E-mail Follow-up to the Texas Teacher Preparation Conference

Hello Everyone,

On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to again thank each of you for participating in the Texas teacher prep conference. I wanted to update you on some things, and also request some information from each of you. Here are the things you should be aware of:

• Both the Texas sections of APS and AAPT voted to endorse the AIP statement on the preparation of teachers that was discussed at the conference. The vote occurred during the section meetings that followed the conference.

• Both sections also voted to endorse a second conference. The organizing committee is working on possible dates, and you will be informed when we have those nailed down.

• I am working on reimbursing people who have money due them. I hope to have checks in the mail by the end of the week. I apologize for the delay.

• I have copies of the petitions that were circulated at the conference. If anyone would like a copy, I would be happy to send it to you.

• We are working on getting preliminary proceedings up on the web. We will let you know when they are available.

I also have a request from each of you. I would like you to send me action items that you will be working on as a result of this conference. This will allow us to monitor the effects and outcomes of the conference. We will make a report on these outcomes at the next conference. As an example, I thought I would share with you some of the things I am planning to do.

I am planning on continuing to work with Heather Galloway in my department to change our lab course for pre-service teachers into a more inquiry-based format. This work may eventually lead to a new inquiry-based course for pre-service teachers as well as others.

I plan to work with my daughter’s elementary school on development of new curriculum, as well as professional development programs for the staff.

I will be involved in any activities initiated by my department involving teacher preparation.

I will work on organizing the next Texas teacher prep conference.

I will work with other organizing committees, if asked, to assist in them in holding similar regional conferences.

I look forward to hearing what your plans are. Please let me know. I will then ask for periodic updates on your progress. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact any member of the organizing committee. Thanks again for your participation.

Dear David,

Although this piece of information did not arise out of the conference, it does reflect the direction of my future work along these lines. You might visit the web site noted in my address wherein I hope to provide reviews of physical science textbooks, an on-line discussion forum for educators to discuss ways of dealing with textbook errors, and links to other resources for teachers and students.

Best wishes,

John

Hi David-

My commitments are:

1. To contact the existing Austin area PTRAs and try to establish a tie between them and the UTeach program.
2. I will use my association with the UTeach program to promote rigorous, inquiry based content training within the program and to disseminate this model of preservice training as I am able to through other organizations.

That's about all I can absolutely commit to given the uncertainties in my situation right now; I'll add more as I am able.

best wishes,

Jill

Hi David,

Many people were interested in the TAKS at the conference. I found some information on the web this weekend while looking at high school web sites.

Midway's web site has a TEA power point slide presentation discussing TAKS testing, objectives and more for both math and science.

The web page is located at http://www.midwayisd.org/news/curriculum/curriculum.htm

Daniel

I will try to get the two petitions delivered to appropriate State people.

I will try to get a regional induction program started for all science teachers in the greater Austin area.

I will try to do some things related to undergraduate Physics instruction at UT Austin that I can't mention because if I do I probably will not be able to do them. This is the information/action uncertainty principle at work.

Michael

My activity is a bit limited at this point, since I am retired and the PEP program at A&M has ended.

I continue to be active in the PTRA program of AAPT. I am planning to do a teacher workshop in Arlington April 13, and I plan to do a series of workshops for Waco teachers over the next few years.

Beyond that, I will try to have some influence in encouraging sciemce education wherever I can.

Bill

Dear David, here are some of the things I am doing : 1. I have given a brief written report on the workshop to the physics faculty, the Dean of science and engineering, and the director of the Math and Science Institiute in our School of Education. 2. Probably as a result of #1, I have been asked by the Dean to join with a committee that has recently formed to plan a new sequence in physical science specifically for pre service teachers at TCU, mainly K-8, I think. The committee is chaired by the director of the School of education's math and science Institute and has representative faculty of physics, geology, chemistry and engineering. The new course should begin in spring 2003. 3. I have had discussion with another interested physics faculty member on the committee (Curtis Bradley, who should attend the next workshop) about the "Powerful Ideas in Physical Science" program. We will order the program and probably push to begin this type of program for the physics part of the new science course sequence being discussed and planned by the committee in #2. 4. Curtis and I will work with our Math and Science Institiue to try to develop a survey to be given to students currently enrolled in astronomy and geology to try to find out what student come into TCU knowing about science. We know the HS admission prerequisites, but want to find out better what the typical non-science major is really prepared to do. 4. It is fortunate that much support and effort is already underway at TCU for developing a new course sequence for pre service teachers. The need had already been recognized. The workshop was very stimulating for me and helped push me to commit some of my time and effort to help make the changes occur locally. Meeting John Lambert and hearing about PIPS was very timely and helpful to me.

Thanks for your effort in organizing the workshop. I hope we will have some positive outcomes from TCU to report by the followup workshop.

C.A.

David

I currently have two Eisenhower Grants dedicated to providing in-service opportunities to Elementary Teachers, each totaling about 76K. Although the conference was directed toward pre-service teachers, I consider in-service equally as important, and plan to continue these efforts. In addition, I intend to expand my efforts in my lectures to encourage students toward teaching as a career choice. I have founded two student organizations, an SPS Chapter and a local Astronomy Club, and still serve as the faculty advisor for both clubs. I intend to continue to use these as a means of trying to reach out to teachers and potential teachers.

