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Physics and Physical Science Learning Community

Physics and Physical Science Learning Community. “Make and Take” “PLU Workshop”. Zo Webster, Associate Professor Physics. Overview. Philosophy Who participated Participant impressions Objective results Conclusion - K12 educators need more physical science content knowledge.

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Physics and Physical Science Learning Community

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  1. Physics and Physical Science Learning Community “Make and Take” “PLU Workshop” Zo Webster, Associate Professor Physics

  2. Overview • Philosophy • Who participated • Participant impressions • Objective results • Conclusion - K12 educators need more physical science content knowledge

  3. Professional Learning Communities • Theory: Bring people together to jointly define mission of an organization and to learn things to help provide continuous improvement to make the organization succeed. (DuFour & Eaker 1998) • We needed to have to have a slightly different sort of community - one of interested teachers willing to improve their own teaching within a community of likeminded professionals

  4. What we did. #1. invite the teachers • 4 sessions, 3 hours each, spread out one per month, January - April • Billed as make-n-take, but we didn’t always make! • PLU offered as incentive • 2 sessions about circuits (Webster) • 2 sessions about magnetism (Winfrey& Shaw)

  5. Hands-on, minds-on • Used GPS as guide! • Started with a reading (and food) • Activities pre-planned - BUT always had teachers performing experiments to answer questions • Used mix of $ and $$ equipment and • All teachers took home SOME equipment each time - related to topic of day • Two faculty to help guide - needed! • Summarize conclusions/findings a few times each session

  6. Who! • In all, 11 teachers attended one or more of the workshops. 8 people attended 3 or more sessions • What did you value most? • #1 response - “networking” “talking with other teachers” “camaraderie” • #2 “increased content knowledge”

  7. How will information gained help with student achievement? • “Hands-on learning -> hands-on teaching” • “I believe students learn by doing.” • “Shows me how to bring about a deeper understanding about concept.” • “Hopefully dispel some misconceptions” • “By correcting my own misconceptions so I don’t pass them on to my kids.” • My misconceptions being cleared up will allow me to explain it better to my students.”

  8. Community part worked • Networking • Spending time with other professionals • High quality activities that can be used in classrooms tomorrow! • People enjoyed themselves. • Content knowledge development?

  9. Pre-test/Post-test each session • Some students gain each time • Gains may not persist (same test given in Jan/Feb and some participants regressed back to pre-test on Jan. content)

  10. Circuits - out of 10 • Not all content on test explicitly covered in the series of two workshops

  11. Magnetism • Even high school teachers don’t know everything when they arrive

  12. Local needs highlighted • Some content areas weak - even among experienced high school teachers • Although 55% of MCSD teachers are trained by CSU, insufficient Physics and Physical science content and pedagogy • Perhaps CSU should consider requiring a physical science and a life science in Area D for all

  13. K-12 teachers need us! • We need to continue to have high content standards for our undergraduates • We need to teach in an inquiry way so our future teachers will teach that way • Content intensive workshops for existing teachers need to be continued • How can we get MCSD to invite us to help with PD they plan?

  14. Areas for Growth • More advertising - need a list of principals and science teachers and need to know that emails get through the spam filters! • At least one funding agency has a minimum of 12 teachers - so need to build interest • More cheap ideas for equipment to give away and share and use • Or an ‘equipment share’ van. We have workshops surrounding the equipment we have to loan.

  15. CSU as #1 • To stand out in the state as a place for math and science education, we need to have a high profile with in-service teachers • AND provide high quality undergraduate programs in math, biology, chemistry, earth & space science secondary education

  16. Toot my horn! • Thanks to support of College of Science for encouraging work with schools, I have been attending meetings with Dept. of Ed about science policy for 3 years. • This led to my being asked to chair a committee to develop high school astronomy standards for the state of GA

  17. Hooray! • And… that led to writing a grant to develop a curriculum to go with those new standards • Which led to being awarded the grant! • Georgians Experience Astronomy Research in Schools (GEARS) • In partnership with Georgia Southern. GA Dept. of Education as lead.

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