Realizing the Democratic Ideal:

Teacher Education at Illinois State University

PHYSICS 302 -- COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Autumn Semester 2012

(Subject to revision; last updated 11/08/2011, cjw; recommended to move ITPS activities to start of course and due on LIveText by end of first grading period)

DROP DOWN TO COURSE OUTLINE

Catalog Description:

1 hr of PHY 270 req.
Applications of computers in teaching of high school physics.

Note Well:

• If you have not already taken and passed the Basic Skills Test, be informed that it is imperative that you do so immediately. During the spring of 2011, the criteria for passing scores rose dramatically and 63% of all students who took the exam failed it. As a result, some students were delayed from graduating by as much as a year. By taking the test early, this affords you a 2nd or even 3rd opportunity to pass it. See the above hyperlink for critical information about preparing for and taking this test.
• The Illinois State Board of Education requires that individuals who will be applying for their initial teaching certification or additional endorsements as of 2/1/2012 must have a grade of "C" or above in all required coursework that is part of their program. This includes all endorsement areas, major courses and professional education.
• NEW: If you expect to student teach during the spring of 2013 (the Physics Department normally does not allow student teaching during autumn semester) you need to turn in your application for student teaching during the next few weeks; specifically, between approximately October 12 and 15, 2011. Instructions for the application process are available online
• If you can use up to $10,000 per year in financial support plus a waiver of tuition and some fees, NOW is the time to apply for the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship. The application process is short, and several hundred thousand dollars have been set aside specifically for ISU science and mathematics education majors. If you work at regular pay for two years in specified school systems, you need not pay the money back.
• Physics teacher education majors must take and pass the Illinois Certification Testing System examination for the physics designation. (For more information and to register, visit http://www.icts.nesinc.com/.) Most students complete this activity during the spring of their junior year. It is best (required?) that this assessment be completed by September 1 of the year prior to student teaching. The test consists of 18 content areas and about 125 questions. About 2/3 of the test consists of "general science knowledge" and 1/3 of the test deals with more advanced topics in physics. Begin now to prepare for this test by using the physics test framework that was used to develop test questions.

Instructor:

Name: Dr. Carl J. Wenning, Physics Teaching Specialist
Physics Teacher Education Program
Office Location: Moulton Hall, Room 301-C
Office Hours: (MWR 9-10 a.m., 1-2 p.m., by appointment, or just drop in any time to see if I'm available; the hour before class is NOT a good time; I'm generally available for a short time after class as well.)
Telephones: (309) 438-2037 (office); (309) 830-4085 (cell)
E-mail address: wenning@phy.ilstu.edu

Meeting Days/Times/Location:

During the autumn semester of 2011 we will meet on Thursdays, from 3:00 to 5:20 p.m. beginning August 25th in Moulton Hall, room 307-B. Due to the nature of this laboratory course, students can expect to spend about 37.5 hours in lab doing required in-class work. Regular attendance at scheduled lab sessions should provide you most of the time needed. Nonetheless, students are responsible for scheduling additional independent work times with the instructor and/or in the lab as needed.

Methodology:

The focus in this course is on the use of the laboratory experience as a pedagogical tool for demonstrating the experimental nature of science. Teacher candidates encounter the computer as an adjunct in the class and lab settings. In this course students become familiar with a variety of commonly used computer-based and calculator-based applications for teaching high school physics. The course concludes with capstone and research symposium projects that allow students to demonstrate that they understand the experimental nature of science. PHY 302 is not a textbook-based course; it makes extensive use of web-based resources. Project guidelines, examples, and scoring rubrics can be found hyperlinked to this course syllabus.

During the first part of this course, attention will be focused on the Modeling Method of Instruction. More specifically, we will be using Modeling mechanics to learn not only technological applications, but to learn about this mode of instruction as well. Modeling is a research-based, inquiry-oriented method of instruction that is highly effective in increasing student learning; it is one that all new physics teachers should consider using during their first years of teaching. Details about this method of physics instruction (including instructional resources for "second semester" physics topic as well as physical science, chemistry, biology, and earth science) can be found on the Arizona State University Modeling web site. These resources will be addressed more closely in PHY 310.

