eNNOUNCER October, 2009

2010 APS/AAPT Joint Meeting

Join your colleagues in the physics community from February 13-17, 2010 at the Washington Marriott, Wardman Park in Washington, D.C. This joint meeting will not only have everything that makes National Meetings so great, but also feature concurrent and jointly planned sessions with the American Physical Society (APS).

Additionally, a special joint plenary session will be held on Saturday, Feb. 13. The session will include input from APS, AAPT, the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) and the National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP).

If you are interested in reaching a large community of science educators, consider exhibiting at the 2010 APS/AAPT Joint Meeting. http://aapt.org/Events/wm2010/exhibits.cfm

Participate in the 2010 APS/AAPT Joint Job Fair in Washington, DC. Register now to recruit or be recruited at this exciting event: http://www.aapt.org/Events/wm2010/jobfair.cfm

Submit your abstracts here. http://aapt.org/Events/abstractForm.cfm

Registration for the meeting is available at http://www.aapt.org.

Check the events calendar for future meetings.

http://www.aapt.org/Events/calendar.cfm

Physics Teacher Education Coalition Conference 2010

The 2010 Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PTEC) Conference will be held in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the APS "April" Meeting, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) Winter Meeting, and the National Society of Black Physicists and National Society of Hispanic Physicists meeting. The theme will be Diversity in Physics Education: Preparing Teachers for the 21st Century.
For more information, see www.PTEC.org/conferences/2010

AAPT Mail List (Listserv) Address Change

The AAPT mail list server will be upgraded in October. All AAPT hosted mail lists currently available at lists.aapt.org will move to mail.aapt.org on Monday, October 19. Please make a note to send new messages to the correct address (e.g., your_list_name@mail.aapt.org) after the change. Mail lists may be unavailable after 6PM on Sunday, October 18 as the system migration is completed.

Request for Proposals: PhysTEC Sites

PhysTEC requests proposals for new sites to develop model physics teacher preparation programs, to begin in the 2010-2011 academic year. Proposals are solicited for two types of sites:

Comprehensive sites, which will receive up to $100k per year for three years. These sites will implement the full PhysTEC program, described on www.PhysTEC.org

Pilot sites, which will receive up to $25k per year for three years to implement specific elements of teacher preparation programs.

The deadline for the first round of applications is November 2, 2009. Details, requirements, and application materials will be posted soon. Minority-serving institutions are strongly encouraged to apply. Only applications from institutions that are PTEC members will be considered. Joining PTEC is free; please see www.PTEC.org/join for the application procedure. PTEC members will be notified as soon as application details are available. For more information, please contact Gabe at popkin@aps.org.

Team America Rocketry Challenge Registration Opens

Registration for the world's largest rocket competition, the Team America Rocketry Challenge, is open to student teams in grades 7-12 from any U.S. school, home school, or non-profit youth organization. Registration for the 2010 spring contest is open now through November 30.

View Web Version here.

The Role, Education, Qualifications, and Professional Development of Secondary School Physics Teachers

This document was created as a collaborative effort of the AAPT area committees on High School Physics and Teacher Preparation. The Research in Physics Education area committee also reviewed and approved the document. The new booklet has sections on knowledge of physics content, knowledge of teaching physics, curriculum, knowledge of learners, effective instructional strategies, and assessment. It is available as a pdf under Teaching Resources at http://www.aapt.org/Resources/.
AAPT members can order a complimentary copy from the Physics Store. Item # G-12.

2008 Annual Report

2008 was a year of change and success. The AAPT 2008 Annual Report serves as a yearbook, providing a snapshot of the Association for the year. It includes awards, programs, volunteers, donors, and financial information. Download your copy from AAPT's website at http://www.aapt.org/Publications/AnnualReport.cfm

AAPT National Election

The election of officers for Executive Board service beginning in 2010 is now underway. Watch the mail for your ballot and instructions to vote electronically! Candidate bios are also online at http://www.aapt.org/aboutaapt/2009_announcements_election.cfm

Why Take Physics: Helping students, parents, and guidance counselors understand the value of physics in career preparation

Have you ever wondered why more students aren't taking physics or why most schools are built with only one physics classroom? The opinion article, Increasing Physics Enrollment in Your School, by Earl Barrett, published in the September 2009 issue of The Physics Teacher, provides insightful answers and suggests ways to "make physics the core of a science curriculum that will adequately equip your students to compete with the rest of the world." Read the article online at http://www.aapt.org/upload/Barrett.pdf

Fnet=ma Practice Exams and Problems

Training for the U.S. Physics Team starts with the practice exams. Exams and problems can be found online at:
http://www.aapt.org/physicsteam/exams.cfm
http://ipho2009.smf.mx/home
http://www.jyu.fi/tdk/kastdk/olympiads/

High School Physics Teacher Grant

The High School Physics Teacher Grant(s) are given each year to AAPT member teachers whose proposal proves to result in better teaching practice, student understanding and interest, and/or increased enrollment. Deadline for proposals is December 1, 2009. For more information and an application visit http://www.aapt.org/Grants/hsgrant.cfm

The Physics Careers Resource

The Physics Careers Resource is designed to provide information about physics careers to physicists with students and those that advise and mentor students. While some resources for teachers and professors are new, much of the information has been collected from professional society and government resources into a single location. Wherever possible, the links to original sources are included in order to enable the user to find more detailed information. The website is organized in two main sections: audience-based information and general facts and resources. The audience-based information sections provide information relevant for student, educator and parent audiences. The student sections offer suggested activities that students can engage in to help prepare them for further study in physics. The educator section provides information and resources they can use to help get information about physics, physicists and the wide variety of physics career paths to the students. The parent section provides information that will help them assist their child as they navigate the educational path towards a career in physics.

