Lab Fee: $50
Mr. Paul Lake-Fresno Unified School District Teacher
This third summer workshop in "modeling" is a methods-course of physics teaching that thoroughly addresses all aspects of middle & high school teaching, including the integration of teaching methods with course content, as it should be done in the classroom. ALL CONTENT INHERENTLY SATISFIES STATE EDUCATION STANDARDS. Special emphasis will be placed on fundamental conceptual developments through the use of "white boards", appropriate for the both high school physics and middle school science. Participants will also be instructed on computer hardware and software, techniques for laboratory data collection and analysis, and Internet use to help them become experts on the best uses of technology in education. Participants will be given provided resources and develop skills in Socratic Dialog to help their students "construct knowledge". This workshop is open to all science teachers, including last summer's FCEPT graduates. New physics institute participants will focus on kinematics. Last year's physics participants will review kinematics and continue on with dynamics and energy. Other focuses include modeling instruction in chemistry and mathematics.
Use computers and technology in ways that significantly increase student understanding;
Use hands-on, guided laboratory activities;
Engage students in Socratic dialog both in lecture and laboratory;
Address common, non-Newtonian, student misconceptions;
Use descriptive, graphical, mathematical, and diagrammatic representations;
Develop a small set of conceptual models that students can use to explain discipline dependent phenomena;
Create a student-centered physics classroom.
The teaching strategies have been adopted from many of the best physics education research groups around the United States.
The Conceptual Modeling program is a nation-wide, NSF-funded effort located at Arizona State. The Web site URL is http://www.modeling.asu.edu
Curricular resources will be provided for a full year course in general physics.
Evaluation tools will be provided.
Many of the methods used in this physics instruction course are applicable to other courses, such as chemistry.
This approach has proven to improve students' physics comprehension in mechanics significantly over traditional teaching methods.