I got myself into some trouble yesterday while out to breakfast with a few friends. Our conversation was perfectly civil until I brought up an idea for an informal research project I'd been curious about taking on to reveal common misconceptions about Newton's 2nd law. I'd been imagining walking the streets of New York City with a microphone and performing an informal survey of how people answer a question such as, "Why does an egg break against the floor when you drop it?"My friends and I first discussed the logistics of such an operation: whether a person on the street is more or less likely ...
Dec 22, 2010
Dec 13, 2010
Differentiated Instruction in Physics
Physics First provides opportunities for an interesting type of differentiated instruction, where students might arrive at a complex understanding of fundamental concepts through their exposure to a variety of experiences.I just got back from a trip to Baltimore to observe Physics First classes. I had a chance to visit two of the fifteen Baltimore public schools now teaching CPO Physics First, but the details of this visit will have to wait until ...
Dec 7, 2010
Teacher-Driven, Student-Centered
The
ninth grade physics class at this Quaker school is an example of how a
creative and dedicated teacher can make extensive use of resources from a
variety of places to design a unique and popular course.I'm quite partial to the emphasis that Quaker schools place on holistic education,
and I think that philosophies of Quaker education match nicely with
some the ideas behind Physics First. This particular Quaker school I
visited is fairly small. The 70 or so students in a typical ninth grade
class are split into four sections, at 15-20 students each section.
The physics class is required ...
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