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• W01: (Cancelled) Teaching Physical Science with the Engineering is Elementary Curriculum

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Araceli Martinez Ortiz

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Eleanor W. Close

  Cost

  • Members: $65
  • Non-members: $90

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 24

  Meet the original concept creator and curriculum developer of the popular story-book based Engineering is Elementary curriculum ( EiE character, “Javier’s” Mom!). Learn about EiE’s design goal of integrating science and engineering, review a snapshot of the research and implementation progress of the last ten years and examine how the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices can be supported through the use of this curriculum. The science and engineering practices describe behaviors that scientists engage in as they investigate and build models and theories about the natural world and the key set of engineering practices that engineers use as they design and build models and systems and integrate important scientific process standards in science along with science content knowledge while using the engineering design process. Select physical science related EiE units developed by the Boston Museum of Science will be presented and participants will have an opportunity to explore colorful EiE stories, EiE web-based resources, and roll-up their sleeves to try several of the EiE uniquely packaged design challenges.

• W02: Creating Interactive Electronic Books for Computers and Tablets

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Mario Belloni

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Wolfgang Christian, Bruce Mason

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 13

  With the rise of tablets, such as the iPad, the past few years has seen an increase in the demand for quality electronic textbooks. Unfortunately, most of the current offerings do not exploit the accessibility and interactivity that electronic books can deliver. In this half-day workshop we will describe the pedagogy and technology necessary to use, modify, and create an interactive electronic book in AAPT/ComPADRE (http://www.compadre.org) and as a stand-alone interactive book using EjsS. Participants will create an AAPT/ComPADRE account and filing cabinet of material and convert this material into the new books format (for example: http://www.compadre.org/books/WavesIntTut). We will also introduce the EjsS tool (freely available on ComPADRE) and lead participants through creating simple eBook with an existing JavaScript simulation. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops to install and run the EJS desktop tool. No previous experience with electronic books is necessary.

• W03: PIRA Lecture Demonstrations I & II Condensed:Selections from the PIRA 200

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Dale E. Stille

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Sam Sampere

  Cost

  • Members: $95
  • Non-members: $120

  Seats

  • Max: 55
  • Available: 40

  During this ½ day workshop, we will introduce you to the Physics Resource Instructional Association (PIRA) and the PIRA 200. Almost every demonstration one can think of has a catalog number within the Demonstration Classification System (DCS); we will introduce you to this system and the comprehensive bibliography that details journal articles and demonstration manuals for construction and use in the classroom. The PIRA 200 are the specific 200 most important and necessary demonstrations needed to teach an introductory physics course. We will also show a subset of approximately 50 demonstrations explaining use, construction, acquisition of materials, and answer any questions in this highly interactive and dynamic environment. Ideas for organizing and building your demonstration collection will be presented. We especially invite faculty members teaching introductory physics to attend. NOTE that this is a paperless workshop. All information and materials will be distributed on a USB thumb drive. A computer, tablet, or other device capable of reading a USB will be needed for note taking, or you can bring your own paper.

• W04: DC Circuits

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Ann Brandon

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Deborah Lojkutz

  Cost

  • Members: $80
  • Non-members: $105

  Seats

  • Max: 20
  • Available: 15

  A system of ten to twelve activities and labs with integrated worksheets/home works. It starts with the basics, resistance, voltage, currents and how to use the digital multi meter in series, parallel and combination circuits. The grand final is Ohm's Law. This workshop is suitable for a wide range of courses from basic intro to Advanced Placement Physics 1 and 2. The participants will receive 1 digital multi meter as well as permission to reproduce all of the materials.

• W05: Interactive Learning with Direct Measurement Video

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Peter Bohacek

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Matthew Vonk

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 20

  New Direct Measurement Videos allow students to explore by changing parameters such as mass, angles, distances, and then measure the outcome. This allows open-ended inquiry learning. In this workshop, we'll use Direct Measurement Videos to show how students can discover mathematical relationships, make and test predictions, and apply physics models to new situations. We'll use whiteboards and discourse as our teaching methods, showing how Direct Measurement Videos can facilitate interactive learning.

• W06: Impact of Materials on Society - An Interdisciplinary Course Connecting Science and Everyday Life

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Kevin S. Jones

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Pamela Hupp, Sophia Krzys Acord

  Cost

  • Members: $0
  • Non-members: $0

  Seats

  • Max: 15
  • Available: 7

  The Impact of Materials on Society (IMOS) is an interdisciplinary humanities/science course that examines how humans have used materials to change the world from human prehistory into our future. It increases both the technical literacy of the non-engineer and the social literacy of the pre-engineering student. The flexible curriculum can be used for both 4-year and 2-year institutions. This workshop will provide the information necessary to implement the class, including: learning outcomes, curriculum materials, lectures and films, flipped classroom activities, exams, and open source textbook etc. All information is available in a central location and is free to the instructors. The workshop will also address methods to attract student enrollment and best practices on how to nucleate teaching collaborations across disciplines. This course meets a timely need to help tomorrow’s engineers understand how society influences their innovations and it helps the non-engineer understand the role of engineering in society. There are 24 seats available. The first 15 registrants are free and and the remaining 9 are $30 for members and $55 for non-members.

