For two summers I had the opportunity to attend a Modeling Instruction
in High School Physics.
It was the best physics workshop I have ever attended. For two
summers, for three weeks all I had to do was talk, read and think
about physics and how to teach it better.
The first day of the workshop, we received Arons’ Teaching
Introductory Physics, a book I wish I had had when I started teaching
physics. My copy is now so worn that it is held together with tape.
For a long time I had wrestled with how to make school science labs
more open-ended, less formulistic. I learned ways of doing that with
the modeling program. During the worksho, we did all of the labs,
practiced whiteboarding results, and took turns leading discussions
and practicing asking different types of questions. It was an
exhilarating, renewing experience.
It was also a wonderful opportunity to work with experienced,
dedicated teachers. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a
modeling workshop, grab it.