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Re: What to "cover"



----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim O'Donnell" <odonnt@CELINA.K12.OH.US>

Arlyn,
I don't believe I'll be an educational reform leader. But as all of us, I
do continually struggle with what it is I should be doing. I feel I
spend too much time on mechanics/dynamics, because I feel it is a
small part of the entire physics world. Why do I do it? It is
expected. By who? I don't know. I feel it is just Expected of a high
school physics teacher to spend a lot of time on
mechanics/dynamics. I don't think I spend enough time on
thermodynamics, waves, sound, light, electricity. I have talked
about digital electronics ever and I seldom discuss "modern"
physics. There is just not enough time in one year and that is all I
have.

Tim O'Donnell

Tim,

Your stated dillema above is common. You are mired between at least TWO
reform movements. One is a content driven reform--coming primarily from
University teachers--that seeks to de-emphasize the traditiional curriculum
in favor of much more NEW (and at least to them) EXCITING physics. In other
words, START with Modern Physics! The other movement is the pedagogically
focused movement by groups engaged in Physics Educational Research (PER)
which wants to also reduce the amount of material, but which is in general
agreement (I think) that the place to start is mechanics/dynamics. If
anything, this movement would have you spend even more time in this
curricular area.

The general reasonings as I understand them are:

Modern First: This is where the current action is. This is where today's
physicists are working. It is from this area that the future of physics
will be developed. Excite and interest the student early in their physics
experience rather than bore them with 300 year old physics.

Mechanics/dynamics first (and intense): The process of learning is one
where we bootstrap our way to understanding by building off what we already
know to construct new understanding, new knowledge. Mechanics/dynamics is
the one area of physics about which everyone has experiences and (pre/mis)
conceptions. It is therefore a GOOD (if not the BEST) place to begin the
learning process of using these experiences and conceptions to construct a
more rational, more structured, more accurate understanding of the world.
The various skills (such as problem solving) which are needed to do so, are
more easily learned when applied to familiar and meaningful situations.

As I see it, the Modern First movement suffers from a lack of skills and
experiences from which to build any real understanding. On the other hand,
there is definitely much merit in making young people aware of what Physics
is actually involved with at this point in time.

The PER movement has a lot going for it, but has yet to demonstrate that it
produces 'better' physicists. It is also not clear whether non-science
major 'clientele really benefit more from a narrow but deep conceptual
course, an encyclopedic survey, a philosophy of science approach, or a more
societal impact approach in introductory physics courses. For example,
future pre-college teachers might well benefit most from the PER type course
while others might benefit more from a science and society course.

We can't do it all in a single course, but unfortunately the fact remains
that far too many students will see ONLY a single physics course (or worse,
none at all). No answers here either ;-(

Rick

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Richard W. Tarara
Associate Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
rtarara@saintmarys.edu

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