eNNOUNCER February 2013

AAPT 2013 Winter Meeting Highlights

And All That Jazz
                      AAPT kicked off the new year in New Orleans for the 2013 Winter Meeting. Attendees had ample opportunity to hear live jazz performances at sessions during the conference including the Tuesday night live performance by one of the Preservation Hall's jazz bands. Technology had a high visibility throughout the meeting. Presentations ranged from "Best Practices in Educational Technology," to Online Tools and  Online Physics Courses. Some sessions reported on the use of tablets, smart phones, and the use of video games such as Angry Birds. AAPT staff streamed and videotaped the Symposium on Education Policy as well as the award and plenary talks.
                      Have a look at the photos captured at WM13!
                      Check out videos of the WM13 Plenary Sessions!
  Save the Date:
                      Summer Meeting 2013, July 13-17 (Portland, Oregon)
                      Winter Meeting 2014, January 4-7 (Orlando, Florida)
                      2014 Summer Meeting, July 26-30 (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

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.

Workshop for New Physics and Astronomy Faculty Nominations

Physics and astronomy department chairs are invited to nominate new tenure-line faculty members (usually in the first three years of their appointments) for the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop to be held June 17-20, 2013 at the American Center for Physics. This workshop, sponsored jointly by the American Association of Physics Teachers, the American Physical Society, and the American Astronomical Society with generous funding from NSF and Research Corporation, introduces the participants to effective physics pedagogy and the evidence for that effectiveness.  The workshop also hosts sessions on grant writing, time management, and preparing for tenure. The participants or their home institutions are responsible for travel costs to and from ACP.  The workshop’s NSF grant will pay for participants' food and hotel expenses.
                      Read more about the workshop. The online nomination form will be available on that web page by mid-February.

AAPT Response to ACHIEVE on NGSS

The second draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) was released on January 8th by Achieve for a final round of public comment due January 29. AAPT invited a core group of members to meet and compose a response to the draft.  We will post the Association's response on our website shortly after it is submitted to Achieve.  Watch for the link under the Next Generation Science Standards heading at AAPT.org.

PhysicsBowl Registration Now Open!

Registration is  open for the 2013 PhysicsBowl taking place April 3 - April 17, 2013. The deadline for registration is March 4.
                      Read more online.

Support the US Physics Team!

Where can the top US High School physics students compete with their peers in a global arena?  Denmark was selected as the host country for the 2013 International Physics Olympiad Competition.  The event will recognize the 100th anniversary of Danish physicist Niels Bohr's theory of the hydrogen atom.  AAPT, together with sponsoring organizations and their generous members, is responsible for recruiting, selecting, and training the five students who will represent the United States at the 2013 IPhO.  Celebrate this important anniversary with your contribution and be part of Olympiad's success. Donate now!

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 name 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.

Is Your Membership Up-to-date?

It may be time to renew and ensure continuity of your benefits, services and valuable AAPT journal content. 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 there to renew. 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.

Benjamin Franklin and Electrostatics
                      by Robert A. Morse

Originally hosted by Tufts University, and now hosted at the ComPADRE Digital Library, this collection of resources focuses on the works of Benjamin Franklin. Specifically, his work in electricity.
                      2006 marked the tercentenary of Benjamin Franklin's birth. Franklin is celebrated for many things, but his scientific work on electricity made major contributions to the progress of the field, and established his reputation as one of the leading intellects of his age.
                      Labs are provided in PDF format, along with video clips that demonstrate the construction and use of equipment.
  Learn more.

                      Are You a New Physics Teacher? Could You Use a Little Help?

Are you a veteran physics teacher who could mentor a new physics teacher? The AAPT eMentoring program is designed to connect pre-college physics educators in need of additional guidance with experienced pre-college physics educators. Learn more.

