Archive for the 'Teacher Education' Category
The Finland Phenomenon: What can Canada learn from it?
Friday, November 2nd, 2012I am teaching a very interesting graduate course this term. In one of the meetings, my students suggested us to replace the readings I recommended them by the recent report by OECD: Top of the Class: High Performers in Science in PISA 2006. This report was an excellent choice as it made us all think […]
BCAPT Fall 2012 Meeting at TRIUMF
Sunday, October 21st, 2012I had a great opportunity to attend the BCAPT Fall 2012 Meeting together with more than 60 other physics teachers from all over BC. I just wanted to tell you how much impressed I was by the presentation of Dr. Bernd Stelzer from Simon Fraser University who spoke about the recent discoveries in the field […]
Why Do I Like Physics Teaching?
Friday, October 12th, 2012Publish or Perish: The State of Academic Publishing in Science Education
Friday, October 12th, 2012As I am going through my tenure and promotion process, I have a chance to think of the value of my own publications and my own contributions to the field of science education. What is the impact of my own studies? Do they truly matter? Do they have any impact on science education or on […]
World Teachers’ Day – October 5, 2012
Friday, October 5th, 2012I just found out that October 5th has been designated by UNESCO as World Teachers’ Day. I was glad that it is an official day and many great teachers all over the world will be recognized today. Teachers play such an important role in our lives… I also hope that Teachers who inspire their students […]
Playing with Iron Fillings
Thursday, September 27th, 2012I teach a physics methods course for future physics teachers and it makes me think about different ideas and concepts we encounter while learning physics. As I was thinking of how we help our students to visualize the invisible, I started playing with iron fillings suspended it oil. I placed a magnet in the centre […]
Rethinking Conceptual Change Theories
Tuesday, September 11th, 2012This term I am very fortunate to be able to teach a graduate course on the Research in Science Education (EDCP 559 at UBC). This course makes me think and rethink many of the concepts I thought I have understood before. It made me think how we build our understanding and how new ideas fit […]