From: anthony_lapinski at PDS.ORG (Anthony Lapinski)
Date: Fri Aug 26 23:17:55 2005
I teach physics (regular and honors) in high school. I learned at the AAPT
summer meting that stating goals for students is critical to building an
effective course. While I know in my head what "skills" I want my students
to have, I have never written them down for myself or my students. So at
the dawn of a new school year, I've come up with a preliminary list of
objectives/goals in no particular order:
1. To believe that learning physics can be fun.
2. To appreciate/understand the physical world.
3. To learn how to problem solve (apply equations to word problems).
4. To develop critical thinking skills by applying knowledge to new
situations.
5. To distinguish science from pseudoscience (scientific method, etc.).
6. To realize that physics is the fundamental science and useful in
everyday life.
This needs some revisions. Does anyone have any thoughts/additions to my
list? Does anyone have other goals to share? I've never done this before,
and I want to make the list clear, concise, and complete. I would
appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism. Thanks!