Physics Teacher Education Coalition Project at CSU, Long Beach Galen - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Physics Teacher Education Coalition Project at CSU, Long Beach

Galen Pickett, Chuhee Kwon, and Laura Henriques

Department of Physics and Astronomy

Department of Science Education California State University Long Beach

Institutional Background

California State University Long Beach

Urban comprehensive university in Los Angeles Metropolitan area (total 34,870 students).

Na ve American 1% African- American 4% La no/La na 33% Asian American 23% Caucasian 25% Other/ Unknown 10% Non-Ci zen 4%

Department of Physics & Astronomy

• 110 UG majors

(36 URM, 20 females)

• 40 graduate students

(4 URM, 5 females)

• 23 Bachelors and 35 M.S.

degrees awarded during the last 3 years.

• Began building HS physics

teaching network through PhysTEC grant in Aug. 2010.

Goals of the Project

• Encourage, recruit and support future physics

teachers

• Create courses to support physics majors to explore

physics teaching

• Outreach/Community Building with area Physics

Teachers

Encourage, Recruit and Support Future Physics Teachers

• Outreach to Current and Potential Physics Majors

– Social Mixer – PHYS 390 Class and Learning Assistant (LA) – Posters & informational sessions – Visits & announcements in key classes about how to become a physics teacher and why you might want to choose that career – Changed culture within the department

PHYSICS SOCIAL MIXER

• Meet & greet Physicists.
• Physics competition!
• Free food.

The Physics & Astronomy Department hosts a Social Mixer every semester for majors, potential majors, and physics teacher candidates.

Posters advertising physics teaching are displayed in the department & around campus

Create courses for Physics Majors to Explore Teaching

• PHYS 390: Early Physics Teaching Experience (based
• n U of Colorado LA Workshop)

– PHSY390 course “counts” for upper division elective in the major

• PHYS 490: Special Topics Course Physics specific

pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) course. – PHYS490 attracts physics majors, credential candidates, inservice physical science and physics teachers

Majors: PHYS 390 and LA program

• PHYS 390: Early Physics Teaching Experience (based
• n U of Colorado LA Workshop)
• Learning Assistant (LA) in PHYS 151 (Calc-based
• Intro. Physics).

– 3 LAs in AY 11/12 – 7 LAs in AY12/13 – 13 LAs in AY13/14

• PHYS 390 class and LAs attend the demo-sharing and
• pen house.

Spring 2011 Spring 2012 Spring 2013 Enrollment 7 9 26

PHYS 490: Special Topics

• Physics specific pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)

course.

• Taught by TIR and Science Ed. Faculty with physics

specialty. – Student misconceptions – Laboratories, demonstrations, simulations, and activities – Sequencing instruction

Semester Topic/Theme Enrollment Spring 2011 Waves, Sound, and Optics 9 (5 in-service, 4 PB/credential) Fall 2011 Force & Motion 6 (2 in-service, 2 PB/cred., 2 majors) Fall 2012 Energy & Momentum 7 (3 in-service, 2 PB/cred., 2 majors) Fall 2013 Electricity & Magnetism 14 (6 in-service, 4 PB/cred., 4 majors)

Outreach/Community Building with area Physics Teachers

• Monthly Physics Demo Days
• Physics Open House events
• PHYS490 Teaching Physics special topics course

– Class shares expertise at CSTA conferences

• A physics Teacher-In-Residence spends a year with

us

Monthly Demo Sharing Day

2nd Thursday, 4:30pm – 5:30pm

• In-service Teachers,

Credential Students, Physics majors.

• Rotating topics.
• Social and collaboration
• pportunity.

Monthly Demo-Sharing Day

• Teachers come to CSULB to show their

demonstrations.

• Gives the teachers a chance to collaborate and meet
• ne another.
• Themes rotate through the year: Forces & Motion,

Circular Motion, Electricity Magnetism, etc.

Open House (Once/Semester)

• Sat. Morning (8:30-12:30)
• HS Teacher with 2-3 students
• Physics majors & faculty
• Faculty research talk, hands-
• n activity, brunch, panel

discussion, and lab tours.

PHYS490 Students Presented at 2013 CSTA Conference

Hershey kiss electroscope – Nancy Fun fly Stick activities

• Shin & Rachael

Kissing balloons - Dave PHET simulations –Yanette Hotdog circuits - Marcus Electrolysis - Matt Magneto-hydrodynamic propulsion - Kim Electromagnets, doorbell - Erica Electromagnetic induction (overhead into galvanometer) - Laura Headphones/speakers - Meredith Eddy current tube - Justin Homopolar motor - Jason Magnetic field demonstrator/electric field demonstrator Brandon Neodynium magnets & dollar bill – Brandon Closing – Meredith/Laura

TIR (Teacher-In-Residence)

• Experienced, respected high school teacher working

with the project for one year (while still teaching HS).

• Consultant and co-leader for the HS Teacher

Outreach events.

• Mentor new teachers.
• Writes the monthly newsletter.
• Co-instructor for two PHYS courses.
• Recruiter for majors and physics teacher candidates.

Outreach/Community Building with area Physics Teachers

• Monthly Newsletter, What’s n?, published by TIR.
• SoCal AAPT and California Science Teachers

Association (CSTA) Annual Conferences – CSTA workshops presented by CSULB PhysTEC team & students: 3 in 2011, 5 in 2012, and 4 in 2013.

