Call for Papers
2012 Summer Meeting — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Physics and Society

We welcome your ideas about educating public school and college students, and adults, about such physics-related social topics as energy resources, environment, nuclear weapons, pseudoscience, the scientific process, and creating a healthier and more peaceful world.

Assessing student learning in upper-division labs

(Committee on Research in Physics Education)

Contributed papers on assessing student learning and attitudes in upper-division lab courses are invited.

Interactive Lecture Demonstrations--What?s New? ILDs Using Clickers and Video Analysis

(Committee on Research in Physics Education)

This is a call for contributed papers by anyone who has implemented Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) of any kind in her/his introductory physics course.

PER in the High School

(Committee on Physics in High Schools)

If you are a physics education researcher studying how high school students learn physics, please present at this session. The intended audience is high school physics teachers and physics education researchers.

Preparing teachers to integrate labs into instruction

(Committee on Laboratories)

This is an invited and contributed session addressing the training of teachers to integrate laboratory work with instructional lessons in physics. Offerings might include data on the effectiveness of lab work when integrated with instruction, how these changes might be most effectively facilitated, and examples of how this integration is currently working in classrooms.

Vidshare: Motivating and Elucidating Short Videos You Can Use!

Send to the coordinator for compliation your favorite URL's to short (<3 minute), online videos you use for motivating students or giving examples- or just bring them along! We'll take turns showing videos and explaining/discussing how they can be used in class.

Teaching Physics in Urban and Suburban Settings

(Committee on Professional Concerns)

The session describe physics teaching innovations in urban and suburban settings

Video Analysis in Undergraduate Education

This session covers all aspects of using video-based motion analysis in undergraduate teaching. Have you thought of new ways to use video analysis techniques in labs, demos, homework, or student projects? Have you posted analysis videos on sites like YouTube or livephoto.rit.edu? Are you doing informal or formal research on video analysis pedagogy? All new ideas are welcome.

Assessing pedagogical content knowledge in teacher preparation

(Committee on Research in Physics Education)

We invite papers that describe attempts to operationalize or assess pedagogical content knowledge in physics.

Teaching Physics to the Liberal Arts Major

This is an invited and contributed session on teaching conceptual physics to non-STEM majors. This population of students enters the physics classroom with dramatically different motivations, perspectives, and preparations compared to their STEM colleagues. Come share with other conceptual physics teachers the effective strategies you have found for working with this group.

Faculty Peer Mentoring

While mentoring often means a more experienced person advising someone with less experience, mutual (or peer) mentoring can be as (or more) valuable. If you have experience with faculty peer mentoring this session invites you to can share successes, strategies or suggestions to help us all develop into better mentors.

Preparing Teachers to Serve Diverse Communities

(Committee on Teacher Preparation)

Students in high minority schools are less likely to have access to high quality physics instruction. This session will explore issues, needs, challenges and successes in preparing physics teachers to serve diverse communities.

Video Analysis in the High School and Introductory College Classroom

(Committee on Physics in High Schools)

High school teachers - share your enthusiasm and ideas for making physics more relevant to students by using video capture and/or analysis. Explain how you have used video in labs, demos, homework assignments or projects. Describe the videos you?ve posted or used from sites like YouTube or livephoto.rit.edu. Discuss your action research on using video in your classes.

Using ISLE to analyze simple experiments

One of the main goals of the ISLE philosophy is that the students engage in activities that mirror scientific practice. One of such activities is devising and testing multiple explanations of the same phenomenon. It is difficult to find simple experiments suitable for this approach. Presenters in this session will share their experience in choosing and analyzing such experiments.

Can computational modeling be accessible to introductory students?

Modern programming tools allow even the youngest physics students (grades 6-12) to create and modify computational models to explore real world scenarios. In this invited/contributed session, we will discuss the use of computational modeling environments at these levels including challenges and limitations, the development of a support community for teachers interested in using these computational tools, and the future work for this community. Please come and share your experiences from teaching young physicists to use this invaluable tool of modern science.

The Good and the Bad of Video Lectures

Affordable and high-quality video cameras and user-friendly screen-casting software have made it possible to create professional looking lecture videos. A highly visible example of these videos is the Khan Academy (http://www.khanacademy.org/). In the public press and, often, at our own institutions, the utility of these video lectures are debated. This invited session aims to provide attendees with information from both sides of the discussion. A wrap-up/open discussion will be held after all invited papers have been presented. This session will be video recorded and remotely accessible.

The coolest experiment you teach (beyond the first year)

(Committee on Apparatus)

Present any investigation (not demonstration) that you use in intermediate/advanced laboratories that think is valuable, exciting or just plain cool.

Reforming the Introductory Physics Course for Life Science Majors VII

The invited panelists will focus on the challenges and problems associated with reforming the introductory physics course for life science majors. There will be a mini-poster session following the invited talks. Posters on pedagogical reform of the introductory physics course for the life sciences are welcome. (The IPLS list-serve is ipls@mail.aapt.org.)