Vernier and NSTA Award Thousands to Innovators in Science Education

Each year Vernier Software & Technology and the National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) present the most innovative science teachers in the country with the Vernier Software & Technology/NSTA Technology Award. The awards, valued at $3000 each, are given to up to seven educators judged to have created the best inquiry-based, hands-on learning activities using data-collection technology interfaced with computers, graphing calculators and other handheld devices such as the Vernier LabQuest.

Up to one elementary teacher, two middle school teachers, three high school teachers and one college-level educator will receive the technology awards. Each award consists of $1000 in cash, $1000 in Vernier equipment, and up to $1000 toward travel and expenses for attending NSTA's 2009 National Convention. Entries are due by November 30, 2009 and will be judged by a panel of experts appointed by NSTA. Educators can be nominated or self-nominate for the awards. Access to the online application and guidelines are available on the Vernier web site at www.vernier.com/grants/nsta.html

Who's Hiring Physics Bachelors?

AIP has compiled a state-by-state listing of some of the employers who have recently hired new physics bachelors. The lists may be useful to AAPT members who are currently job seekers in identifying the variety of companies that hire physics bachelors and to physics departments wishing to strengthen contacts with their local employers. You can find the listing at: www.aip.org/statistics/trends/emptrends.html

What is a Bachelors Degree Worth?

The AIP Statistical Research Center (SRC) has been documenting trends in high-school physics since 1986, conducting an in-depth study once every four years. SRC recently released a report showing typical salaries offered by campus recruiters AY 2008-09. According to the report, students with a Bachelors degree in Physics rank fourth from the top in salary ranges offered. This report, formatted as a poster, is suitable for printing and posting in science classrooms. Get the report at http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/reports/fall09a.pdf.

Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship application period officially opens on October 1. K-12 science, math and technology teachers are encouraged to apply for this amazing opportunity. These paid Academic Year Fellowships in Washington, DC Working with Congress or in a Federal Agency. To apply please visit: www.trianglecoalition.org/ein.htm

Introducing UniPHY: Connect, Collaborate, Create

This new physics tool is a scientific networking site for physical scientists that allows them to search for collaborators, see what competitors are up to, communicate with colleagues, and exhibit their own latest work. It provides an exciting new view into the world of physical research. The prepopulated literature network represents more than 180,000 scientist profiles. Included are all people who have authored at least three articles in the last 10 years that are published in AIP journals. Learn more at www.aipuniphy.org

Advanced Technological Education (ATE)

Full Proposal Deadline Date: October 15, 2009
Program Guidelines: NSF 07-530
With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and employers to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels. The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5464&WT.mc_id=USNSF_39

Exploratorium Celebrates 40th Anniversary in November

In November 2009, the Exploratorium celebrates its 40th anniversary. It was in 1968 that the San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts, the last remnant of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, was restored. Noted physicist and educator Frank Oppenheimer, brother of J. Robert (father of the atom bomb), proposed that this cavernous structure house a science museum, or rather, an "Exploratorium." In 1969, with no publicity or fanfare, the Exploratorium opened its doors to display a few exhibits. Today, the Exploratorium is considered the prototype for hands-on museums around the world, and a leader in the movement for museums as educational centers. Many events are being planned (go to www.exploratorium.edu for details):
Oct. 9: Shoot the Moon! A Moon-Shaking, Crash-Landing Search for Water
Oct. 17: Physics of Toys: Trick or Treat
Oct. 24: Saturday Excursions: Black Sand Treasure Hunt
Nov. 4: Dr. MegaVolt - An Electrifying Launch of the 40th Anniversary

The Secret Life of Scientists

NOVA recently launched a new online resource, "The Secret Life of Scientists." This web-only series of videos introduce the research of individual scientists while providing a glimpse at "secrets" from their personal lives.
A new scientist is now being profiled every two weeks online at www.pbs.org/nova/secretlife. Each new profile includes short video clips that make science and scientists accessible to students, as well as a forum that allows students to ask questions directly of profiled scientists.

Hubble's Amazing Rescue

The long awaited PBS NOVA special about Hubble Servicing Mission 4, including a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for the mission, will air October 13 at 8 p.m. Please check your local listings to confirm the channel and time. For a glimpse at what you'll see, view the 3 minute preview which is available at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/hubble/

Dash+: Drive Change Today

DASH+ is an innovative new contest for high school students that puts them in the front seat of eco-driving — asking students to be a part of the solution by imagining a smarter way to drive.
As part of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE Education Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DASH+ challenges students to design a dashboard of the future that incorporates feedback mechanisms and supports behavior change to help drivers maximize fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Students bring together a team to use their creativity, science, technology, engineering, and math skills to design, describe, and pitch the next generation of automotive dashboards, DASH+. Registration begins October 19, 2009 at www.fuelourfuturenow.com

AAPT on Facebook and Twitter

Are you an AAPT Facebook fan? Are you following us on Twitter? Visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Association-of-Physics-Teachers/43948086085?ref=ts and become a fan! Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/physicsteachers. Share these links with your colleagues and help spread the news!

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Copyright © 2009, American Association of Physics Teachers