• W07: Slowing it Down: High Speed Cameras in Lecture and Lab

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Paul Nord

  Cost

  • Members: $65
  • Non-members: $90

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 2

  Participants will explore the use of inexpensive high speed cameras for lecture demonstration and lab experiments. We'll look at the limitations of these devices for phenomenological observation and data collection. Cameras from GoPro and the new iPhones provide up to 240 frames per second. Nikon 1 cameras can take video at 1200 frames per second. A few cameras will be available for shared use. Participants are welcome to bring their own cameras. Topics discussed will include: lighting, mounting, geometry of the setup, optimizing camera settings, data transfer, correcting for fish-eye lens distortions, and the use of simple editing tools.

• W08: Making Interactive Video Vignettes and Interactive Web Lectures

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Bob Teese

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Priscilla W. Laws, Patrick J. Cooney, Kathleen Koenig, Maxine C. Willis

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 16

  The LivePhoto Physics Project is creating online activities that combine narrative videos with interactive, hands-on elements for the user including video analysis or making predictions based on replaying a short video (http://www.compadre.org/ivv). They can contain branching questions, where the user's answer affects the sequence of elements that follow. They are delivered over the Internet and run in a normal browser on the user's device. The same software runs both short Interactive Video Vignettes and Interactive Web Lectures for flipped classrooms or online courses. You will learn how to make vignettes and interactive web lectures using a free Java application. We will demonstrate the impact of select online activities on student learning. You need access to a web server to host your activities. Visit http://ivv.rit.edu/workshop to see detailed requirements for the web server and video equipment you will need. (Supported by NSF grants DUE-1122828 and DUE-1123118.)

• W45: Solar Cookers for Learning about Materials, Energy, Sensing, and Society

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Shawn Reeves

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 16
  • Available: 10

  Sacramento is the home of Solar Cookers International, a longstanding research and advocacy organization that has been disseminating designs and practices for solar cooking. EnergyTeachers.org is a network of educators interested in energy production and use, started by physics teachers. Workshop participants will learn about how SCI researches and teaches about solar cookers and how educators from EnergyTeachers.org have been teaching physics with the cookers. Participants will build a cooker, use electronic sensors, cook something in the sun, and take the cookers and sensors home. Activities and concepts will include data-logging, digital and analog, automatic and manual; selective materials, examined in multiple wavelengths; infrared thermography; heat capacity; power; engineering design; pasteurization; replacing cooking fuels; diverse cooking methods for diverse situations; curriculum scope and sequence; and attitudes about women’s work and about engineering to 'save the world.'

• W09: (Cancelled) GeoGebra: Building Web/Tablet-Friendly Interactive Physics Simulations

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Lenore Horner

  Cost

  • Members: $82
  • Non-members: $107

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 30

  GeoGebra is a versatile and accessible tool for physics teachers. It facilitates creation of everything from precise figures to interactive 3D visualizations. A few examples can be found on GeoGebraTube, the free portal for sharing GeoGebra applets: inclined plane and pulleys, ray diagrams for lenses, and coil in a magnetic field. These can be viewed and manipulated from computers, tablets, and smart phones. The software itself is free and runs on both computers and tablets and also as a web application. The goal of this workshop is to acquaint users both with the possibilities of GeoGebra and with the basic tools available by walking through building some basic applets on ray diagrams, waves and sound, vectors and free-body diagrams, and projectile motion. Randomization and scripting, making new tools in GeoGebra, and putting content on GeoGebraTube will also be addressed. Participants should bring a laptop or tablet with GeoGebra installed.

• W10: Developing Inquiry Labs and Activities for AP Physics

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Connie Wells

  Cost

  • Members: $95
  • Non-members: $120

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 21

  Physics education research, along with recent changes in AP Physics curriculum, encourages significant laboratory work and inquiry-based learning to foster in students a deeper conceptual understanding of physics concepts. In this workshop, participants planning to teach AP Physics will gain practical experience with laboratory experiments and the process of inquiry-based teaching that support the new curriculum design. Those who teach physics but are not involved in the AP program will gather ideas for inquiry labs and hands-on classroom activities to add to their existing programs. Teacher-team lab discussions, sharing of ideas, and construction of items for classroom use will be an invaluable part of the day.

• W11: Learn Physics While Practicing science: Introduction to ISLE

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Eugenia Etkina

  Co-Organizer(s)

  David Brookes and Gorazd Planinsic

  Cost

  • Members: $82
  • Non-members: $107

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 1

  Participants' will learn how to modify introductory physics courses to help students acquire a good conceptual foundation, apply this knowledge in problem solving, and engage them in science practices. The framework for these modifications is Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE). We provide tested curriculum materials including: (a) The College Physics Textbook by Etkina, Gentile and Van Heuvelen, the Physics Active Learning Guide and the Instructor Guide; (b) a website with over 200 videotaped experiments and questions for use in the classroom, laboratories, and homework; (c) a set of innovative labs in which students design their own experiments, and (d) newly developed curriculum materials that use LEDs to help students learn physics. During the workshop the participants will learn how to use the materials in college and high school physics courses to help their students learn physics by practicing it. We will focus on the connections of our materials with the NGSS and revised AP curriculum, specifically on the interplay of science practices and crosscutting concepts. *Please bring your own laptop to the workshop if you own one. Make sure it has Quicktime installed. If you do not own a computer, you will be paired with somebody who does.

