Interested in Modeling Instruction? Check out the list of 2015 Modeling workshops! There are nearby workshops in Buffalo and Columbus, as well as one in Philadelphia. (contact info included)
Opportunity: Chautauqua Short Course
Chautauqua Short Course
Active Learning in Introductory Physics Courses: Research-Based Strategies that Improve Student Learning
NEW: Including RealTime Physics 3rd Edition, Clicker Interactive Lecture Demonstrations and Video Analysis
June 18-20, 2015 • Portland, Oregon
Presented by: David Sokoloff • Priscilla Laws • Ronald Thornton
This hands-on course is designed for college, university and high school* teachers of physics interested in making learning in their introductory courses more active. Participants will be introduced to research-validated strategies for each component of the course: lecture, lab, problem-solving, modeling and video analysis. Course fee is $200. For more information: http://pages.uoregon.edu/sokoloff/CHAUT.htm
*One or two graduate credits are available from the University of Oregon for $90 per credit.
For registration and payment information, please visit: http://academicextension.uoregon.edu/course_desc.php?CourseKey=724907
or call 800-824-2714; or e-mail academicextension@uoregon.edu
Spring 2016 Meeting
The next meeting of the Western Pennsylvania section of the AAPT is set for April 2, 2016 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Information will be sent to the listserv about submitting abstracts, but you can always check back here for more details. We look forward to seeing you there!
Fall 2015 Meeting Schedule
We have a wonderful meeting planned for Saturday! Hope to see you all there. Click here for more info: Fall 2015 Meeting Schedule
For directions to the UPJ campus, see: http://www.upj.pitt.edu/en/about-us/directions-to-pitt-johnstown/
Spring 2015 Meeting in Grove City
Thanks for all who attended and Made the Grove City meeting such a success. The final program is in the link below.
WPA-AAPT Spring Meeting – Tentative Schedule
See you Saturday in Grove City! Click the link below for the current agenda and driving information.
2 Weeks until Spring 2015 WPA-AAPT Meeting
Spring 2015 Meeting
Save the Date!WPA AAPT Spring Meeting3.14 (pi day)Grove City College, Grove City PAHost: DJ WagnerTo present, e-mail ( bal23@psu.edu ) and include:Name, e-mail, and affiliation of presenterNames, e-mails, and affiliations of any associated non-presenting authorsA titleA short abstract (up to 100 words)It doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to be about physics, or teaching physics!
Fall 2014 Meeting Schedule
Please see the link below for the most recent meeting schedule:
Fall 2014 Meeting of the Western Pennsylvania Section of the AAPT
Fall 2014 Meeting – Thiel College
The Fall 2014 meeting is just around the corner! If you haven’t submitted your abstract yet, please do so (see the post below for information.) This post is meant to provide you with some additional information. As soon as the schedule is developed, it will be posted here.
Invited Speaker: Megan Nagel, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Penn State Greater Allegheny.
Potential Energy: Perspectives from a Chemist
Recently, the topic of energy has been receiving increased attention in science education research literature, highlighting an interdisciplinary approach to the topic. In chemistry courses alone, the topic of energy is introduced in numerous contexts including bond enthalpies, quantized energy, lattice energy, intermolecular forces, and nuclear energy. The basis for many of these topics begins with an understanding of potential energy and electrostatic interactions which goes beyond that reached in a typical first-semester physics course. So while students have not been exposed to the relevant content in physics, chemistry faculty operate under the assumption that a foundation is present for describing processes involving electrostatically interacting particles and their associated energies. Our recent work has found that even after the appropriate instruction in both chemistry and physics, the majority of students still struggle to describe the basic relationship between particle position and electrostatic potential energy. In particular, students do not spontaneously draw on concepts from physics when asked about energy in chemical contexts. We are researching the efficacy of an instructional sequence of scaffolded questions to help guide students to make relevant connections between their existing knowledge of gravitational potential energy and the required knowledge of electrostatic potential energy necessary for understanding countless chemical interactions.
Campus Map:
Local Accommodation Information:
- Bethaven Inn- 386 Hamilton Avenue, Meadville, Pa. 16335
- Buhl Mansion- 422 East State Street, Sharon, Pa. 16146
- Casa DaCosta Bed & Breakfast- 116 West Market Street, Mercer, Pa. 16137
- Cianci’s Motel- 395 Mercer Road, Greenville, Pa. 16125
- Colonial Inn Motel- 383 North Perry Highway Route 19, North Mercer, Pa. 16137
- Farma Family Campground- 87 Hughey Road, Greenville, Pa. 16125
- Holiday Inn Express- 18240 Conneaut Lake Road, Meadville, Pa. 16335
- Holiday Inn Express- 3060 Spangler Road, West Middlesex, Pa. 16159
- Mayor Lord’s House Bed & Breakfast- 654 Park Avenue, Meadville, Pa. 16335
- Mercer Motel- 213 Franklin Street (Junction 19 and 62), Mercer, Pa. 16137
- Monroe Heights Hotel- 2049 Leesburg-Grove City Road, Grove City, Pa. 16127
- Park Inn by Radisson- 3377 New Castle Road, West Middlesex, Pa. 16159
- Plant’s Herb Farm Bed & Breakfast- 104 South Foster Road, Mercer, Pa. 16137
- Seven Sisters Bed & Breakfast- 810 Hamburg Road, Fredonia, Pa. 16124
- Quality Inn of Hermitage- 3200 South Hermitage Road, Hermitage, Pa. 16159
- Red Roof Inn- 2700 Wilson Road, Hermitage, Pa. 16148
- Tara, A Country Inn- 2844 Lake Road, Clark, Pa. 16113