Welcome to the website of the
Alabama Section
of the
American Association of
Physics Teachers
The Barry Walker AL-AAPT Award
These awards
are for high school teachers to help them attend the summer meeting of the
AAPT. Please take a look at the announcement
and plan to apply!!
Annual Meeting Report
Spring Meeting 2010
Alabama Section, AAPT
Our spring
meeting at Auburn University was profitable for everyone that attended. All physics teachers (with online access
available) were introduced in the morning session to a new resource and inquiry
activity they could use on Monday morning.
Dr. Raj
Chaudhury from Auburn University’s Biggio Center led us to the TELS website
(wise.berkeley.edu). WISE is a simple
yet powerful learning environment where students examine real world evidence
and analyze current scientific controversies.
TELS
(Technology Enhanced Learning of Science) is an innovative set
of curriculum modules designed by science education researchers to help students
learn abstract concepts in science through the use of modeling and simulation
tools embedded in an inquiry learning environment. TELS Center online projects, each of which takes about a week to do
with students, are widely tested, research-based modules that set learning
objectives in the context of an engaging narrative.
During the
morning part of the meeting we worked on the module Airbags: Too Fast, Too Furious?.
After a
wonderful lunch we continued with a sharing session and business meeting.
·
Nick
Nicholson shared his proposal for a Science
Team at the college and university level on scholarship to reach out and
influence science in young students.
Learn more at:
·
Tommi
Holsenbeck showed high speed video taken by $300 cameras, not $30,000 ones, and
also how to analyze these clips using video analysis.
·
Stan
Jones shared the VPython program he uses with his Honors Physics classes. VPython makes it easy to create navigable 3D
displays and animations, even for those with limited programming
experience. Find information at: http://vpython.org/
·
·
Marlin
Simon introduced his grant, “Online Homework for Physics Classes”. Contact him for more information about
involvement.
Business Meeting
The new
president is Duane Pontius from Birmingham Southern College. He was congratulated on winning the Alabama
Professor of the Year.
And
congratulations to a new member, Jeff Johnson, for winning the Siemens National
AP Teacher of the Year.
The newly
elected President Elect is Ali Yazdi from Jeff State.