eNNOUNCER March 2011
eNNOUNCER March 2011 Online Version | |
AAPT Letter to U.S. Senators in Support of Science Education FundingAAPT's Executive Officer, Beth Cunningham, acting on behalf of the organization, joined other leaders in the scientific community in writing a letter of opposition to the House continuing resolution for FY2011 (H.R. 1) that would make deep cuts to the NSF, DOE Office of Science, NIST core programs, and other science agencies. The letter notes that, "Congress took a very important step for our nation's future by reauthorizing the America COMPETES Act in 2010, reaffirming its commitment to the science and innovation essential to long-term economic growth. We urge you now to continue implementation of funding and to reject the cuts to research and STEM education adopted by the House in H.R. 1." 2011 Summer Meeting in Omaha, NEPre-Conference Workshop Fifty astronomers and physicists will work together to identify materials derived from astronomy, astrophysics, and space science suitable to use in physics instruction. They will propose actions to produce useful teaching materials and suggest strategies to encourage their use in physics courses. Summer Meeting Highlights Workshops Sessions Special Events Abstract deadline is March 21, 2011. Submit your abstract. "Call for Papers" Physics and Society Education Visit AAPT in San Francisco!March 10-12, 2011 AAPT will participate in the exhibit show at the NSTA National Conference in San Francisco. Please visit booth #2440 and explore our exciting selection of resources and publications designed to strengthen and support your physics instruction. Don’t forget to pick up some exciting giveaways and enter to win the AAPT gift basket. PhysicsBowl Registration Deadline is March 11, 2011Register online now.
Barbara Lotze Scholarship Winners AnnouncedThe Barbara Lotze Scholarship Committee today announced that the current scholarships will be awarded to Erin Grace and Mitchell Ambrose. Honorable Mentions are Marissa Espina and Sarah Prill. 2011 High School Physics Photo ContestEntries are now being accepted for the popular High School Physics Photo Contest sponsored by Vernier! The contest is open to high school students in grades 9-12 (or equivalent international grade level). Photos may be entered in one of two categories: Natural and Contrived. Submit your entries online today! On the Road to Bangkok: U.S. Physics Team Semifinalists AnnouncedGreat physics educators inspire the best high school minds in the United States and some of the best high school educators are listed, together with their students, at http://www.aapt.org/physicsteam/2011/info.cfm. AAPT has announced the top students chosen to advance to the Semifinal round of U.S. Physics Team selection. Approximately 3,000 students participated in this first phase of the selection process, the Fnet=ma Exam, in January. The Semifinalists will participate in a second examination during March. Top scorers in the second exam will become the 2011 U.S. Physics Team. "Big Questions" STEM from Project Kaleidoscope PartnershipAAPT is partnering with four other disciplinary societies and Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) on a new project "Mobilizing Disciplinary Societies on Behalf of our Students… and our Planet" supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. The project's focus is to increase student learning in undergraduate STEM courses and better prepare them for the real-world, 21st century, "Big Questions" that relate to real-world issues such as energy, air and water quality, and climate change. For more information about this project, see http://www.aacu.org/pkal/mobilizing/index.cfm. AAPT is looking for members from two-year and four-year colleges and universities to help with this project. If you are interested in contributing to this project, please contact Executive Officer Beth Cunningham at bcunningham@aapt.org. PKAL 20th Anniversary EssaysAn article about disciplinary societies' role in transforming STEM education by Warren Hein (AAPT Executive Officer Emeritus) and Bob Hilborn (Professor and Program Head, Science/Mathematics Education Program, University of Texas at Dallas) has recently been posted on the Project Kaleidoscope web page in celebration of its 20th anniversary. To view a copy of this article titled "Undergraduate Physics 1990–2010: The Role of Disciplinary Societies" and others, please see http://www.aacu.org/pkal/twentiethanniversaryessays.cfm. AAPT/PTRA Program Recognized as APS 2011 Excellence in Physics Education Award RecipientThe American Physical Society announced that the AAPT Physics Teaching Resource Agents Program has been awarded the 2011 Excellence in Physics Education Award. George Amann, Lawrence Bader, Robert Clark, Jan Mader, Karen Jo Mastler, and Jim Nelson have been invited to represent PTRA and receive the award during the April 2011 APS meeting. 7 Myths About High School PhysicsProduced by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the American Physical Society (APS), and the Society of Physics Students (SPS), this handsome brochure dispels the popular myths associated with taking physics in high school. The 7 Myths About High School Physics brochure is intended to help inform guidance counselors, parents, students, and others about the benefits of taking physics in high school. "All students should have the chance to spark their curiosity with physics." Registration Now Open: 2011 Physics Teacher Education Coalition ConferencePlenary speaker: Carl Weiman Two-Year College New Faculty ExperienceAAPT presents an 18-month experience designed specifically for Two-Year College Physics Faculty in their first five years of teaching. Are You a New Physics Teacher? Could You Use a Little Help?