We invite you to apply for a 3-week professional development opportunity in physics. The program is suitable for physics and physical sciences teachers at High School. This workshop is run by teachers, for teachers. It is being hosted by the three Regent's universities as a way to build community amongst physics educators. The first year of the program ran in 2011 at Iowa State University. This summer, the program dates are June 11-29, 2012 hosted by the University of Iowa.

Modeling Instruction is completely aligned with the practices outlined in the Iowa Core curriculum: the program cultivates teachers as school experts on effective use of guided inquiry in science teaching, thereby providing schools and school districts with a valuable resource for broader reform. Program goals are fully aligned with National Science Education Standards. The Modeling Method corrects many weaknesses of the traditional lecture-demonstration method, including fragmentation of knowledge, student passivity, and persistence of naive beliefs about the physical world. (see http://modeling.asu.edu/modeling-hs.html).

Questions: SMcLaughlin@norwalk.k12.ia.us or mary-hall-reno@uiowa.edu

This workshop is funded by a Grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust

Program Objectives

• To provide high school teachers with a strong rationale for instructional design and pedagogical practice.
• To provide high school teachers with a unifying approach to the different sections of a physics course.
• To build community amongst physics educators.
• To improve student learning of physics.

Major Activities

• Teachers will begin the program with an introduction to modeling.
• Most of the time will be spent working as students on modeling activities.
• Instructionally, modeling begins with a paradigm event, group examination, interpretation and deliberation while processing data, and purposefully induced student discourse in a whole class discussion of results.
• The end result is a conceptual model using a variety of representations (numerical data, graphs, symbolic relationships, diagrams, maps, and linguistic interpretations).
• Following the model development stage, students are exposed to a wide variety of situations in which they have to test and refine the model, called the deployment stage.
• The deployment stage is characterized by students representing interpretations of situations on small marker boards and publicly negotiating appropriateness through student discourse and Socratic questioning.
• Throughout the program, teachers will discuss possible student misconceptions, effective ways of eliciting student thinking, strategies for promoting student discourse, and how curricular materials might be differentiated.
• Teachers will read and discuss relevant educational literature to help develop a clear rationale for implementing modeling practices.
• Daily attendance and participation in the workshop is expected.
• Implementation of modeling instruction is expected, with assessments of student learning and attitudes, and teacher updates/reflection during implementation.

Program Highlights

• Stipend: approximately $750/week for 3 weeks.
• Travel: travel allowance or on-campus housing. The exact amounts of travel allowance will depend on how many applicants require this funding from our fixed budget.
• Course supplies: provided, including curricular material for Newtonian mechanics.
• Credit available: Participants seeking credit submit assignments related to course readings. Six continuing education/recertification credits at a cost of approximately $25.00 through the AEA, or 3 sh of University of Iowa credit (Department of Physics and Astronomy), cost TBD.

Program Dates: June 11 - June 29, 2012 (housing available beginning June 10)

Application Deadline: March 19, 2012

To apply, email christine-stevens@uiowa.edu, Subject: Modeling Physics a résumé (MclaughlinSampleApplication.pdf) with the following information and statement of purpose:

• Teacher information - name, personal address, phone numbers (school, home, cell) and email address, degrees received (major, institution, date).
• School information - school name, school address, school demographics (for reporting purposes) such as percent minority students, percent free or reduced lunch.
• Teaching experience - including subjects, grades, schools.
• References - please provide the names and contact information of two references. Indicate which reference can address the level of support from administration and curricular directors for implementation of modeling instruction in physics.
• Please provide a short statement of purpose. This statement should provide reviewers with a portrait of who you are as a teacher, a brief teaching philosophy, and why you wish to participate in this program. What is your approach to fostering interest and ability in science among young people? What are your goals as a teacher and professional? How (specifically) will this modeling program help you reach your goals?