• W12: Tools for Teaching Students to Synthesize Concepts

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Kelly O'Shea

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Peter Bohacek

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 0

  The Next Generation Science Standards Science Practices require that students learn to synthesize models to make predictions and show relationships. But how do teachers create opportunities for students to synthesize ideas? This workshop will focus on sharing and practicing student-centered activities that give students the opportunity to develop synthesis and that can be easily adapted to many physics classrooms. Activities in this interactive workshop will include concept maps, goal-less (open-ended) problems, a variety of whiteboarding modes, and direct measurement videos.

• W13: Cool NASA Stuff, NGSS, and Cultural Competency

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Eleanor Close

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Araceli Martinez Ortiz

  Cost

  • Members: $65
  • Non-members: $90

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 23

  This discussion and hands-on workshop will encourage the exploration of equity issues driven by the recurring question: “How can culturally responsive teaching be operationalized in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) classroom?” Culturally responsive instructional practices and cool NASA curricular resources aligned to NGSS will be presented. A culturally responsive curriculum validates students, integrates school-based knowledge with cultural-based knowledge, encourages differentiation of instruction and contributes to reducing student misunderstanding and demotivation. By focusing on NGSS science and engineering practices such as “Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information,” students and teachers can find relevant approaches for critiquing and communicating ideas individually and in groups in more effective ways. Select NASA Educator Professional Development resources will highlight NASA inquiry-based lesson plans, web-based applications, primary data sources, and countless digital media resources that can be used in culturally congruent ways to enhance student learning.

• W14: Computational Modeling in Introductory Physics (vPython and Excel)

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Tom Okuma

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Dwain M. Desbien, David Weaver

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 0

  Over the last few years, we have implemented a number of different computational modeling activities in our introductory physics courses. These activities use either VPtyhon (http://vpython.org) or Microsoft Excel. Several of these activities have been developed in conjunction with a series of workshops done as part of the ATE Physics Workshop Project. Participants will work activities used in a typical two-semester introductory physics course ranging from conceptual level to calculus-based level. In this workshop, participants will work with some of these activities and develop their own. Participants are asked to bring their own laptops with VPython and Excel already downloaded on your laptop.

• W15: Making Physics Videos Using Tablets

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Dan MacIsaac

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Dr. Jeremias Weber, Florian Genz, André Bresges

  Cost

  • Members: $65
  • Non-members: $90

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 14

  Recently ubiquitous iOS and Android tablets can be used to record high quality stills and video, measure object motion, produce slow motion sequences, stop motion animation and cartoons, add subtitles, edit video sequences and provide voiceover for short video vignettes. We will describe the use of tablets by students for the production of simple physics vignettes in introductory physics laboratories and in courses for the preparation of physics teachers with examples. Participants will learn to shoot and edit simple videos and practice using (low cost or free) commercial tablet software, using our provided iPads or their own tablets.

• W16: (Cancelled) Ben Franklin as my Lab Partner

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Robert Morse

  Cost

  • Members: $75
  • Non-members: $100

  Seats

  • Max: 18
  • Available: 18

  Benjamin Franklin's experiments and observations on electricity established not only his reputation as a scientist, but also our electrical conventions and vocabulary, and the principle of charge conservation. In his letters, Franklin builds, tests, and defends his model with skill and eloquence, arguing from experiment and sharing both his wisdom and doubts, while clearly conveying his fascination with electricity. As Franklin was not formally schooled in mathematics, his theory was qualitative, and is an approachable example of hands-on and minds-on construction of a conceptual model with explanatory power. In this workshop, developed by the author at the Wright Center for Science Teaching at Tufts University, we will work with Franklin's descriptions to recreated several of his experiments using modern, inexpensive materials. Participants will receive equipment and a CD-ROM containing the workshop manual, a collection of Franklin's letters relating to electricity, and movie clips illustrating the experiments.

• W17: Using Kepler Mission Data in the Classroom

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Gary Nakagiri

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Gary Nakagiri, Susan Thompson

  Cost

  • Members: $90
  • Non-members: $115

  Seats

  • Max: 35
  • Available: 25

  NASA’s Kepler Mission, launched in March 2009, has discovered exoplanets via the transit method of detection. We will explain how scientists have used the light curve data and Kepler’s Laws to calculate the orbital radii and sizes of many discovered exoplanets. An overview of the Kepler Mission findings, including the search for earth-like planets, and the current K2 Mission, will be included. A simple light curve simulation will be demonstrated, using a classroom planetary system model, the orrery, a light sensor probe and graphic interface software. This system collects data in real time and creates graphs similar in form to the actual light curve graphs. Participants will then use several simplified light curves and the mathematical formula (Kepler’s 3rd Law) to determine the size and orbit of these unknown exoplanets. This process is quite similar to what has been done by Kepler scientists and will be explained in greater detail by our Kepler scientist co-presenter. She will also demonstrate how to access and use the publicly-available large exoplanet data sets for classroom use and will offer some advanced exoplanet-related problems for high school honors and collegiate courses. NASA-published materials and resources will be shared.

