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[Phys-L] AstroNotes is once again in The Physics Teacher



Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that AstroNotes is once again present in The Physics Teacher! I have been asked to serve as the new column editor, and I encourage physics and astronomy instructors at all levels to consider submitting a contribution. Submissions should be in the neighborhood of 1200 words, and may include images and diagrams. Please send them to me, Joe Heafner, at heafnerj@gmail.com with a descriptive subject header. I will notify contributors as soon as possible about publication. Please see the November 2014 issue for my thoughts on where AstroNotes will hopefully go in its new incarnation. Basically, don’t be afraid to cross the astronomy/physics content boundary. There are many physics instructors who find themselves teaching astronomy for the first time and they need ideas for activities, pedagogical strategies, and content application. Astronomers are uniquely positioned to provide specialized applications for physical principles. We all have classroom activities we have tried that may or may not have worked as intended, and there is much to be learned from those experiences and they need to be shared.

Just FYI, AAPT membership isn’t required to submit to TPT (and that of course includes AstroNotes), but we certainly encourage astronomy instructors at all levels to consider joining. Astronomers keenly interested in teaching our discipline have a home with AAPT. 

Finally, I thank Gary and Pam and everyone else at TPT for this magnificent opportunity to serve TPT’s readership and the teaching community. I’m deeply humbled and hope to prove myself worthy.

I look forward to seeing lots of your contributions!

Joe Heafner
Sent from one of my Macs