Opening Comments for the Texas Teacher Preparation Conference

I would like to thank each of you for taking two extra days away from your busy lives to attend this invitational conference, the first of its type, I believe, to be held by the Texas Sections of AAPT and APS. Reform begins at home but it is best achieved when working cooperatively and collaboratively with colleagues. This meeting is a beginning, a first step, for us to address the challenge facing not only us in Texas but nation-wide: “improving the science preparation of K-12 teachers”.

The Texas sections for many years have been a string influence in preparing physicists and teachers of physics. Our biannual meetings serve as watering holes for all of us but also reflect the resources available to us and to the broader science education community. Our meetings bring together members of the research community (TSAPS), the physics education community (TSAAPT) and most importantly students (Zone 13, Society of Physics Students). Two speakers and I began attending Texas section meetings while we were undergraduate students. One member of the Planning Committee was in an introductory physics course that I taught while trying to get my “sea legs” in the classroom many years ago. I am not quite sure of the type of inspiration/preparation I provided him as a future K-12 teacher, but I am proud that he persevered and is a physics teacher today!

I would now like to introduce to you the members of the planning committee:

     David Donnelly, Southwest Texas State University

     Evelyn Restivo, Maypearl High School

     Larry Shepley, University of Texas

     Antonio Elizondo, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School

     Wayne Saslow

     James Crawford, Southwest Texas State University

     Harry Downing, Stephen F. Austin University

     Dan Bruton, Stephen F. Austin University

     Ali Piran, Stephen F. Austin University

I would also like to introduce our special guests and speakers, some of them first time visitors to Texas.

(click on a speaker's name for biographical information about that speaker)

     Jack Hehn, American Institute of Physics, College Park, MD

     Karen Johnston, Momentum Group, Fort Worth, TX

     James Stith, American Institute of Physics, College Park, MD

     Robert Beck Clark, Brigham Young University

     John Layman, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

     E. Len Jossem, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

     Bernie Khoury, American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, MD

     John Hubisz, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

     Gary White, Society of Physics Students, College Park, MD

This is a working conference, and we now need to get down to business.

Conference Agenda

Structure of the Conference

Opening Comments

Sessions

Closing Talk by Robert Beck Clark

Summary of Conclusions from Conference

Follow-up to Conference

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