• W18: Fun, Engaging and Effective Labs and Demos with Clickers, Video Analysis and Computer-Based Tools

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  David Sokoloff

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Ronald Thornton, Tufts University, Priscilla Laws, Dickinson College

  Cost

  • Members: $75
  • Non-members: $100

  Seats

  • Max: 12
  • Available: 0

  RealTime Physics and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations have been available for over 15 years—so what’s new? Participants in this workshop will have hands-on experience with some of the new activities in RTP and ILD using clickers, video analysis and computer-based tools. The topics will be mechanics and optics. These active learning approaches for lectures, labs, and recitations (tutorials) are fun, engaging and validated by physics education research (PER). Research results demonstrating the effectiveness of these curricula will be presented. These materials are also available for high schools in the Activity Based Physics High School e-dition. The following will be distributed: Modules from the Third Edition of RTP, the ILD book, the Physics with Video Analysis book and CD, and Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite by E.F. Redish.

• W19: Introductory Laboratories for Mechanics

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Mary Ann Klassen

  Co-Organizer(s)

  David Haley, Kenneth Lonnquist

  Cost

  • Members: $72
  • Non-members: $97

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 11

  Whether your lab curriculum is ripe for an overhaul or well-established, this workshop will provide new ideas to bring home to your institution. Presenters from colleges and universities across the United States will each demonstrate their approach to a favorite introductory lab exercise. This year's workshop will focus on labs for mechanics. Attendees will have the opportunity to work with each apparatus. Documentation will be provided for each experiment, with lab manuals, sample data, equipment lists, and construction or purchase information. This workshop is appropriate primarily for college and university instructional laboratory developers.

• W20: Making the Invisible Visible: Using IR Cameras in Lecture and Lab

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  James Lincoln

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Sam Sampere

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 16
  • Available: 2

  In this workshop, learn how to see invisible light, both with normal digital cameras and modern Thermographic Cameras. We will teach you to perform experiments and demonstrations that will make the invisible visible. Learn also the fundamentals of Infrared photography, and the physics of near, intermediate, and far infrared light. Experienced physics demonstrators give you a hands on experience with the cameras and equipment that are available.

• W21: Submitting Successful Proposals to the NSF S-STEM Program

  Date/Time

  • Sat, Jul 16
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Kevin Lee

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 40
  • Available: 31

  This workshop will focus on the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program. This program makes awards to institutions to allocate scholarships to low-income students with demonstrated financial need who are academically talented. Its overarching motivation is to improve the STEM workforce of the United States to ensure our competitiveness in the global marketplace. I will describe the defining characteristics of the program as well as some prominent awards in the S-STEM portfolio. Program characteristics which have evolved recently and the motivations for these changes will get special emphasis. Guidance will be provided on potential areas of confusion including: the role of diversity, motivations underlying the strand structure, adapting versus creating materials for support structures, and the need for all projects to be knowledge-based and knowledge-generating. Note that participants will be asked to prepare for the workshop beforehand. This preparation will include reading the currently active S-STEM solicitation, reading an S-STEM proposal, and writing a review of the proposal in preparation for participating in a mock NSF panel exercise. Registrants should be proactive in contacting the workshop organizer to obtain the needed materials.

• T02: Electrostatics Tutorial

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 08:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

  Organizer

  Robert Morse

  Cost

  • Members: $50
  • Non-members: $75

  Seats

  • Max: 15
  • Available: 7

  With inexpensive equipment, students can carry out activities to build a conceptual understanding of electrostatic phenomena. In this short tutorial we will build the equipment and learn to carry out experiments patterned after those from William Gilbert to Alessandro Volta, including charge detection, electric field patterns and electrostatic induction.

• T04: Using Learning Assistants to Flip Introductory Physics - Part I

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 08:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

  Organizer

  Vera Margoniner

  Cost

  • Members: $25
  • Non-members: $50

  Seats

  • Max: 20
  • Available: 6

  In this first half-day workshop we introduce participants to the concepts of a flipped classroom, Just in Time Teaching, Team-Based Learning, and to the Learning Assistant program. We will demonstrate how the model we developed at Sacramento State works in a large (90 students) introductory physics class, and present evidence of improved learning for students of all backgrounds. We will also discuss other benefits to students, LAs, and faculty associated with this modality of instruction such as improved study skills for students and LAs, and the organic development of a (interdisciplinary) faculty learning community. Next, we will start to discuss aspects related to student, LAs, and faculty preparation that are essential to running such a class successfully. LAs will be present to share their experiences

• T03: An Introduction to Race, Ethnicity, and Equity in Physics Education

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 08:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

  Organizer

  Angie Little

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Vashti Sawtelle, Chandra Turpen

  Cost

  • Members: $50
  • Non-members: $75

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 9

  This workshop focuses on race, ethnicity and equity in the context of physics education. We especially encourage those that may feel novice in talking about race and ethnicity to attend, but welcome everyone who is interested in exploring this area as well. We will support participants to examine educational spaces through the lenses of race and ethnicity. We will also consider how race and ethnicity play a role in systemic issues affecting physics education more broadly. Topics to be explored will be guided by participant input and may include, but are not limited to: identity, culture, privilege, microaggressions, implicit bias, and colorblind rhetoric. We will engage in group conversations, self-reflection, and explore possibilities for action within our own institutional contexts.

