Re: Would Physics First Increase the Number of Physics Majors?

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

I too have been involved with elementary school teachers.  A colleague
and I created a workshop to encourage these teachers to use the new
science kits in a creative way, using a guided inquiry model. In
addition I have begun a Physics by Inquiry for the elementary education
majors at my college.

I disagree with you assessment of kits.  In particular many of the
physical science ones need little or no renewal.  Further in some school
districts, the district has set up a distribution system that includes
what renewal is needed.  The biggest problem is the teachers reluctance
to use them...there is all that stuff to deal with, and the teachers
think they have to know everything.  Of course they don't...after all
science is about learning and not about knowing.

I believe we need professional development for these teachers so they
will be willing to take the risk to use these kits and the attached
curricula first.  Then we need professional development to enhance
teachers understanding of the key concepts explored in these kits.

My experience with both pre and post service elementary school teachers
is that they are devoted professionals who thirst fo the help we can
give them, if we do it in a partnership way.  They are professionals, we
are professionals, they know how to teach children, we know how to teach
adults.  They can take what we teach them and translate it into what
will work in their classroom.  Of course there are some who have taught
for a long time who don't want to change, or don't know how to change.
However my experience has been that in the right environment they too can
be moved from the dark side.

What worries me most is the whole standardized test business.  If the
tests were properly designed, if administrators and the government
used the results properly...but none of that will happen.  Currently in
a local school district the time to teach science has been reduced so
that teachers can drill on language arts and math since they are tested
and the state monitors the results.

joe

On Tue, 29 Apr 2003, Frohne, Vickie
wrote:

> You're welcome, and True. Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of
> sharing our science expertise with publishers. School curriculum and
> supplimental curriculum materials in physics are notoriously bad. While some
> excellent physical science curricula exist, they tend to be too expensive
> for the schools. If the schools have purchased good curricula, they tend to
> come as kits (lesson plans, books and materials) containing materials for
> activities that must be renewed for each class, and aren't. Science books
> (especially physical science books) for children in retail stores and in
> teacher stores are hard to find and are usually not very good when they are
> found.
>
> If the science community would promote the creation and distribution of GOOD
> low-cost written materials for science, and GOOD age-appropriate literature
> for young readers with science themes, with all the supplements, worksheets,
> activities, and references to the "standards" that teachers need, and scream
> loudly when we see error-filled bad stuff, we might have more of an impact.
>
> Vickie Frohne
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: RAUBER, JOEL [mailto:JOEL_RAUBER@SDSTATE.EDU]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 10:59 AM
> To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
> Subject: Re: Would Physics First Increase the Number of Physics Majors?
>
>
> Vickie,
>
> Thanks for the long soliloquy regarding the reality of the elementary Ed.
> teacher.
>
> It would behoove us all to remember this as we propose our magic bullet
> solutions.
>
> It actually strikes that the best efforts we can make really are at the
> local level as parents.  Insisting that our school boards give teachers
> better support and/or supporting the teachers directly.
>
> Joel Rauber
> >
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Joseph J. Bellina, Jr.               574-284-4662
Associate Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556