Physics Teachers Workshop

 

rev. 11/2/10

 

 

Physics Alliance of Central New York sign
                       
  The Physics Alliance of Central New York was founded in 1991 by Joseph Drenchko, John Fitzgibbons and Allen Miller. Its purpose is to strengthen high school physics teaching in the region via a mutually-benefitting link between the Syracuse University Physics Department and area high schools. Since its founding, it has held an average of six workshops per school year, mostly hosted by the Physics Department of Syracuse University. These have included make-and-take workshops in which the participants build an apparatus to be used in school laboratories or as class demonstrations. Once the experiment is built, it becomes the permanent property of the school.

It has been supported by the administrative work of its founders and by Sam Sampere, as well as by the staff and faculty of the Physics Department. Its budget needs have been met by the Physics Department of Syracuse University, by the New York State Section of the American Physical Society, by the Bauder Foundation, and by the John Ben Snow Foundation.
                       

THE JOHN BEN SNOW FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANT TO HIGH-SCHOOL PHYSICS TEACHERS WORKSHOP SERIES
   
  From 2004 to 2007, funding of $10,000 was given to the Science Teachers Workshop series by the John Ben Snow Foundation. The Foundation, based in Central New York, awarded the grant for equipment to be used in high school physics classes in the area. Funding was used for make-and-take workshops for construction of physics demonstrations and equipment to build a Lending Library, circulating among the schools.
   

Science teachers at high schools, middle schools and college are welcome to attend the meetings. A map of the campus is at the link: SU Main Campus. A map including Route 81 and the university is at this link: Rt. 81 and SU.
 

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Combined meeting of the Physics Alliance of Central New York and the New York State Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers.
 
   
   
 

Workshops Held During the School Year 2009-2010
   
 

Friday, October 8, 2010 and Satruday, October 9, 2010

Combined Meeting of the Physics Alliance of Central New York and the Fall Meeting of the New York State Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers.

Features:

Physics Lecture Show by Sam Sampere, Friday, 7 p.m.

Keynote Talk: History of Photography by Tom Greenslade, Friday, 8 p.m.

Assessing Student Comprehension by Genero Zavala, Saturday, 2 p.m.
   
 

Saturday, May 8, 2010

This meeting is a follow-up to the New Teacher Workshop held on November 14, 2009.
Its focus is on activities suitable for use at the beginning of a first course in physics. Veteran teachers are welcome to participate and to share their experiences with newer teachers. Equipment for speed measurement will be given to all participants.

Leaders: Joseph Drenchko (Cicero-North Syracuse High School, ret.), John Fitzgibbons (Cazenovia High School, ret.) and Sam Sampere (Syracuse University).

The equipment costs for this workshop are supplied by a physics education grant secured by Joseph Drenchko, John Fitzgibbons, and a second grant obtained by Sam Sampere and Allen Miller.
   
 

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Make-and-Take: Participants will build a refraction- dispersion apparatus. Supervising the make-and-take will be Ranald Bleakley (Weedsport High School), Sam Sampere and students of Ranald Bleakley’s high school physics class.

Launching of Physics Project Advance: Eric Young (Assistant Director, Project Advance, Syracuse University).

Sharing: Favorite jokes and favorite websites.
   
 

Saturday, February 27, 2010

A New Optics Lab Experiment: Ranald Bleakley (Weedsport High School) and two of his students will present a new lab that illustrates Snell’s Law and also the dependence of the index of refraction on the wavelength of light.

Review by Allen Miller (Syracuse University) of the book by Sheila Tobias titled They’re Not Dumb, They’re Different.
   
 

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Make-and-Take activity on the temperature dependence of the resistivity of metals: Martin Alderman, Fayetteville-Manlius High School (ret.) and the Cornell Institute of Physics Teachers.

Two Demonstrations: Sam Sampere, Syracuse University.

Book review of Teaching High School Science Through Inquiry by Douglas Llewellyn: Allen Miller (SU)


   
 

Saturday, November 14, 2009

New Teacher Workshop:
Leaders: Joseph Drenchko, John Fitzgibbons and Sam Sampere

The purpose of this workshop is to strengthen and support the work of new high school physics teachers. The equipment purchases for this workshop are funded by a grant secured by Joseph Drenchko, John Fitzgibbons and Sam Sampere.
   
 

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Physics in Your Future

The meeting is a special presentation on undergraduate programs in physics, held jointly with the October meeting of the New York State Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers. High school students in the Central New York region considering a science major are invited to attend.

Talk by Syracuse University Physics Department chair Cristina Marchetti on opportunities in physics.

Conversation with Syracuse University senior physics majors Scott Collison and Austin DeLorme.

Tours of four research labs of the Physics Department.

Concluding comments by Alan Middleton (Syracuse University).