OPTYCs SPOTLIGHT 2025 Issue 40
January 9, 2025 Issue #40
SPOTLIGHT is the OPTYCs bi-weekly newsletter. It brings you OPTYCs activity updates, highlights from recent publications related to physics education, and news & resources for Two-Year colleges.
OPTYCs News
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OPTYCs Town Hall You're invited to a community discussion on the needs of two-year college physics and astronomy faculty, and the future direction for OPTYCs! The current grant that funds OPTYCs came in being through ideas and discussions within the community during pandemic lockdowns and regular Zoom gatherings. During the summer of 2021, a working group of 30 volunteers helped to define our community's needs, and brainstormed a vision for TYC physics. From that basis, a small group crafted the grant proposal. We will hold our last town hall of the year after the AAPT Committee on Physics at Two-Year Colleges meeting in St. Louis. Snacks will be provided. |
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OPTYCs Programs New Faculty Development Series The American Association of Physics Teachers presents a 16-month New Faculty Development Series designed specifically for Two-Year College Physics Faculty in their first six years of teaching at a Two-Year College. NFDS Applications for Cohort 2 are now open and will close January 31, 2025. |
Upcoming events
- AJP TPT Info Session 2025 -
Join us for this lively information session on how and what to publish in both AAPT journals: American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher. Editors for each journal will present on the publishing process and relevant topics and content sought. Facilitators: Beth Parks (Colgate University and editor for AJP) and Gary White (The George Washington University and editor for TPT) -
ComPADRE 2025 -
AAPT/ComPADRE hosts many physics education projects, including OPTYCs, PICUP (computation in undergraduate physics), PhysPort (PER-based resources for all instructors), and the Living Physics Portal (teaching materials for life-sciences focused introductory physics courses).The goal of this workshop is to help all attendees understand what is available through the projects and content hosted on ComPADRE. Facilitator: Bruce Mason (ComPADRE Director, AAPT) -
Aurora Magnetic Fields 2025 - This workshop will use aurora and associated data as a way to teach about magnetic fields. The auroral currents in the ionosphere will be modelled as current-carrying wires. We will work with Biot and Savart’s law, with wires with current, and with the right hand rule. Real field data from auroral were obtained from the Magnetic Observatory Network. Facilitator Francesca Viale (Northern Virginia Community College, VA)
Recent events
Assessments and equity (December 13, 2024)
Kris’ corner
Tips, summaries, and musings from Kris Lui (OPTYCs Director).
In Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom (West Virginia University Press, 2022), authors Kelly A. Hogan and Viji Sathy list key questions to help instructors create an inclusive environment:
- Do you have a plan? Be sure to have specific outcomes or questions for the day, with planned activities or methods to help your students engage in learning.
- Do you have rules to help everyone stick to the plan? (Co-)create rules of engagement for classroom participation so as to maximize positive classroom interactions.
- How will you keep time? It’s helpful to share with your students how much time they have for a particular activity.
- Are you willing to adjust the plan? Be flexible, and get feedback from your students. For example, you might ask, “Are the instructions clear? Give a thumbs up or a thumbs down at chest level ” This allows you to gauge the majority response quickly, but allows students to remain discreet. (By holding their thumb at chest level, their response is more private.)
- Do you have accessible and clear instructions? Provide multiple ways to get information.
- Have you considered the physical space? If possible, pre-arrange furniture to facilitate that day’s activities and to allow you to circulate easily around the room.
Resources
- The American Association of Physics Teachers
- Committee on Physics in Two-Year Colleges (AAPT area committee)
- Join the TYC Google group: Send an email to tycphysics@googlegroups.com
- PhysPort Recommendations about teaching methods, assessment, and results from PER
- PER Central A resource collection for physics education researchers
- Physics Review Physics Education Research Fully open access journal for PER
- arXiv Physics education The arXiv repository for physics education papers
- AIP Statistical Research Center Data on education, careers, and diversity in physics, astronomy and other physical sciences
The work of OPTYCs is supported by NSF-DUE-2212807.