• W22: How to Implement Collaborative Learning Activities in an IPLS Course

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  David Smith

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Alice D. Churukian, Colin S. Wallace, Duane L. Deardorff, Laurie E. McNeil

  Cost

  • Members: $125
  • Non-members: $150

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 20

  Physics instructors are increasingly being asked to reform their teaching practices and use evidence-based instructional strategies to actively and intellectually engage their students. In this workshop, participants will gain firsthand experience implementing multiple collaborative learning activities that have been specifically designed for use in introductory physics for life science (IPLS) courses. Examples will include content from mechanics, electricity, magnetism, and optics, with each activity grounded in real-world applications to biological phenomena and/or medical practices. Participants will also gain a better understanding of student difficulties in IPLS-focused topics and be introduced to teaching methods aimed at addressing such issues.

• W23: C3PO: Customizable Web-based Computer Coaches to Help your Students Improve their Problem Solving

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Leon Hsu

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Bijaya Aryal, Tom Carter, Evan Frodermann, Andrew Heckler, Ken Heller, Koblar Alan Jackson, Sue Kasahara, Andy Pawl, Jie Yang

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 32
  • Available: 27

  This workshop will introduce participants to C3PO, a software system for creating and modifying computer interactions designed to help students develop expertise in solving problems in introductory physics. Delivered via the web so that students can use them at their convenience or in class, these computer coaches provide students with practice using the decision-making processes necessary to succeed in solving problems. In addition, C3PO allows instructors, with no programming background, to modify the coaches to be compatible with their teaching methods and build their own coaches. We will discuss the motivation behind and possible uses of C3PO and coach participants in making their own modifications to the coaches. Participants should bring their own laptops to access the coaches so they can practice modifying existing coaches to suit their teaching and the needs of their students. Participants will also be able to give feedback to the developers about how the functionality of C3PO could be improved to make the coaches more useful to them. A selection of working coaches will be available to workshop participants to use, modify, serve as a basis for building their own coaches, and incorporate into their teaching.

• W24: Composing Science: A Workshop on Teaching Writing in the Inquiry Classroom

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Leslie Atkins

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Kim Jaxon

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 14

  Faculty who teach Physics, Biology and English at California State University, Chico, have collaborated to develop a suite of materials to aid science faculty in improving writing in their science courses. In this workshop, we will familiarize participants with research from the field of composition, and share how findings from composition studies can be used to improve writing instruction in science courses. We will then walk participants through a range of ways in which we embed writing instruction in our courses - from the informal (whiteboards and lab notebooks) to the formal (term papers and exams) - with examples from our own courses. Participants will receive a set of lesson plans and activities they can use in science courses. Appropriate for high school and college/university instructors, suitable for non-science majors. Funding by NSF # 1140860.

• W25: What Every Physics Teacher Should Know About Cognitive Research

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Chandralekha Singh

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 25
  • Available: 4

  In the past few decades, cognitive research has made significant progress in understanding how people learn. The understanding of cognition that has emerged from this research can be particularly useful for physics instruction. We will discuss and explore, in a language accessible to everybody, how the main findings of cognitive research can be applied to physics teaching and assessment.

• W26: Teaching Introductory Astronomy Using Quantitative Reasoning Activities

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Stephanie Slater

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Windsor Morgan, Dickinson College

  Cost

  • Members: $68
  • Non-members: $93

  Seats

  • Max: 37
  • Available: 27

  In this half-day, participatory workshop specially designed for college introductory astronomy faculty and high school teachers, participants will learn how to use active learning tutorials to develop and enhance students’ quantitative reasoning skills. It has long been recognized that many astronomy students are terrified of courses requiring them to perform what they perceive as being tedious arithmetical calculations. At the same time, few materials exist across the broader astronomy education community to help students overcome their reluctance to engage in mathematical thinking and enjoy success at doing astronomy. Created by teaching-experts affiliated with the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research Team, these active learning tutorials are purposefully designed to support students’ in learning challenging astronomy concepts by introducing short and highly structured quantitative reasoning intervals where students collaboratively wrestle with how to think of astronomy in novel settings. Astronomy education research consistently demonstrates that students significantly increase their understanding of astronomy through the use of collaborative learning materials and that teachers find them easy to implement. Classroom-ready materials will be provided to all participants.

• W27: Authentic Experimentation in Labs Using Structured Quantitative Inquiry

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Natasha Holmes

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Joss Ives

  Cost

  • Members: $70
  • Non-members: $95

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 12

  The Structured Quantitative Inquiry Labs (SQILabs) are a new pedagogy for teaching data analysis, modeling, and critical thinking in physics labs. In this workshop, participants will learn about the SQILabs structure and work through sample experiments and activities in groups. Participants will explore quantitative tools students can use to compare measurements with uncertainty and use those tools to make decisions about the experiment. These are used to promote iterative experimentation cycles, where students reflect on comparisons and iterate to improve measurements. Several examples of these cycles will be applied to specific experiments and participants will also reflect on their own teaching labs and adapt the SQILabs structure to an experiment of their choice. Participants can expect to learn about a new pedagogical approach to physics labs and leave the workshop with tools, ideas, and structure to implement the approach in their own courses, whether or not labs are attached to lecture or lecture content. To learn more about SQILabs, visit http://sqilabs.phas.ubc.ca/.