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 at http://ementoring.aapt.org. Need a Great Science Intern?The AAPT Career Center is now offering a FREE online-only posting to employers recruiting seasonal interns. Get the word out and reach the future of the science community—AAPT's membership, as well as the members and student members of APS, AVS, and the IEEE Computer Society (if a computer-related internship). Your intern posting will also appear on the Physics Today Jobs site. Login to or create your Employer account at http://careers.aapt.org/hr/index.cfm to get started. Free posting valid on 60-day internship postings ONLY. "Internship" Job Level must be selected when posting to access this offer. Adopt-a-Physicist Adopt-a-Physicist connects high school physics students to people with bachelors degrees or higher in physics via online discussion forums. Through their interactions, students can find out about the careers, educational backgrounds, and lives of current physicists. Professional Development Opportunities for Physics TeachersIf you're looking for a way to enhance your teaching skills or gain some research experience, check out the PTEC.org professional development opportunity map at http://www.ptec.org/pd/. This interactive google map provides information about Research Experiences for Teachers, Department of Energy, Modeling Workshops, PTRA programs, QuarkNet sites, and other opportunities from around the country. The map was created by the Physics Teacher Education Coalition, a collaboration between AAPT and the American Physical Society. Featured Journal ArticlesAmerican Journal of PhysicsResource Letter NO-1: Nonlinear Optics The Physics TeacherHow Rosalind Franklin Discovered the Helical Structure of DNA: Experiments in Diffraction Physics Store FeaturesThe Isaac Newton School of DrivingAt the Isaac Newton school of driving every car is a laboratory on wheels and every drive an exciting journey into the world of physics. The first lesson from author Barry Parker, describes the basic physics of driving: speed and acceleration; why you get thrown forward while braking or outward while turning; and why car advertisements boast about horsepower and torque. Whether you or your students drive a Pacer or a Porsche, The Isaac Newton School of Driving offers better—and better informed—driving through physics. (NB-34) $19.95 AAPT Members. Order online at The Physics Store. The Physics of Baseball, 3rd EditionIn this popular book, Robert Adair examines what a baseball or a baseball player in motion does-and why. How fast can a batted ball go? What effect do the stitch patterns have on wind resistance? How far does a curveball go? Newly revised third edition considers recent developments in the science of the sport. Faster pitchers, longer hitters, and enclosed stadiums are all examined. (NB-37) $7.48 AAPT Members. Fax your order to 301.209.0845 or order online at The Physics Store. Section NewsBritish Columbia Section Spring MeetingDavid Sokoloff visited BCAPT section from Feb. 3-5. He presented two colloquia (at the University of BC and at Simon Fraser University) and a special workshop for physics teachers on Saturday, February 5th. The people who attended the workshop represented an entire spectrum of physics teachers—from high school physics teachers, to university and to the teachers who teach in informal settings like Science World. In addition, we have a number of pre-service teachers attending the event! This was a very successful event (at least for us—for David it probably was a little bit difficult to do so many things in such a short period of time). We had almost 30 teachers attending a 9 a.m. Saturday event and we also had teachers from Washington. More information at www.bcapt.ca. Section News OnlineThe December 2010 Section News is available at http://aapt.org/Sections/ A New College Science PrizeTo start the new year, Science is pleased to announce the "Science Prize for Inquiry-Based Instruction" to highlight outstanding "modules" for teaching introductory college science courses that can readily spread to other settings and schools. For more information see http://www.sciencemag.org/site/feature/data/prizes/inquiry/. Becoming a Physics TeacherPlan to attend the upcoming webinar, "Becoming a Physics Teacher" with Eugenia Etkina, scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, at 2 pm EST. The webinar will be moderated by John Anderson. For additional information on this and other webinars go to http://www.aps.org/careers/guidance/webinars/index.cfm. Nuclear Technology Enabling Global Energy SecurityIn the present energy dilemma facing our nation, it has become critical that we address the sources of energy available worldwide, both short and long-term. This workshop is designed to provide teachers with the opportunity to increase their knowledge level on nuclear energy, meet and learn from the nuclear researchers, tour facilities, and interact with peers from across the country. See the Program overview here, or Google INL Physics Teachers Workshop. The application deadline is March 31, 2011. Only 30 registrations will be accepted for the July 2011 workshop. Teachers in Space Announces Summer Workshops for High-School TeachersTeachers Can Learn about Space Medicine, Human Factors, Astronautics, and Suborbital Science ASP Announces Three New ResourcesThe nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is pleased to announce three new resources for educators, outreach professionals, journalists, and astronomy enthusiasts: Accelerators and Beams: Tools of Discovery and InnovationThis 32-page booklet explains accelerators and beams in simple language and their myriad applications. It is an excellent resource for explaining to students how physics affects our lives. It shows career opportunities that are not widely known and can encourage students to study physics. Sun Captured in its Full 360° GloryThe first complete view of the Sun's entire surface and its atmosphere was captured yesterday by NASA's STEREO mission. Researchers are proclaiming the images a triumph for space science that will boost our understanding of solar dynamics and help to improve space weather forecasts. Read more http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/45047 2011 Toyota International Teacher ProgramThe 2011 Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica, which will take place November 19 through December 3, 2011 is now open for applications. Full-time classroom teachers of all subjects and librarians, grades 7–12, are invited to apply on-line. Visit www.iie.org/toyota for more information and application instructions. The deadline to apply is May 4, 2011. Was This Issue of eNNOUNCER Useful to You?Tell us what you think about this issue of eNNOUNCER. Join Us on Facebook and TwitterAAPT tweets, posts and discussions are ongoing at the following links. Join us and stay informed. About eNNOUNCERAAPT's eNNOUNCER is a service to members of the American Association of Physics Teachers and is produced by the AAPT National Office. All issues are archived here. Other stories of significance appear in our Announcements Archive and our archive of Press Releases. E-mail suggestions, news items, comments, and unsubscribe requests to: aapt-news@aapt.org. |
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