Physics of Atomic Nuclei (PAN) free residential summer program for science teachers and high school students is accepting applications for summer 2013.  Applications are due by April 5, 2013.
                      Learn more and apply online.

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