Rural physics teachers hone skills at summer workshop

High school physics teachers from rural Kansas learned new classroom technologies and techniques through a special workshop at ESU last week.

ESU is one of 11 sites nationwide to host the six-day workshop, which is sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers and funded by the National Science Foundation.

"Many rural physics teachers probably started out as biology or chemistry teachers and then got roped into physics and, in some parts of the state, they're the only physics teachers within 20 or 30 miles," said ESU associate professor and workshop coordinator Jim Johnson.

"They have come to ESU to learn about the equipment they need to teach physics and pick up some good teaching strategies in the process," he said.

Development of the Emporia workshop began when Orlando, Fla. high school physics teacher Jane Nelson was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in July 2002. Her husband Jim happens to be president-elect of the AAPT and a primary investigator on a $5 million NSF grant to fund rural physics programs. With the help of Johnson and physical sciences department chair DeWayne Backhus, ESU secured funding and recruited 15 teachers for the program.

The grant covers transportation, room, board and a small stipend for each participant. It also covers AAPT-trained instructors who lead the classes through a series of lectures, discussions and physics activities. Teachers have the option of signing up for two hours of college credit this summer, and a third hour for a follow-up session planned later this year.

The Nelsons returned to Emporia Monday and Tuesday to teach the first workshop sessions. "These students want to find out about new technologies for high school physics labs," said Jane Nelson. "They also want to learn about 'inquiry-based' teaching, where students are encouraged to find things out on their own, rather than 'here is the lecture, here is the projector, here are your notes.'"

For example, Nelson gives a class a ramp and a model car and asks what can be measured with the equipment and how - and how the different possible measurements are related. A well-equipped lab would offer students motion sensors to help them measure the acceleration of the car, but this week's class also learned to do the experiment with a sharp eye and a simple stopwatch.

"Certainly, there are high tech and low tech alternatives," said Johnson. "If you have the money to get high tech equipment, this workshop helps you decide what to buy. Otherwise, you learn about low tech alternatives, and you learn how to build your case to your principal or school board about the benefits of the better equipment."

"We use inexpensive things in our classroom like marshmallows and rubber bands," said Olpe physics teacher Eric True. "It would take a few thousand dollars to build a fully-equipped physics lab."

True has taught at Olpe High School for five years, and will apply the workshop credit toward his state endorsement in physics. But more experienced teachers like Tom Fancher of Osage City have benefited from the workshop as well. "I've been teaching physics for 24 years and after a while certain aspects of class can become repetitive. This workshop has given me different tools to vary the way I teach," he said.

Twenty-five percent of American students learn physics at rural high schools, said Jim Nelson who points out that federal funding for science education is often neglected in small schools - a trend AAPT intends to correct with its workshops.

"It's important to make sure students from rural schools have the same doors open for them as their counterparts in the city or suburbs," he said. "People can no longer count on being able to make a living with their backs and muscle. The economy is driven by ideas and technology."

Nelson hopes to recruit workshop participants to become future workshop leaders. He also plans to invite principals and other administrators to accompany their teachers to the workshops for a day next summer to see the lab technology and teaching concepts in action.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>