This course is best thought of as a process of creative problem solving. Students will be confronted routinely with problems to be solved in relation to use of computer hardware and software. This sometimes leads to a certain level of frustration, but that is to be expected. Teacher candidates must deal effectively with the frustration and learn to solve problems associated with the use of instructional technology by seeking out appropriate human and online resources.

Many class/lab sessions will commence with the instructor providing an orientation to important background information or a computer application. It is imperative that students arrive on time for lab for orientations and be prepared to start at the beginning of the period. Following these orientations, students will complete associated projects often working in groups of two. Students are permitted to work together to accomplish the various tasks in this course (with the sole exceptions of the capstone and symposium experiences). Each student must turn in his or her own unique reports and/or projects. Reports with multiple names on the sheet are not acceptable, and neither are separate identical reports.

Students must keep a Lab Composition Notebook in which they report all required work and weekly reflections. Lab composition notebooks typically will include all lab work and must include a minimum of 12 reflections, one for each actively-taught class period. Notebooks will be submitted and evaluated following the last regular class of the course.

In this course, as in other Physics Teacher Education courses, emphasis will be placed on an Assessment-for-Learning Policy. That is, assessments of student performance will be used not only to assign scores, but to improve student performance. Unsatisfactory work will be returned to the student for improvement. A student's score can be improved by appropriate revision and resubmission so long as all deadlines are met. Submissions made after the deadline may be completed with a 50% penalty for assessed revisions. This policy does NOT apply to quizzes and tests.

Grading Periods:

This course has two grading periods. Each grading period contributes about equally to the final grade in this course. The end of each grading period constitutes an absolute deadline for turning in required work; missing or late work scores zero. See the Course Outline section of this syllabus for deadlines.

Course Goals: This course has been designed with the aim of assisting physics teacher candidates to develop a working familiarity with inquiry-oriented lab procedures, including guided, bounded, and free inquiry. The goal is to prepare teacher candidates who can: assess, utilize, and troubleshoot computers and associated software and hardware to teach physics using inquiry-oriented lab practices. create and implement inquiry-oriented labs in their own high school classrooms using standard procedures and computer-based technology. It is not the intention of this course to make students experts in the use of all available computer-based applications and technology encountered in the most advanced physics classrooms. Rather, the goal is to familiarize students with the basic operations of computer hardware and software so they might adapt to any of a wide array of instructional technology they might encounter as teachers in their own classrooms.

Student Performance Objectives:

IPTS Allignment

Learning Activities - Course Outline:

Assignments and Specific Criteria:

302A: Special Projects

Students must complete a number of projects (e.g., weekly reflections, concept mapping, equation editor, concept map, etc.).

302B: SLH-based Reading Quizzes

Students must complete a number of quizzes that will assume that the teacher candidate has not only read the material (e.g., Student Lab Handbook), but have come to understand it through independent study. Reading-based quizzes are knowledge, comprehension, and (to a lesser extent) application quizzes.

302C: ITPS Requirements - Web Page (Competency D) and Database Management (Competency I) Tasks

Students must independently design and upload to an Internet server an html-based web page, and a develop and demonstrate the utilization of a database management system. (Both competencies are part of the Instructional Technology Passport System.) Each competency has its own required elements and scoring rubric specialized for PHY 302: (a) web page development required elements and scoring rubric, and (b) database management required elements and scoring rubric. (See an example of a useful database design.) Successful completion of both assignments is required for passing through the University's "Admission to Student Teaching" gateway. For the web page project, you can use DreamWeaver on the computers in MLT 307-B. For the database management project you may use FileMaker Pro which is on the computers in MLT 307-B. Students must include these projects in the LiveText accounts. Information about how ISU can host your web page at no cost using "datastore01" can be found in this article. Be certain to store all you files on the datastore01 server in the same "web" or "WWW" folder - which ever is present by default.

302D: Excel Spreadsheet

Students must complete a number of Excel-based exercises that deal with the use of descriptive statistics, data analysis, statistical testing, simulations, and graphing. See the Excel Project for specific guidelines. Students must include this project in the Lab Composition Notebook.

