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Frank NoscheseFrank Noschese to Receive 2018 Paul W. Zitzewitz Excellence in K-12 Teaching Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Park, Maryland, United States, March 19, 2018—The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) announced today that the 2018 Paul Zitzewitz Excellence in K-12 Physics Teaching Award winner is Frank Noschese, a physics teacher at John Jay High School in Cross River, NY. This award is in recognition for contributions to pre-college physics teaching and awardees are chosen for their extraordinary accomplishments in communicating the excitement of physics to their students.

Regarding his selection for this award Noschese said, "I am honored to receive this award, which recognizes that being a great teacher is about fostering inquiry, taking risks in the classroom, and sharing ideas. I am thankful for the tremendous support I've received from my administrators, my colleagues (both real and virtual), my students and their parents."

Educated at Cornell University with a BA in Physics and an MAT in Science and Mathematics Education, Noschese is an inspiration for hundreds of physics teachers across the world. His very popular teaching blog, ActionReaction, is a treasure trove of excellent teaching ideas, and lessons that are useful for both novice and experienced teachers. His ideas have had a tremendous influence on the larger teaching community. For example, his Noschese 180 teaching blog, which he started by taking one photograph related to his teaching each day, and posting it with a short caption turned out be incredibly powerful—these short reflections shared tremendous teaching ideas. Many of these ideas were taken up by physics teachers around the world, and the blog became a powerful tool for professional growth for dozens of teachers.

He is a member of the New York State Master Teacher Program which fosters collaboration among New York's outstanding STEM educators and offers high-quality professional learning.  He was given the 2011 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. In 2017 he received an AAPT Fellows Award. 

Noschese has been incredibly active in engaging larger conversations about teaching pedagogy. He is outspoken defender of inquiry learning and the thoughtful use of technology. His post explaining how using $2 whiteboards made from tile board can be powerful tools for dialogue and collaboration in class, even more than $2000 interactive whiteboards won an Edublogs award for the most influential blog post of 2010. In addition to many sectional AAPT invited talks and a TEDxNYED talk, Noschese has been featured on numerous news programs, including MSNBC discussing the power of actively engaging students in inquiry. In all of his communication and advocacy, Noschese is a positive voice for the pivotal role of the teacher in the classroom.

Prior Award Winners (link: http://www.aapt.org/Programs/awards/Paul-Zitzewitz-Award-for-Excellence-in-K12-Physics-Teaching.cfm)

About the Award
Established as the Excellence in Pre-College Teaching Award in 1993 then renamed and endowed in 2010 by Paul W. and Barbara S. Zitzewitz, the Paul W. Zitzewitz Award for Excellence in K-12 Physics Teaching recognizes outstanding achievement in teaching pre-college physics.

About AAPT
AAPT is an international organization for physics educators, physicists, and industrial scientists—with members worldwide. Dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching, AAPT provides awards, publications, and programs that encourage practical application of physics principles, support continuing professional development, and reward excellence in physics education. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.

For more information: Contact David Wolfe, Director of Communications, dwolfe@aapt.org, (301)209-3322, (301)209-0845 (Fax), www.aapt.org.