I am currently teaching a graduate online course that explores how students learn mathematics and science with technology and how we can design more effective learning environments to support students. I do not want to tell much about this course, but here are a few projects designed by the students. I found them very powerful. […]

I have been thinking about SMART Boards for a while now. One of the concerns I have had, is that this technology is very much teacher-centered… You can do many exciting things with SMART Boards, but one person at a time… This is a concern for me.  Luckily, I am teaching an online course now […]

Today I began teaching an online course on the use of technology in mathematics and science classroom. It is an online course in the MET (Master’s in Educational Technology) Program at the UBC Faculty of Education. While the students introduced themselves, I decided to map their locations on a google map. I only have heard […]

Today I had an opportunity to visit a local elementary school. This was a regular yet a very special school visit for me, as this was the school that  my own kids attended when we came to Canada. For more than 8 years I have been a member of the Scientists and Innovators in the […]

Today I happened to stumble upon a quote by Elbert Hubbard (1854-1915), who more than 100 years ago commented on the industrialization of the American society. Hubbard said: “One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary Man.” This resonated with what I  saw in […]

A few days ago I had a nightmare. In my dream I had to teach a physics class and I was not only unprepared, but I also couldn’t figure out how to interest the kids in the subject. As the class was in the state of a total mayhem, I spiraled into the state of […]

Yesterday I had an opportunity to view an amazing movie at an amazing place. The movie is called “Flight of the Butterflies” and the place is the IMax theatre at the Telus World of Science. I was invited to the preview as a member of the Scientists and Innovators in the Schools community – a […]

On March 9th, the Department of Physics and Astronomy and our department – Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy once again will co-host the Physics Olympics. It is a very special event that brings to UBC campus hundreds of grade 11-12 physics students, parents and teachers. This year we have a record number of participating teams […]

Winter 2013 meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers is taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is always a wonderful event, but this year the list of speakers is just outstanding (AAPT WM 2013 program: http://www.aapt.org/Conferences/wm2013/ ). I am especially happy for the AAPT award winners this year. It is especially important to […]

While attending a STEM 2012 Conference in Beijing China I happened to attend a workshop about a Physclips project – it is a great resource for teaching physics created by our colleagues from the University of South Wales in Australia. I found it to be a great resources and I recommended it to my teacher-candidates… I […]