302E: Interactive Simulation Worksheet

Students must familiarize themselves with a variety of Interactive Simulations for Physics. They will then develop two (2) simulation worksheets following specific guidelines. They will then have at least one classmate complete each exercise, eliciting comments for improvement. The worksheet will then be submitted to the course instructor to be scored with the use of a worksheet scoring rubric. A sample simulation worksheet that generally meets all scoring criteria at the highest level is available for inspection.

302F: Modeling Method Notebook and Lab Reports

Students must complete a variety of inquiry-oriented Modeling Method lab activities, including a Lab Composition Notebook in which daily reflections are kept (see below). Modeling activities will include use of multiple modes of representation (through whiteboarding, Socratic dialogues, and worksheets) including: written, graphical, motion maps, graphs, and so forth. Two written lab reports will be required, one each based on the use of Vernier's Graphical Analysis/LoggerPro/LabPro and Pasco's ScienceStudio/PASPort. To complete each of these lab reports, students need to familiarize themselves with and use guidelines found in the following documents: Lab Report Rubric, Lab Report Scoring Sheet, Lab Report Cover Sheet, and Sample Lab Report. See Requirements for High School Lab Reports and Scoring Rubric for High School Lab Reports for additional critical clarification.

302G: Inquiry Lab Guidelines Project

Students must convert a standard "cookbook" lab into a high school level guided inquiry lab using provided resources and specific guidelines. The differences between cookbook and inquiry labs are numerous; make certain that you know the differences before you begin your project. Student must actually have another students implement the lab in class. The writer will then revise the guidelines on the basis of this experience before submitting the assignment. The quality of the written lab guidelines will be assessed using a Authentic Inquiry Lab Scoring Rubric. Students must include this project in the Lab Composition Notebook.

302H: Capstone Seminar Presentation & Capstone Lab Report

Students must design and conduct a bounded-inquiry capstone experiment and complete an extensive and highly detailed report. See the Capstone Project Guidelines, Lab Report Requirements, and Capstone Written Report Scoring Rubric for details. Students must include these reports in the Lab Composition Notebook and deliver a presentation about the Capstone Project Symposium. Students will be limited to 10 minutes for the presentation, and this will be followed with 5 minutes of questions and answers from the class members and instructor. Presentations will be scored by both peers and the course instructor using a Symposium Representation and Oral Defense Rubric. Note: The capstone project is an NSTA-mandated student performance assessment. Failure to adequately demonstrate the required competency at a mastery level (82% or above) will result in the teacher candidate being barred from student teaching.

302I: Final Examination

Students will, during finals week, complete a final examination. The test is based on assigned readings and experiences in this course.

302J: Lab Composition Notebook - Weekly Reflections

Students must keep course notes for all class activities in a Lab Composition Notebook. Notebooks typically must include all lab work and take-home assignment including at least twelve 3-paragraph reflections, one set for each class period. The reflections will be both open and directed and should explain what the candidate has learned as a student of physics (paragraph 1), as a prospective teacher of physics (paragraph 2), and as a reflective practitioner (paragraph 3). Topics for directed reflection (see questions that serve as weekly guidelines) include role of technology in the classroom, impact of technology on student learning, how to incorporate technology to maximize student learning, how technology can best be used to gets students to work together in groups productively, factors that influence the motivation and engagement of students, and so on.

Weighting and Grading:

Click here for an important note dealing with student academic behaviors and their relationship to course grades.

The course grade will be determined on the percentage of total score points earned according to the following schedule:

The above grading scale might seem a bit high to the student, but it assumes that students will maximize both learning and accomplishments by taking regular advantage of the instructor's Assessment-for-Learning Policy. See your course instructor at any time to see where you stand relative to submitted assignments.

Academic Integrity:

As you work your way through the the course projects, you will encounter a large amount of proprietary software. This means that the software that you will be using is the intellectual property of someone else. This software is copyrighted, and may be used only after the appropriate fees have been paid and agreements consented to. ISU has obtained a license for each of the programs that you will encounter in this course. It is expected that students will comply with both legal and ethical obligations while using this software. This implies that students will not make unauthorized copies of or disseminate proprietary software. It is expected that all students will have completed the first ITPS requirement - Ethical Use of Technology, prior to beginning this course. Students are expected to comply fully with the directives addressed in this requirement.

Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. A student's name on any in academic exercise shall be regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the student's own thought and study. Offenses involving academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to the following: cheating, computer dishonesty, plagiarism, grade falsification, and collusion. For more information about this important topic, visit the Student Dispute Resolution Web site.

Resources used in this course (applications, books, CD's, sensors, calculators, computer interfaces, etc.) should not be removed from the MLT 307B under any circumstances without the instructor's permission. Course materials are limited, and a number of students have need for these materials at various times outside of the usual and ordinary lab hours. These resources must remain available to all students at all times.

Text and Other Readings:

The only text used regularly in this course will be Experimentation: An Introduction to Measurement Theory and Experiment Design (3rd edition) written by D. C. Baird. (1995). Students will be loaned a copy of this book on a semester-long basis. The book must be returned in good condition before final grade will be posted for this course. Please note that an Errata and Addenda sheet has been prepared for D. C. Baird's book; students are also responsible for this content as it relates to the Capstone Experience.

Important Caveats:

Please make a habit of regularly backing up your computer work -- e.g. make multiple copies. Missing computer files or crashed hard drives are not legitimate excuses for lost work or missed deadlines. Backup, Backup, Backup! When updating versions of work, avoid overwriting earlier versions. The later version might be flawed in some significant way. When making updated versions, label successive projects Job1, Job2, Job3, Job4, etc. You can throw away the very earliest versions if you run out of memory, but be certain to retain the latest two versions at a bare minimum. Make backups of diskettes or flash memories that you will be carrying around. A little bit of effort at the right time now can save a lot of extra effort later (and even a poor grade). Please back up regularly! There is no excuse for doing otherwise.

Also, consider bringing a flash memory to every lab session for backing up course work. If you don't have one, you might want to purchase one. Alternatively, be prepared to save you files to a remote server or copy onto a 100 Meg ZIP disk or similar. Contact your course instructor for a ZIP disk if you would like to borrow one.

Caution: Keep in mind as you progress toward student teaching that as a student teacher your students will have an interest in finding out about you. This will lead them to Internet searches. Don't put anything on a web page, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, etc., that you wouldn't want students, parents, teachers or administrators to see.

Important Note: NOW is the time to learn more about both the Physics Teacher Education and Professional Studies programs at Illinois State University. Be certain to visit the PTE home page and follow all important links.

Disposition Concerns: The College of Education, in an effort to ensure top quality graduates, provides faculty members and interested others with the opportunity to provide input into the teacher preparation process. One of these inputs is in the area of disposition concerns. Education faculty, in particular, are encouraged to bring to attention of CECP any significant problems associated with the following major areas. If three or more filed dispositions concerns have not been resolved, the teacher candidate will be blocked from advancing in Professional Studies.

• Collaboration Issues: The ability to work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort.
• Honesty/Integrity: The ability to demonstrate truthfulness to oneself and to others; demonstrate moral excellence and trustworthiness.
• Respect: The ability to honor, value, and demonstrate consideration and regard for oneself and others.
• Reverence for Learning: Respect and seriousness of intent to acquire knowledge.
• Emotional Maturity: The ability to adjust one’s emotional state to suitable level of intensity in order to remain engaged with one’s surroundings.
• Reflection: The ability to review, analyze, and evaluate the success of past decisions in an effort to make better decisions in the future.
• Flexibility: The willingness to accept and adapt to change.
• Responsibility: The ability to act independently, demonstrating accountability, reliability and sound judgment.

SAAMEE: A Model for Academic Success

Click here for latest listing of Teacher Education Requirements.

Continuing Education/Professional Development for Teacher Candidates:

• Science News

• Scientific American

• Discover Magazine

• Science Friday

• Education Week

• Teacher Magazine

Return to Physics Methods Courses

Return to Physics Teacher Education Main Menu

removed links

introduction to Modellus (only simulation acceptable for use with the Authentic Inquiry Lab Project); complete Diagnoser activity by noon on 10/08; begin work on Wikispaces project; orientation to Wikispaces project; DBApp or orientation to online diagnostic services; examine Diagnoser results;