As a suggestion, perhaps the Zone 13 and/or the national SPS, could sponsor a careers (in physics) symposium with science teaching as one emphasis. This could be done at the TS-AAPT sponsored annual meeting and/or the national meeting. When I was the SPS Chapter President in 1975 at Midwestern University, we had such a symposium and it went over very well. You could bring in teachers from all levels (K through University) to serve as a panel. You might want to expand this to include all career opportunities after a physics (science) degree.

I've got an appointment to meet with William Franz, head of SBEC, on the first petition. On the second petition, I've learned that a new person will take over TEA at the end of this month, so I may delay and redirect it.

Michael

Hi, David:

Thanks for the update on the conference.

I have taken the following actions since the conference:

I am continuing to work with the Dean of Education and the math department in the writing of a proposal for an Academy of Mathematics and Science Education at Lamar. We propose to begin with prospective teachers of grades 5 through 8. They will be offered an integrated program of math, science AND education. I will be heading to West Point in July to serve as the Visiting Professor of Physics at the United States Military Academy, but will keep in touch with the progress of this proposal.

In the meantime, we will be teaching an integrated program (just in our college) to education majors starting this summer. They will take one semester of physics, followed by one semester of chemistry and then one year of integrated physics, chemistry, geology and biology centered around the theme of energy.

I met with Dr. Melvin, who will teach the physics component this summer. I informed him of the proceedings of our conference and suggested that he follow a recommendation from our group at the conference. I recommended that his students should consider how to adapt each laboratory experience to a level appropriate for the grades they will be teaching. A lab session will be extended into two parts. The first part will consist of the students undertaking a formal experiment typical of any college physics course. The second part (not necessarilly on the same day) will see the students breaking into groups. Each group will devise a plan to adapt the experiment they just performed to an appropriate level. This plan ideally will consider a way to make the childrens' experiment "discovery based" and include suggestions for acqiuring low cost apparatus in a creative manner.

I will keep you posted on the outcome.

Joe Pizzo

David,

Regarding your request for a follow-up, I am not sure what all will happen but here are a few thoughts:

1) I contacted Andy Cordell who was listed in the Announcer as the person in charge of a club of DFW area physics teachers to inquire as to how we might combine my resources as a PTRA and his to help organize, enlarge, and form a support groups of area physics teachers interested in AAPT, etc. The bad news was basically there is No club or at least one that has been active for several years, it is just still listed with AAPT. So that means I am back to square one, my list.

2) I am going to investigate a way of getting a list of all the physics teachers in the state to see if we can network better both for the sake of each individual program as well as the state and national organizations and goals.

3) I will continue to be involved in conducting workshops, inservices, and other programs that will help prepare teachers for the role as inquiry based "instructors" in the classroom.

4) In starting to design my plan for my doctorate in curriculum and instruction, I am developing a survey that will hopefully measure both attitude and content in the physics classroom. I would like to administer this to various groups across the country to see if we can come up with some data that someone might listen to as to WHY we do what we are doing. I am seeking help from Dr. Olenick (PI for the C3P curriculum), Paul Hewitt (Conceptual Physics), Dr. Ken Rometo (Argosy Univ. C&I), Mel Steinberg (CASTLE) and others that are considered to be experts in the field of conceptual physics as well as alternative assessments. ... BTW, any input would be appreciated

5) Continue to "fight the fight" that has to be constantly fought regarding WHY we need to put time, effort, and money into inquiry based courses!

Not sure if this is what you want or not, let me know.

Karen Jo Matsler

Hello,

Our department will continue to prepare for the upcoming TAKS administration next year by practice teaching a few physics topics in chemistry 1 classes. My job is to help them have all the information they need to teach something that they have not taught before. If that sort of information would be helpful to other schools and inservice teachers, I'm sure we could share what we come up with.

Whew!

Thanks for a great conference--looking forward to the next one.

:-) Kathleen

Here, in brief are what I have proposed to do at UNT in support of Teacher Preparation as a result of the APS/AAPT Workshop on Teacher Preparation.

1) Continue to participate in the planning of our Science Teacher Preparation (STP) program, a collaboration of the Depats of Physics, Chemistry, Biology in the College of Arts and sciences and the College of Education.

2) The Department of Physics has passed a resolution supporting science teacher preparation (see attachment).

3) I have proposed to the Deans of the Colleges of Artsa dn Science and Education at a luncheon a Center for Science Education Research that brings together interested science education researchers across disciplines to collaborate and stimulate one another intellectually.

4) I am proposing a Tenure Track line in Physics Education Research (PER) in the Department of Physics at UNT.

Hello to everyone who participated in the discussion about the Physics/Mathematics certificate.

David Loyd (Angelo State), Sandra West (SWT) and I testified before SBEC this morning. Rod Schroder, District Superintendent from Amarillo flew in to testify as well, but had to catch another plane before the agenda reached us. He was able to leave the Board with written testimony.

The State Board will vote this afternoon, but it appears from the morning's discussion that the request for a Physics/Mathematics certificate will be granted. I want particularly to thank David and Rod, who drove and flew long distances to help make this possible.

Michael Marder