Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2017 PhysTEC Conference
Volume 62, Number 2
Friday–Saturday, February 17–18, 2017; Atlanta
Session 3C: Workshop 3C (2:45pm - 4pm) |
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Room: Hanover Hallway |
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3C.00001: Recruiting Grant Poster Session: How to develop your teacher preparation program on a smaller budget Alma Robinson This interactive poster session will highlight institutions that have developed and executed teacher preparation programs and/or practices with the assistance of a PhysTEC Recruiting Grant. Because these programs are supported by a small budget, their practices have the potential to serve as models for a broad range of institutions. [Preview Abstract] |
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3C.00002: The Sonoma State University Physics Teacher Pipeline Scott Severson We present an array of changes that represent our concerted effort to recruit students into high school physics teaching pathways and to develop a supportive structure for students to gain teaching experiences during their undergraduate years at Sonoma State University. These include: the development of recruiting materials, including a promotional poster for our department with a teaching focus and participation of our students and teacher preparation advising materials; the coordination with our campus tutoring program to incorporate Physics majors as Supplemental Instructors following concepts of the successful CU-Boulder Learning Assistant model; the creation of an active PhysTEC community on campus including a part-time Teacher-in-Residence; The establishment of a Teacher Advisory Group that we call Physics in our Neighborhood (PION); and the incorporation of PhysTEC-inspired ideas in our program changes following our recent Program Review. [Preview Abstract] |
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3C.00003: Kick-Starting the Physics Secondary Education Degree at Boise State University Daryl Macomb, Tiffany Watkins The Physics Department at Boise State University is in the final year of our three-year PhysTEC recruiting grant. Our PhysTEC efforts were accompanied by significant changes to the physics degree program, and the introduction of IdoTeach - a UTeach replication program. These factors have combined to provide us with a significant increase in secondary education majors. In this poster we describe our current outreach practices, the status of and growth in the secondary education degree program, plans for sustainability, and concerns/issues. [Preview Abstract] |
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3C.00004: Learning Assistant Program Pilot at Bowdoin College Karen Topp, Madeleine Msall Bowdoin College has recently implemented a new Learning Assistant (LA) Program for Liberal Arts Institutions. Our pilot project explores how the CU-Boulder model may work at small liberal arts colleges, where there are fewer education students and no (or rarely an) education course specifically aimed at STEM fields. In our model, several science faculty, led by a professor of education, met monthly with undergraduate LAs in a reading group to discuss research-supported innovations in science pedagogy. LAs for introductory mechanics attended classes and supported in-class group work and led mandatory one hour Learning Groups (LGs) for an assigned group of 6--8 students. LGs were designed to form supportive study groups with guided explorations of difficult topics. Resources for the LGs, provided by faculty, included tutorial explorations$^{\mathrm{1}}$ of mathematical concepts and challenging problems. Our LAs act as ushers between legitimate peripheral learners$^{\mathrm{2}}$ and the ``center'' of our particular community of physics practice. LAs have been excellent mentors to less experienced students and have deepened their understanding of both course material and the learning process. Feedback thus far from LAs is positive, with one (of ten) directly motivated to take an education class and others expressing high interest in learning more about Physics education. $^{\mathrm{1}}$For example, McDermott, Shaffer and the Physics Education Group (Prentice Hall 1998). $^{\mathrm{2}}$J. Lave and E. Wenger, \underline {Situated Learning; Legitimate peripheral participation} (Cambridge U Press, 1991). [Preview Abstract] |
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3C.00005: A streamlined pathway for recruiting physics teachers Jay Wang The PhysTEC project at UMass Dartmouth involves recruitment and preparation of physics teachers under a streamlined 4+1 pathway. Established in the first year of the project, the pathway is a five-year program that combines existing BS and MS programs into a formal plan of study. Students in the program will be fully licensed physics teachers with a dual Physics BS and MAT degree. They will be well prepared in both physics content and education courses to be highly qualified and certified physics teachers. This carefully designed, intentional program replaces the ad-hoc routes students used to take previously. Recruiting activities are carried out both internally and externally. Internally, physics majors were made aware of the 4+1 program via advising. We focused on entering freshmen classes visited by project members and the teacher in residence to discuss the 4+1 pathway and other career options. We also visited large introductory classes with the TIR to raise awareness of the program and to attract physics majors and minors. We highlighted physics teaching using APS survey data including severe shortage and high level of job satisfaction. External recruiting activities were conducted through open house events and community partnership such as the Physics Alliance. [Preview Abstract] |