Outreach/Community Building with area Physics Teachers

• Monthly Newsletter, What’s n?, published by TIR.
• SoCal AAPT and California Science Teachers

Association (CSTA) Annual Conferences

• Hosted New Physics Teacher Workshops by SoCal-

AAPT. – Feb. 2012 and Nov. 2012

• Maintain a listserv of area high school physics

teachers and send out information about nearby professional development opportunities via e-mail.

Building a HS Physics Teaching Community has been a transformative experience.

• Physics Faculty
• Majors (UG/Graduate)
• Credential Students
• In-Service Teachers

 Provost  CNSM Dean  Vice Provost  Academic Senate

For more information about our program:

physicsatthebeach.com www.csulb.edu/depts/physics www.youtube.com/watch?v=15a30ixUvnY

Other CSU campuses funded by PhysTEC Grants: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Cal Poly Pomona CSU San Marcos

PhysTec @ Cal Poly (SLO)

• Course Reform

– Introductory Mechanics (1st quarter) – Introductory Physical Science for future elementary school teachers (1st and 2nd quarter of sequence)

• Teacher-in-Residence

– Have become integral to program

– Initially, position was supported by PhysTEC (3 years) – Position has been supported by dean (6 years)

– This is our largest sustainable success (details to follow)

• Built better relationships with School of Education

– TIR is field placement coordinator – Physics representative is coordinator

• Recruitment

– TIR - person to talk to who has been in the trenches – Early field course (45 hours in field and two seminars)- taught by TIR

Role of the TIR

 Teach courses (45%)

 introductory physical science*  science methods  early field experience

 Working with future teachers (45%)

 Supervise student teachers  Student teaching seminar  Advising and recruitment

 Interface with College of Education (10%)

 Secondary education committee  New credentialing requirements

Overview

Role of the TIR …

• Intro physical science for non-science majors
• Team taught with other faculty - daily plan and weekly

meetings

• Used Powerful Ideas in Physical Science and/or Physics

for Everyday Thinking

Introductory physical science

 Visit classes weekly  Pre- & post-conference  Interactive journal  Students reflect daily  Used by cooperating teacher, supervising teacher, and student  Weekly seminar

Supervising student teachers

Sustaining TIR at Cal Poly SLO

• Dean supports the idea

– Sabbatical for high school teachers

• College of Science & Math responsible for:

– Teaching methods class – Supervision of student teachers – Student teaching seminar (1/2 faculty load, but low number of students taught)

• Teach many small sections of a given course

Favorable Conditions

Sustaining TIR at Cal Poly SLO

• TIR does supervision, seminar, and methods

course for all sciences

– Frees faculty for professional development

• TIR teaches 1/2-lecturer load

– TIR team-teaches, but has own sections – Teaches courses that need to be taught – Dean pays less for better supervision

Sustainable Solution

Homeyra Sadaghiani Steve McCauley & Alex Rudolph Cal Poly Pomona

 Offers the B.S. degree in Physics  Has 9 tenure track faculty  Provides service courses for students from 23

departments

 Does not normally offer any recitation sections for

introductory physics courses

The department has adopted a Learning Assistant (LA) program since 2010.

 Successful undergraduate students  Completed the introductory courses  Interested in teaching  Interact well with other students

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Recruitment has to be Personal, Explicit, Ongoing!

 Weekly instructional planning with reformed

course instructors

 LA Seminar course  Early teaching experience

Content Pedagogy Practice

 Department and Department Chair  College and Dean  PhysTEC  NSF Robert Noyce Scholarship Grant  California State University MSTI Grant

Fall 2013: faculty utilized 9 LAs

 4 Recitations, 3 Lectures, 2 Activity course

08- 09 09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13

Physics Graduates

11 15 11 20 18

Teachers Credential Graduates

2 1 1 2

CPP Physics Graduates

1

4 2

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With LAs (N=49) Without LAs (N=42) Senior Physics (N=23) LAs (N=3) Ave. Score 45% 35% 45% 90%

Extremely helpful Very helpful Somewhat helpful Not very helpful Was not helpful at all

Not attended Was not helpful at all Not very helpful Somewhat helpful Very helpful The most helpful

 Recruiting high school physics teachers with robust

content knowledge

 Lower the student to instructor ratio in our courses  Improve our students learning and success  Enhance student centered curricula  Increase the student engagement  Improve the culture of the department as far as the

role of physics department and faculty in the education

• f future physics students

“They were easy to talk to and slowly lead the way

through any problems we asked”

“Being able to have a one-on-one conversation with

a class with too many people for one instructor”

“Its nice not to have to direct all questions to the

professor”

“Multiple people to ask questions to” “Individual extra help during class” “It was very helpful, more lectures should have LAs”

“If I was heading in the wrong direction they (LAs)

would put me back on track”

“Helped push us to get closer to understanding at

• ur own pace”

“The communication was a lot less intimidating” “The student to LA ratio. More time with an

individual”

“I liked that they are our peers and can relate to the

difficulty we are facing seeing a lot of this material for the first time since it wasn’t that long ago they were in the same situation”

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“I have had a great experience being a Learning Assistant... I have learned a lot not only about how to teach physics, but also how people perceive the subject and how this effects their learning experience.”

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John Sorlie

“I have found that teaching is certainly challenging, however it is very self- fulfilling to know you are able to share your knowledge of a sometimes- confusing subject and help fellow students succeed in their academic studies.”

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Chris Anderberg

“I enjoy physics education more and more each time I do something related, and learning to teach is a great way to share this experience."

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April Hankins