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Professional Preparation of Teachers in Physics and Physical Science
The Physics Department aspires to becoming a premier place for current and future teachers to gain a deep understanding of physics and physical science. We also strive to model best practices for teaching physics and infuse every aspect of our curriculum with cutting edge research on student learning.
If you are interested or involved in the Energy Project professional development program, please visit the Energy Project main page or the Energy Project Cohort page.
The Department of Physics and the School of Education at Seattle Pacific University, together with FACET Innovations, LLC, are engaged in two five-year NSF-funded projects (ESI-0455796 and DRL-0822342).
In partnership with Seattle, Bellevue, and Spokane (three of the largest school districts in Washington State), the project follows a two-pronged approach:
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production, delivery over the web, and iterative refinement of research-based diagnostic classroom tools in the gateway areas for all sciences: Properties of Matter, Heat and Temperature, the Particular Nature of Matter, and Energy. These tools are based on the Diagnoser Project tools. |
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development of a framework for using diagnostic classroom tools in the delivery of professional development to deepen the subject matter content knowledge, enrich the pedagogical content knowledge, broaden the curricular content knowledge, and hone the diagnostic skills of all teachers, especially those who are new to the intentional use of assessment in science instruction. |
Click here here or here for SPU Response articles, which describe parts of the project.
Professional Development Courses and Workshops
| Courses offered in 2010: |
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Understanding Energy -- June 24, 25, 28-30, 2010
This course is especially appropriate for 4th and 5th grade teachers and will include working with concrete materials in order to more fully understand the concepts of energy transfer and transformation and conservation of energy in systems, as delineated in the new science standards. A major focus will also be on the energy present in systems in the following science units: Circuits and Pathways, Ecosystems, Models and Designs, Microworlds, Food Chemistry, and Land & Water.
Teachers who have taken this course previously are welcome to take it again - the content will be designed to build upon their first experience.
Stipend of $750 and three 5000-level physics credits
(Registration fee applies. Clock hours are available.)
Email Julie Glavic for more information. |
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Energy One -- Aug. 9-13, 16-20, 2010
This course for secondary teachers can be taken either as a standalone course or as part of a two-year, coherent, articulated professional development effort.
As a standalone course, it will focus on energy forms, energy transfers and transformations in the context of physics and physical science. Participants will also be immersed in a diagnostic learning environment, explore research on student ideas about energy and related concepts energy, and discuss the implications of the research on the teaching and learning of the subject.
This course also fits into a two-year PD effort that is designed to help teachers transform their practice.
Stipend of $1200 and five 5000-level physics credits
(Registration fee applies. Clock hours are available.)
Email Julie Glavic for more information. |
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Energy Two -- Aug. 2-6, 9-13, 2010
This course for secondary teachers is designed to be taken one year after the completion of Energy One, should participants which to build upon their first summer's experience.
The format and subject matter of the course will be similar to that of Energy One.
Stipend of $1200 and five 5000-level physics credits
(Registration fee applies. Clock hours are available.)
Email Julie Glavic for more information. |
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Below is a list of courses offered during previous years. Information for more courses offered during the upcoming summer will be added soon. Check back in the near future! |
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Summer Course Particulate Nature of Matter -- Aug. 17-21, 25-27, 2009 plus two additional 3-hour follow-up meetings during the academic year (dates to be determined)
This content course is designed for middle school and high
school teachers of physics and physical science. Participants will enhance their understanding of the Particulate Nature of Matter model and its ability to account for properties of matter, characteristic properties of matter, states of matter, and changes of state. Participants will also be immersed in a diagnostic learning environment, explore research on student ideas about the particulate nature of matter, and discuss the implications of the research on the teaching and learning of a small particle model.
Stipend of $1000 and five 5000-level physics credits
(Registration fee of $43/credit applies.) |
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Summer Course Global Climate Change Course for Teachers
This 30 clock hour course will meet on campus three times for about two hours each with the remainder of the coursework being conducted online. Our preliminary meeting will be on Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 5:00 PM. Subsequent meetings and course requirements will be discussed at that time. The course officially extends from June 11 to July 24, with some flexibility of schedule in between. This course will examine different aspects of Global Climate Change with emphasis on the Little Ice Age and the role of methane as a greenhouse gas. Tuition is paid by our grant and meals will be provided at our meetings. This course is funded by the National Science Foundation through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, and provides the opportunity to obtain graduate academic credit.
To learn more visit:
http://esseacourses.strategies.org/
For additional information, please contact Mike Witiw, Seattle Pacific University, Department of Physics
or
Linda Anderson, Everett School District.
For an article published in the Nov 2007 WSTA Journal describing the courses, click here. |
Robert Noyce Scholarships for Prospective Math and Science Teachers
Seattle Pacific University has received a large grant from the National Science Foundation to increase the number of highly qualified teachers of science and mathematics. For information, please contact John Lindberg (Physics), Greg Phelan (Chemistry), Tim Nelson (Biology), or Robbin O'Leary (Mathematics).
Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC)
In recognition of the Department's work in teacher preparation, Seattle Pacific University has been chosen as a Primary Program Institution by PhysTEC, a joint program of the American Physical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the American Institute of Physics. For more information, please contact Lane Seeley.
Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA)
Seattle Pacific University has been selected as an ESSEA partner institution. The NSF-funded ESSEA program builds and expands on a project that was funded by NASA and implemented by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies from 2000-2005, and included 20 colleges and universities who offered online Earth system science courses to over 1,700 K-12 teachers (including both pre-service and in-service teachers). For more information about our plans to implement the ESSEA courses for teachers, please contact Michael Witiw or Eleanor Close. |
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