NEWS

Fall Meeting!

November 7–8, 2008 at Foothill College.

Click here to download a pdf of the program.

LHC Article

Here is a news article about the LHC. Cool pictures and background for your class.

Brentwood Debrief

Our Spring 2008 Meeting took place April 18–19 at Heritage High School in Brentwood. Check out the program! The SNAAPT petition (you can download it here) was voted upon by the 50 or so attendees and passed unanimously. We wish them luck!

Dean Baird, documentor and presenter extraordinaire, has assembled some cool stuff here. In includes links to:

• Skepticism in the Classroom (a page of mini-lessons in critical thinking)
• The Amazing Meeting (hosted by the James Randi Educational Foundation)

And photos, of course!

So You Have $1000 to Spend

Dean also links to a movie he took of a water balloon popping. It's from the relatively new Casio Exilim EX-F1. It's a still camera that will let you capture motion at really high speeds.

Click the image at right to see a smaller (1 MB, QuickTime) version of Dean's movie.

Check out ComPADRE

ComPADRE is part of the National Digital Library concentrating on physics and physics teaching. Check it out. Make a bookmark. Tell your friends!

http://compadre.org

Modeling Instruction and Workshops

Over the years, the Modeling Instruction program at Arizona State has created materials and a pedagogical approach that focuses on (and seems to get) deep student understaning of basic physics concepts. And they're branching out into other disciplines.

It takes a commitment of time, energy, and possibly a willingness to be in Phoenix for a few weeks in the summer, but it's worth learning more. Visit http://modeling.asu.edu for more background.

Their national workshop list is at http://modeling.asu.edu/MW_nation.html

Interactive Engagement in Eugene

If you teach undergraduates, consider the NSF-sponsored Chautauqua course from David Sokoloff and his colleagues. It's called "Using Research-Based Curricula and Tools to Promote Active Learning in Introductory Courses." Whew. Learn more at http://uoregon.edu/~sokoloff/chaut1.htm.

More Great Summer Programs for Teachers

You can learn cool summer stuff and earn money while you're doing it.

• In the IISME (Industry Initiatives for Science and Mathematics Education) Summer Fellowship Program, you work in a technically-oriented workplace or research lab, contribute to what goes on there, and translate your experience into improved instruction. Summer 2007, you could earn up to $8200!
  Check out http://www.iisme.org/AboutSummerFellowships.cfm.
  You can read sample postings from previous summers at http://www.iisme.org/samplejobs.cfm.
  Applicants must currently teach K–16 in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Santa Cruz County.
  
  
• The Edward Teller Education Center (ETEC) of the UC Davis School of Education in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), is offering two new programs this summer for the Teacher Research Academy and an option for an advanced degree. You can learn more at http://etec.ucdavis.edu. These may be related to other LLNL offerings, below.
  
  
• Once again, Lawrence Livermore is hosting a series of summer opportunities for teachers. You can work in biotechnology, fusion/astrophysics, or energy technologies and environment. Summer programs starting in 2007 can lead to internships as part of a research team. The idea is that your new knowledge and skills will enhance your instruction. There is money for stipends, lodging, and travel.
  Check it out at http://education.llnl.gov/doeacts/.

PTSOS

PTSOS helps new teachers become their very best! They have a website which is under constant revision: http://www.ptsos.org

You can find some photos of the September 2005 workshop here:

More about PTSOS here. Information: Stephanie Finander

Membership

Membership in NCAAPT is $25 per academic year. Dues can be paid at the section meetings, or can be paid by mail. Contact the treasurer, Dennis Buckley.

Meetings of the section are held twice a year: normally in November and April. Meeting registration fee is $20. The first meeting for a new member is free. See the schedule of upcoming events above for future meeting dates and places.

If you want to contact the national AAPT office to inquire about membership information, click here.

banner photos by Dean Baird and from NASA archives

This is the home page! Click here to read not-quite-new news.

Upcoming Events

2009 Winter AAPT

February 2009
Chicago

2009 Spring NCNAAPT

March 28–29 2009
at PASCO!

LINKS

ComPADRE

Archives of Past Meetings

List of Officers

Section Constitution

Duties of the Officers

List of Member E-Mail Addresses

Professional Links

Updates from national AAPT

AAPT's Online Jobs Page

Communicate with NCNAAPT Officers