• W28: Integrating Computation into Undergraduate Physics

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Larry Englehardt

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Marie Lopez del Puerto, Kelly Roos, Danny Caballero

  Cost

  • Members: $20
  • Non-members: $45

  Seats

  • Max: 20
  • Available: 1

  In this workshop we will discuss the importance of integrating computation into the physics curriculum and will guide participants in discussing and planning how they would integrate computation into their courses. The PICUP partnership has developed materials for a variety of physics courses in a variety of platforms including Python/VPython, C/C++, Fortran, MATLAB/Octave, Java, and Mathematica. Participants will receive information on the computational materials that have been developed, will discuss ways to tailor the materials to their own classes, and will learn about opportunities that are available to receive additional support through the PICUP partnership. PLEASE BRING A LAPTOP COMPUTER WITH THE PLATFORM OF YOUR CHOICE INSTALLED. This workshop is funded by the National Science Foundation under DUE IUSE grants 1524128, 1524493, 1524963, 1525062, and 1525525.

• W29: Waves of Light and Sound: An Exploratorium Workshop

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Kathy Holt

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Paul Doherty

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 19

  Join us as we explore waves of light and sound using explorations created by the Exploratorium Teacher Institute. We'll look at colors in soap films and oil slicks and model what's going on by using waves drawn on index cards. We'll listen to sounds made in air-filled tubes and by aluminum rods and model the vibrations creating the sounds by modeling them in a dance. We'll also provide links to videos of the activities and to free Exploratorium apps on color and sound.

• W30: Demo Kit in a Box: Mechanics

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Steve Lindaas

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Adam Beehler

  Cost

  • Members: $80
  • Non-members: $105

  Seats

  • Max: 40
  • Available: 23

  Are you looking for easy ways to infuse inquiry into your classroom? Don't have a demo manager? We will help you establish having several small demos conveniently packed into one box, ready for the classroom at any moment. You may bring your box to your class and use the demos to highlight lecture points, or use them when a student asks a question. Use a "Just-In-Time" teaching approach but with a demo twist! We will show you how to pack small demo kit boxes that pack a large instructional punch. The demo focus this summer is mechanics (toys are likely to be involved). Participants will leave with lots of demos!

• W31: Learner-centered Environment for Algebra-based Physics

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Paula Engelhardt

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Steve Robinson

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 29
  • Available: 24

  The Learner-centered Environment for Algebra-based Physics (LEAP) is a two semester physics curriculum for algebra-based physics appropriate for both university and high school settings. The pedagogy and activity sequence is guided by research on student learning of physics and builds on the work of the NSF supported project, Physics for Everyday Thinking (PET). Students work in groups to develop their understanding of various physics phenomena including forces, energy, electricity and magnetism, light and optics. Students utilize hands-on experiments and computer simulations to provide evidence to support their conceptual understanding. Traditional problem solving is scaffolded by using the S.E.N.S.E. problem solving strategy. During this workshop, participants will be introduced to the LEAP curriculum and S.E.N.S.E. problem solving strategy, will examine and work through a sample of the types of activities students do including Java- and Flash-based simulations. *Supported in part by NSF CCLI grant #DUE-0737324 and NSF TUES grant #1245684

• W32: (Cancelled) Science Safety Protocols for Lab, Classroom and Field

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Cathy Ezrailson

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 20
  • Available: 20

  Seventy-five years of state safety data demonstrate school lab safety as a national problem. Trained teachers and students lower the risk of injury and death resulting from accidents. To meet the Next Generation Science Standards, teachers must provide hand-on science experiences for students. In 2009 and 2011, science safety surveys were disseminated to science teachers in South Dakota. Questions posed were: Is science taught safely through recommended hands-on inquiry methods? And, which factors determine if science is being taught safely? In this study, 18% of teachers were not certified in science and 85% indicated that they never had formal science safety instruction.. OSHA now requires that science teachers be trained and certified in safe science procedures before conducting science experiments with students. Safety protocols have been developed to address safe instruction in Lab, Classroom and Field. This workshop will show applications of safety protocols to physics courses in secondary schools.

• W46: The Physics of Chemistry

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Jan Mader

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Karen Jo Matsler, Elaine Gwinn, Evelyn Restivo, Tommie Holsenbeck

  Cost

  • Members: $70
  • Non-members: $95

  Seats

  • Max: 25
  • Available: 18

  Very few high school physics teachers have the luxury of only teaching physics. This workshop will integrate chemistry and physics topics that are parallel in concepts but often deleted in one or the other classes due to limited instructional time frames.

