InterChange Newsletter

May 2010 Home

Spring and Summer Physics and Physical Science Courses for K-12 Teachers

Are you interested in learning how to help your students learn physics or physical science in an inquiry setting? Are you curious about how to expand and enhance your repertoire of demonstrations to engage your students?

PHY 620 (Methods and Materials for Physics Demonstrations) will offer an in-depth exploration of effective ways to incorporate demonstrations in your teaching. In particular, you will work with fellow teachers in designing, constructing, and performing demonstrations in ways that allow you to interact with your students, to probe their thinking, and to help them maximize their learning. PHY 620 is scheduled for the Spring 2010 session, from May 10 – June 23.

PHY 601 (Physics by Inquiry) will give you the unique opportunity to experience from both instructor and student perspectives what it means to teach and learn science through guided inquiry. In contrast to traditional teaching-by-telling methods, the use of teaching-by-questioning strategies have been shown through research to be much more effective in helping students become aware of their own thinking and construct robust understandings of the physical world. PHY 601 is offered during the Summer 2010 session from June 28 – August 11.

Both of these courses are components of the M. Ed. program with Physics Emphasis, yet both are open for all teachers. Either course provides an excellent entrée into the M. Ed program. If you are interested in one or both courses, please contact Prof. Brad Ambrose (331-2524, ambroseb@gvsu.edu) for assistance on enrolling. If you have specific questions about either course, you may contact Prof. Ambrose, who will teach PHY 601, or Prof. Keith Oliver (331-2722, oliverke@gvsu.edu), who will teach PHY 620.