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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.
Improving the Effectiveness of Teacher Diagnostic Skills and Tools.
The Department of Physics and the School of Education at Seattle Pacific University, together with FACET Innovations, LLC, are engaged in a five-year NSF-funded Teacher Professional Continuum project (NSF 0455796).
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, and Physical and Chemical Changes. 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.
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Click here and here for two SPU Response articles, which describe parts of the project.
Professional Development Courses and Workshops
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Summer Institute in Physics Teaching, July 28 - Aug. 8, 2008
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Summer Course "Particulate Nature of Matter" --
National Science Foundation stipend of $600 and five 5000-level physics credits. (Registration fee of $40/credit applies.)
Aug. 11-14 and Aug. 18-21, 2008
To register, click here. |
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Professional Teachers of Science
Physics and Physical Science Academic Year Sessions
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Earth Systems Science, Jan. 28-May 16, 2008 (5 credits, 50 contact hours). This problem-based learning course will meet five times, with most of the course material being delivered online. The Earth system and the relation between the lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere will be explored through studying various events and issues that occur in the Earth system. Topics will be drawn from Brazilian deforestation, coral reefs, global climate change, ice sheets, volcanoes and stratospheric ozone. Participants will appreciate how events do not occur in isolation on Earth, but that an event in any of Earth’s systems will have effects on all of Earth’s systems.
Tuition is covered by a grant.
For an article published in the Nov 2007 WSTA Journal describing the courses, click here. For further information, contact Mike Witiw. |
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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