• W33: Activity Based Physics in the High School Classroom

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Steve Henning

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Maxine Willis, Priscilla Laws

  Cost

  • Members: $80
  • Non-members: $105

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 12

  This hands-on workshop is designed for teachers in advanced physics classes such as AP, International Baccalaureate and honors physics. Teachers attending should be interested in enabling their students to master physics concepts in mechanics by engaging in inquiry-based active learning. Participants will work with classroom-tested curricular materials drawn from the Activity Based Physics Suite materials. These curricula make creative use of flexible computer tools available from Vernier and PASCO. These materials have been developed in accordance with the outcomes of physics education research . Affordable access to the Suite materials for secondary school use is now available and will be discussed.

• W34: Research-Based Alternatives to Traditional Physics Problems

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Kathy Harper

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Thomas M. Foster, David P. Maloney

  Cost

  • Members: $80
  • Non-members: $105

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 10

  Accumulating research on problem solving in physics clearly indicates that traditional, end-of-chapter exercises in physics texts are not useful and may actually hinder students' learning of important physics concepts. The research also raises questions about the efficacy of such tasks for helping students develop "problem solving skills." In light of these results the question is: What alternative tasks can we use to help students develop problem solving skills and a conceptual understanding? This workshop will review the research and then provide examples of several alternative tasks and their use. Participants will also get practice writing alternative problems in a variety of formats for use in their own classrooms.

• W35: Physics of Energy Labs

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Abigail Mechtenberg

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Regina Barrera, Patricia White

  Cost

  • Members: $105
  • Non-members: $130

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 25

  AAPT educators embrace this Physics of Energy Labs workshop for experimental (laboratories) and theoretical (simulations) curricula. The academic level is set for undergraduate engineers and physicists; however, the astute teacher can easily apply this to other students and we will have explains of labs used in high schools. During the experimental-part of the workshop laboratories will be executed in groups (starting with cookbook and moving to inquiry-based pedagogies through a novel experimental design approach). During the theoretical-part of the workshop, Homer Energy microgrid activities will be executed. All participants will leave with a USB of resources. Together the workshop will weave a coherent common thread for our Physics of Energy from mechanical to electrical energy, thermal to electrical, solar to electrical, and chemical to electrical energy. Whether motivated by energy security or environmental stability, physicists at all levels must play an active role in the scientific literacy of energy integrated coherently and systematically without personal bias. Participant's are encouraged to bring their own laptops.

• T01: Observing the 2017 Solar Eclipse

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 08:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

  Organizer

  Shannon Willoughby

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Toby Dittrich

  Cost

  • Members: $50
  • Non-members: $75

  Seats

  • Max: 25
  • Available: 10

  The total solar eclipse occurring on August 21,2017 has a path of totality from Oregon to South Carolina. It is partial from the Canadian Arctic to Brazil. This eclipse will capture the attention of millions of students everywhere! Are you ready to pique your students’ interest with unique curricular knowledge and activities? Do you plan to perform research during totality? This workshop gives you answers to these questions. The workshop focuses first on experts explaining: what happens during an eclipse, safe observation, the sun/moon, historical perspectives and student activities. Secondly, the AmericanEclipseProject.org intends to engage undergraduates in the recreation of Eddington’s 20th Century experiment verifying Einstein’s relativistic theory of gravitational lensing of light. This experiment will be explained operationally for the use of telescopes and associated equipment necessary to take CCD images of the deflection of stars during totality. Fifteen student groups nationally will be selected for data acquisition for this project, and an unlimited number of data analysis teams will undertake measurements and calculations needed to draw final conclusions and publish the results. The workshop will prepare you to apply to be a team leader for this fabulous STEM research opportunity for both professors and students.

• T05: Using Learning Assistants to Flip Introductory Physics - Part II

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 10:30 a.m. - 01:30 p.m.

  Organizer

  Vera Margoniner

  Cost

  • Members: $25
  • Non-members: $50

  Seats

  • Max: 20
  • Available: 12

  In the second half-day workshop we will talk about the practicalities and help you get started. The goal is for you to leave the workshop with a better understanding of of how to implement the program in a way that makes sense to your specific situation. We will help you think about ways to flip your classroom; start (and maintain) an LA program at your institution; get your students to buy in into this modality of instruction; and manage it all without going crazy.

• W36: Learning Activities for Life Science in Introductory Physics

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Nancy Beverly

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Ralf Widenhorn, Kenneth Lonnquist

  Cost

  • Members: $75
  • Non-members: $100

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 11

  Experience hands-on activities for the health or life science student in introductory physics. A group representing a variety of institutions will provide lab and other hands-on activities with varying pedagogical strategies, which all have a biological or health context. Get ideas about different approaches and activities that would fit your students’ needs with your institution’s resources and faculty investment time constraints. A focus will be tying together what you would like to do with how you can do it.

• W37: Strategies to Help Women at All Levels to Succeed in Physics-Related Professions

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Chandralekha Singh

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 15
  • Available: 5

  Women are severely under-represented in physics-related professions. This workshop will explore strategies to help women understand and overcome barriers to their advancement in careers related to physics. A major focus of the workshop will be on strategies for navigating effectively in different situations in order to succeed despite the gender schema, stereotypes and subtle biases against women in physics. We will also examine case studies and learn effective strategies by role playing.