Teaching Scientific Programming from Intro to Upper Level Physics

Scientific programming is an increasingly valuable skill for physicists, whether they're writing simulations, exploring theoretical models, or analyzing complex data. How and when should this training be incorporated into the curriculum? Can it help students understand physics better? We welcome presenters to share their results, both successes and challenges, in developing students' programming abilities.

Physics and Society Crackerbarrel

Join your colleagues for a discussion of how AAPT members can contribute to the teaching of such physics-related societal issues as energy use, global warming, nuclear power, resource extraction, and pseudoscience.

What Works in the Pre-College Classroom

What is working in the pre college classroom? Please submit successful implementation in today's classrooms. This session should highlight successes which could include new programs, technology usage, mentoring relationships or use of traditional physics with emphasis on student centered applications. Share the best with us.

Assessing student learning in the introductory lab

(Committee on Research in Physics Education)

When introductory lab assessment strategies align with lab purpose, the clarity of the learning goals benefits students, instructors, and administrators. What is valued in the introductory lab? Every institution and pedagogical approach will have a unique answer to that question, but there will be common themes. Please share your assessment strategy or your struggle to clarify the learning goals of your introductory lab.

YouTube Sharathon

Bring your favorite YouTube video clip to Philadelphia for our first-ever YouTube Sharathon. If you have corresponding curriculum materials, bring copies to share. We'll share clips and tips on how best to use them until they kick us out of the room.

PIRA Session: International Outreach

Are you a PIRA member or affiliate (or ready to join!) who has done International Outreach with physics demonstrations, exhibits, or traveling shows? If so, share your experiences with us!

PER around the world

(Committee on Research in Physics Education)

This is an invited and contributed session designed for reports from groups around the world working on Physics Education Research. We are interested on research approaches, perspectives and results in different countries; successes and challenges of this area of research around the world; and the effect of the structure of different school systems on research on physics education.

Mentoring Minority Students

Mentoring is an important part of our job as educators. What role does mentoring play in the success of minority students? Is mentoring minority students any different than mentoring their nonminority counterparts? We envision this contributed session to include the sharing of challenges, rewards, and success stories of mentoring minority students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate level.

LHC Data for Physics Teachers and Students

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is running at the cutting edge of technology and discovery. LHC detector collaborations have released data for educational use. Session participants will discuss how this data is used effectively for students in schools and for teacher professional development.

iPad & iPhone Apps and Mobile Devices in the Classroom

(Committee on Science Education for the Public)

Do you have a neat iPhone or iPad app for use in your classroom? Come share it with us in this contributed session.

Physics For All

This session focuses on the diversity of individuals in the physics classroom and the techniques used to engage the wide range of students we encounter.

Using a Planetarium to Teach Astronomy

Digital planetariums are a fairly new technology. Very little has been published about effective educational practices using the immersive capabilities these systems provide. This session provides a forum where contributors can share information about the methods they have found effective. Potential contributors include those who use planetariums for formal class and laboratories as well as those whose primary focus is fieldtrips and outreach.

Innovations in Teaching Astronomy

Have an innovative technique for teaching astronomy? Did it help your students learn the content in a more effective way? Share your ideas and experiences with your colleagues by contributing a presentation for this session. All levels and all topics of astronomy are welcome.

Great Teachers

Contributed papers on your favorite, most inspiring teacher are welcomed.

International Perspectives on Laboratory Instruction

(Committee on International Physics Education)

Talks are invited for this invited and contributed session on the role of laboratory experiments in the overall physics curriculum at the high school, college and university levels. Insofar as it is possible, the emphasis is on learning different national values, practices, and goals for the laboratory experience in the overall implicit and explicit national curricular scheme.

Antique Electrostatic Apparatus

Discuss any specific antique electrostatics apparatus (with demonstration if feasible) that is either rarely or no longer regularly used, that you think is historic, exciting or just plain cool.

SPS Undergraduate Poster Reception

Undergraduates are asked to contribute posters, particularly those relaying details about a local research effort, a physics outreach event, an REU experience, or about an experience as a Learning Assistant. Undergraduate mentors are also invited to present posters appropriate for an audience of undergraduates and other mentors. Undergraduates engaged in PER efforts are especially invited to submit an abstract.

Continuing teacher preparation: Inservice professional development

Whether or not one?s initial physics teacher preparation was completed through an accredited undergraduate program, a graduate degree or by non-traditional means, in-service physics teachers often need continuing professional development. The goal of this session is to let those involved in physics professional development programs tell their ?stories? and share the successes, benefits and perhaps challenges of their efforts.

Physics of Entertainment

(Committee on Science Education for the Public)

From Hollywood?s big screen to TV?s small screen to the panorama of street performance, physics has been a part of daily entertainment throughout history. How can we identify the physics behind the performance and use it in our classrooms? This invited and contributed session will investigate a wide spectrum of physics and entertainment. We welcome contributions from those who have found ways of effectively integrating the world of entertainment into their classrooms.