strategies to continue reform
Jane Jackson (jane.jackson@asu.edu <jane.jackson@asu.edu>)
Mon, 4 Mar 1996 14:09:59 +0000
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TEECH "LEAVING A LEGACY: Sustaining a Project After the Funding Ends"
Sent by: jane.jackson@asu.edu <jane.jackson@asu.edu> (Jane Jackson)
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The Modeling Workshop Project has several ideas to stabilize the important
reforms which we offer in high school physics education. Among these are:
1) strengthening the pedagogical component in the 150 local physics
teachers alliances in the nation, which are vehicles for professional
growth,
2) establishing local workshops and college courses for inservice and
preservice physics teachers, in which the modeling method is taught,
3) giving our hundreds of teachers the ability to collaborate in small
teams to adapt the best of existing curriculum materials to the modeling
method.
In 1994 David Hestenes, the Principal Investigator, prepared a policy
document: University - High School Interface for professional development
and support of physics teachers. It discusses the first two areas of
focus. Here is a short excerpt. If you'd like the full 2-page version,
send me an e-mail and I'll e-mail it back to you.
Cheers,
Jane Jackson, Project Director
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University - High School Interface
for professional development and support of physics teachers
This document describes how universities can promote educational reform by
establishing an interface with local schools which helps integrate teachers
into the physics community for sustained support and professional
development. A local interface can be created easily, without much cost to
the university or the schools.
(1) Organization and support of local physics teacher alliances
The APS Local Physics Alliance program, under the leadership of
Brian Schwartz (APS) and John Russell (U Mass Dartmouth), has organized
physics teachers in high schools, colleges and universities across the
country into local alliances to reduce the isolation and provide support
for individual teachers. This is the beginning of a teacher support system
that can be enhanced by electronic networking and professional development
programs. University physics departments should take advantage of this
powerful mechanism for reform of high school physics by supporting
alliances in their localities and helping to organize new ones when
necessary.
Teacher ownership and control of each local alliance is essential,
because it is a professional organization by and for the teachers. The
relation of the alliance to the university should be one of partnership
with the common objective of promoting improvements in physics teaching.
Identification of university faculty who are willing to support this
partnership is essential. Through such faculty partners the alliances can
draw on the resources of the university. This could include arrangements
for a suitable meeting place for the alliance as well as information and
advice about physics and physics teaching.
Internet electronic networking of all teachers in an alliance
should be regarded as essential. Universities are ideally situated to help
organize and support such networks. Universities can also provide valuable
technical advice and support for computer infusion (See the policy document
Technology Infusion into High School Physics).
(etc.)
Jane Jackson (Prof. of Physics, Scottsdale Comm. College--on leave)
Dept.of Physics, Box 871504, Arizona State Univ.,Tempe AZ 85287-1504.
jane.jackson@asu.edu <jane.jackson@asu.edu> PHONE: (602)965-8438. FAX: (602)965-7331.