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3C.00006: The OK PhysTEC Collaborative Steven Maier, Jenny Sattler The OK PhysTEC Collaborative consists of the four PhysTEC member institutions of Oklahoma. The goal of the project is to increase the number of physics education candidates statewide over a three-year span (2014/15 -- 2016/17 academic years). To do this, high school and undergraduate students are being recruited into physics and science education programs. In addition, support for travel to physics education conferences is offered to high school teachers, undergraduate physics students, and in-service physics teachers. Participating institutions include Northwestern Oklahoma State University (lead institution), East Central University, Oklahoma State University, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University. In this poster, recruitment efforts to date will be reported, along with summaries of enrollments, program changes motivated by the project, and challenges that remain. [Preview Abstract] |
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3C.00007: IUSB-PMT’s -- a PhysTEC recruiting initiative at Indiana University South Bend Jerry Hinnefeld The focus of the PhysTEC recruiting initiative at Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) is a pairing of physics with mathematics. The goal is to increase our rate of production of physics teachers from 0.2 per year in the five years preceding the project to 2 per year, either as physics majors with a math minor or as math majors with a physics minor. Key elements of our initiative have included identifying and creating multiple pathways to licensure; creating opportunities for meaningful early teaching experiences facilitated by a part-time Teacher in Residence; and development of a robust Learning Assistant program from an existing program of tutoring and supplemental instruction. This presentation will describe our challenges and progress, along with strategies for sustaining our efforts beyond the end of our PhysTEC recruiting grant. [Preview Abstract] |
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3C.00008: PhysTEC Recruiting Grant at ETSU: Challenges and Successes Beverly Smith, Christi Whitworth, Michael Castelaz, Timothy DeLisle, Mark Giroux In Spring 2015 and again in Spring 2016, undergraduate Physics and Astronomy majors and minors from East Tennessee State University participated in a 2-day workshop in Radio Astronomy at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in North Carolina. At the workshop, students learned the basics of radio astronomy and developed classroom exercises based on the use of the PARI radio telescope. After the workshop, the students led classroom exercises on radio astronomy in the introductory Astronomy classes at ETSU and again at local high schools. This program gave Physics/Astronomy students experience in leading classroom exercises as well as radio astronomy. One of the goals of the program is to encourage Physics majors to consider high school teaching as a career. In this poster, we describe some of the challenges we faced in organizing such a program, as well as some of the successes of the program. [Preview Abstract] |
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3C.00009: PhysTEC Recruiting Grant at Salisbury University Gail Welsh, Starlin Weaver The Salisbury University (SU) Physics Department, in collaboration with the Education Specialties Department, offers a degree in Physics Secondary Education. We are in the third year of our PhysTEC Recruitment Grant. Our recruitment plan consists of three parts: marketing, early teaching experiences, and a part-time teacher in residence. We will provide examples of promotional materials and describe how we are using the materials to recruit incoming freshmen. We have developed an online presence with a Physics Teaching website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. Physics majors have opportunities for two types of early teaching experiences: as leaders in SU’s Supplemental Instruction program and as participants in our Teaching Exploration Program (TEP), which offers placements in local schools. We hired a part-time Teacher in Residence who is a retired physics teacher with mentoring experience. She met the students in the TEP at the schools, provided orientation, and introduced them to the teachers with whom they were placed. She also distributed promotional brochures to local high schools in Maryland and Delaware. [Preview Abstract] |
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3C.00010: Recruiting Physics Education Majors at the University of Wyoming Daniel Dale The University of Wyoming has strengthened its recruitment of future high school physics teachers. One of our efforts focuses on training local high students to develop and give public shows in our digital planetarium. Another effort recruits STEM-educated officers from a local military base to our Noyce program. We will report on all our activities and our latest numbers of physics education majors and post-baccalaureate students pursuing physics teacher certification. [Preview Abstract] |
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