• W38: Developing the Next Generation of Physics Assessments

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  James T. Laverty

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Marcos D. Caballero

  Cost

  • Members: $20
  • Non-members: $45

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 0

  Want to write assessments that will tell you what your students are able to do with their physics knowledge? If so, then this is the workshop for you. Participants will learn how to use the recently developed Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3D-LAP) to develop homework and exam problems that engage students in both the process and content of physics. This instrument was developed to help assessment authors at all levels (K-16) generate questions that include scientific practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas, the three dimensions used to develop the Next Generation Science Standards. Join us to learn how to create the next generation of physics assessments.

• W39: Raising Physics to the Surface

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Aaron Wangberg

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Elizabeth Gire, Robyn Wangberg

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 21

  Visualization and geometric reasoning are key components of solving physics problems. These skills are particularly difficult for students when reasoning about multivariable functions. 'Raising Physics to the Surface' helps students discover the geometric relationships behind such ideas like partial derivatives, gradient, level curves, and integrals used in the middle-level and upper division undergraduate physics curriculum. The project utilizes dry-erase surface manipulatives and contour maps, letting students draw, measure, and grasp concepts geometrically. Participants in this workshop will have an opportunity to play, draw, and make measurements on the surface manipulatives. We will explore how these surface manipulatives could be utilized in classical mechanics, E&M, and thermal physics or in a math methods course.

• W40: Fun and Engaging Labs

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Wendy Adams

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Duane Merrell

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 0

  In this workshop we will share many labs that are suitable for both high school and introductory college physics. The labs are challenging but not too difficult and, leave plenty of room for creativity! We have found success by limiting the goals for the labs to: 1. Fun and engaging, 2. Built in student choice, 3. Related to this week’s material. The labs are effective at engaging the students in problem solving and conceptual understanding. Merrell used this type of lab as a high school teacher and physics quickly became one of the most popular classes in the school. Adams, inspired by Merrell, has found that her college students no longer rush to leave, and in some cases stay to see how other groups do even after they’ve turned in their lab write up for the day! This workshop will allow you to try out these labs for yourself.

• W41: Intermediate and Advanced Laboratories

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Jeremiah Wiliams

  Cost

  • Members: $85
  • Non-members: $110

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 4

  This workshop is appropriate for college and university instructional laboratory developers. At each of five stations, presenters will demonstrate an approach to an intermediate or advanced laboratory exercise. Each presenter will show and discuss the apparatus and techniques used. Attendees will cycle through the stations and have an opportunity to use each apparatus. Documentation will be provided for each experiment, with sample data, equipment lists, and construction or purchase information

• W42: Student Learning in Next Generation Physics and Everyday Thinking

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Fred Goldberg

  Co-Organizer(s)

  Stephen Robinson, Edward Price

  Cost

  • Members: $65
  • Non-members: $90

  Seats

  • Max: 30
  • Available: 21

  The ‘Next Generation Physics and Everyday Thinking’ set of curricular materials [1] has been adapted from previous curricula (PET, PSET and others) to make the materials more aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and more flexible in its implementation. Like the previous curricula, the conceptual and pedagogical design of Next Gen PET builds on students’ prior knowledge and lends itself to making students’ thinking visible to both other students and to the instructor. In this workshop we will work through some sample activities, view and discuss corresponding classroom video clips as a means of focusing on student learning, and examine features of the new web-based faculty resources that support instructors in their implementation. [1] Major support for the development of Next Gen PET has come from the Chevron Foundation and the National Science Foundation grant 1044172.

• W43: Activities for Teaching About Climate and Climate Change

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Brian Jones

  Cost

  • Members: $60
  • Non-members: $85

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 15

  During the day, the earth is warmed by sunlight that shines on it. This is something that your students can see, something that they can feel. But, over the course of a day, the surface of the earth receives more radiant energy from the bottoms of clouds and the lower atmosphere than it does from the sun. This influence of thermal radiation is critically important for an understanding of the earth’s climate and how it is changing. In this workshop we’ll share activities that make this invisible form of energy transfer tangible. We’ll also share activities that illuminate other important but complex concepts, such as how climate models work, how feedbacks—both positive and negative—affect the climate. Our goal is to give you a set of tools to give your students a real understanding of the earth’s climate and how scientists predict its development in the future.

• W44: Just-in-Time Teaching

  Date/Time

  • Sun, Jul 17
  • 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

  Organizer

  Andrew Gavrin

  Cost

  • Members: $20
  • Non-members: $45

  Seats

  • Max: 24
  • Available: 4

  For more than 15 years, faculty members in physics, math, engineering and many other fields have used Just-in-Time Teaching, also known as "JiTT." By creating a short time scale feedback loop between homework and the classroom, JiTT improves students' engagement with the course, promotes active learning in the classroom, and helps students to stay caught up in the class. JiTT also provides faculty with greater insight to their students' thinking about the subject. This workshop will introduce JiTT methods, and show how they can be implemented in a variety of educational settings. Participants will learn to implement JiTT using their LMS or free technology, and will be introduced to an online library of assignments that they can use or adapt. By the end of the session, participants will have several JiTT assignments usable in their own classes. We will also discuss tips and tricks for a successful implementation.

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