Section News

South Dakota Section Spring Meeting and Photo Contest
                      Feb. 8, 2013, in conjunction with SDSTA
                      Crossroads Hotel and Events Center, Huron, SD
  SDAAPT Email: Joel Rauber
  Alabama Section Meeting
                      Feb. 14-16, 2013, in conjunction with the Alabama Science Teachers Association US Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
  ALAAPT Email: Tommi Holsenbeck
  Hawaii Section Physics Olympics
    and Regional Bridge Building Contest
                      Feb. 16, 2013, University of Hawaii, Kapiolani Community College, Honolulu, HI
  HAAPT Email: Michael Jones
  Illinois Section Spring Meeting
                      Mar. 1-2, 2013, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL
  ISAAPT Email: Brian Davies
  Central Pennsylvania Section Spring Meeting and Photo Contest
                      Mar. 8-9, 2013, Millersville University, Millersville, PA
  AAPT-CPS Email: Mehmet Goksu
  New England Section Evening Winter Workshop
                      Mar. 8, 2013, in evening following the 33rd Annual State-wide Physics & Physical Science Teachers Meeting, Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME
                      (contact Mackenzie Stetzer)
  AAPT-NES Email: David Sturm
  Southern Ohio Section Spring Meeting
                      Mar. 9-10, 2013, Dublin Jerome High School, Dublin, OH
  SOSAAPT Email: Kathleen Harper
  New Jersey Section Spring Meeting
                      Mar. 15-16, 2013, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
  NJAAPT Email: Joseph Spaccavento
  Idaho-Utah Section Spring Meeting
                      Mar. 15-16, 2013, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT
  IUAAPT
  Arizona Section Spring Meeting
                      Mar. 23, 2013, Arizona
  AZAAPT Email: Jane Jackson

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.

In Memoriam

Tucker Chan, January 5, 2013
                    Physics Olympian and gold medal winner, Tucker Chan died accidentally in Menlo Park, California.  A student at Stanford University pursuing a Ph.D. in high energy physics, he was twice selected for the U.S. Physics Team and won a gold medal in 2008.  He attended M.I.T, graduating in 2012 with degrees in mathematics and physics. Read more about Tucker.

2013 PhysTEC Conference

Preparing the Next Generation of Physics Teachers
                      March 16-17, 2013 in Baltimore, MD
                      Registration is now open for the 2013 annual conference. This year's opening plenary will be given by Richard Steinberg, Program Director of Science Education at City College of New York and author of An Inquiry Into Science Education, Where the Rubber Meets the Road. Additional plenary speakers include Michael Marder, University of Texas at Austin, and Catherine Good, Baruch College. In collaboration with the American Chemical Society, the conference will also feature sessions on chemistry teacher preparation. The 2013 conference is being held in conjunction with the American Physical Society March Meeting. Get  more information and register.

NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers

The 2013 NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers and NIST Research Experience for Teachers Programs are now being accepted. The Summer Institute is a two-week workshop for middle school science teachers featuring hands-on activities, lectures, tours, and visits with NIST scientists and engineers in their laboratories, July 8-19, 2013.
                      The Research Experience for Teachers is a follow-on program that provides two local middle school science teachers with six weeks of real-world research experience at NIST. Completion of the NIST Summer Institute is a prerequisite for participating in the Research Experience for Teachers. Dates: To be determined by participants and the NIST researchers they work with. Application deadline: March 20, 2013.
                        Read more.

SmartGraphs Contest

The Concord Consortium is running a contest and awarding prizes. SmartGraphs is a free application, and runs directly in a Web browser. Submit a new SmartGraphs activity for learning science or mathematics; the best activities will be winners.
                      More information.

Ask for Evidence Campaign

The UK charity Sense About Science is launching its Ask for evidence campaign in the US. The campaign encourages everyone to Ask for Evidence behind claims on products, in advertising, newspapers, and policy statements.
                      For the launch, Sense About Science is holding a free full-day boot camp for teachers and early career researchers on February 13th followed by a public launch event at the MIT museum, Boston MA. It's a great opportunity to hear from journalists, editors and other science communicators about the importance of good evidence and standing up for science.

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.

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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