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Beginning Physics Teachers Support
Support for New Physics Teachers: In-Services and a Mentor Scheme
Click here for Material prepared for the 2009 In-Services
The AIP Education Committee is keen to assist new physics teachers whether they are:
- a) First Year Outs,
- b) Teachers returning to Physics teaching after many years’ absence, or
- c) Teachers who have been asked by their school to take physics.
It offers two events:
The in-service program consists of a half-day in-service on a Saturday morning late in Term 1 and a full day in-service during the Term 1 school holidays. The events for 2009 have already been held, the next series will be in 2010. The two events are free and travel coverage is available for country participants. The two events are complementary, so people can come to both.
The Saturday morning event will be held at the Victorian Space Science Education Centre at Strathmore and the Monday event will be held at a school. Dates for 2010 will be announced early February 2010. To register please email the AIP with subject “Registration: New Physics Teachers” and include in the email, not only your contact details, but your reason for applying and which events you are applying for.
The Mentor Scheme. Several retired physics teachers have offered their services to support new teachers. The AIP Education Committee gives them a stipend to meet with the teacher once during Terms 2, 3 and 4 and to be available for phone and email contact. The mentor budgat for 2009 has been fully allocated. Teachers wishing to participate in this scheme in 2010 should send an expression of interest containing their contact details and a statement of why they want to be involved in the scheme. The expression of interest should be accompanied by a letter of support from the Science Coordinator of the School Principal. The documents should be either posted to the AIP mentor Scheme, PO Box 304, Glen Waverley, VIC 3150 or faxed to (03) 9561 7602. Schools are welcome to fund additional support from the mentor.
Material prepared for the 2009 In-Services
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
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83.5 kB | ||
This document describes the extensive range of information on students’ misconceptions in science available on the VELS website. A summary of one example is included that of ‘Forces on passengers’. | |||
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178 kB | ||
The PowerPoint from the presentation on Practical Activities. | |||
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28.2 kB | ||
The program for the in-service included a discussion on question such as 'What was your biggest surprise in first teaching physics?' 'What have you enjoyed most in your teaching?', etc. These same questions were used in the 1987 Beginning Physics Teachers In-Service. These are their responses. | |||
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53.8 kB | ||
The criteria for the EPI from VCAA Physics Assessment Booklet have been arranged in a table format for ease of use. Each row contains related comments on a particular aspect e.g. 'Understanding' from each of the score ranges, e.g. 'Demonstrates an advanced understanding of the investigation' through to 'Demonstrates a limited understanding of ...'. The full text has been broken up, covering the categories of 'understanding', 'hypothesis', 'procedures', 'safety', 'improvements', 'data', 'records', 'presentation', 'estimates', 'analysis', 'communication', 'explanations'.each with a separate row. | |||
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33.3 kB | ||
A table of displaying how the types and descriptions of practical activities in Physics have changed over the last three decades. | |||
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36.9 kB | ||
A worksheet to categorise and evaluate the types of practical activities that your students experience. | |||
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230 kB | ||
A list of possible practical activities for all Areas of Study and nearly all the Detailed Studies. Possible topics for practical investigations for Units 1 - 3 are also included. | |||
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140 kB | ||
A sample course for Units 1 and 2 has been prepared. It includes a possible time allocation for Areas of Study and indeed, for individual dot points, as well as possible activities. The sample course takes the approach of selecting Detailed Studies that relate to the context “Solutions for Climate Change” and finding links to the core Areas of Study. | |||
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40.4 kB | ||
Conceptual Understanding Procedures (CUPs) for Physics are an initiative of Monash University. They are a set of teaching procedures designed to aid the development of understanding of concepts that students find difficult. Check their website below. | |||
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143 kB | ||
Presented by Colin Hopkins from Trafalgar High School and Rob Braidwood from Balwyn High School. | |||
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45.1 kB | ||
A week by week teaching program for Year 12 in 2009 with the content to be covered in each week as well as practical activities. | |||
The following files from the presentation by the chief assessor at the 2009 Physics Teachers Conference will assist in preparing students for exams. Also check here for exam solutions.
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
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21.5 kB | ||
A spreadsheet of the grade points for the years 1999- 2009. | |||
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The Chief Assessor's Report on the June and November 2008 Exams |
2.12 MB | |
by Bruce Walsh, the Chief Assessor. | |||
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41 kB | ||
by Bruce Walsh, the Chief Assessor. | |||
