Capstone Discussion

(Under development; last revised 12/03/08)

Do you know how to teach high school physics? That's a good question, and one that you should ask yourself. A series of discussions at the end of PHY 311 - approximately the midpoint of your teacher preparation as far as pedagogical practices is concerned - is one way of helping you understand whether you really do know how to teach physics. To date, the PTE program has not given you a formula or set of steps to follow for teaching; rather, the program has focused on developing within you a broad and deep understanding of the problems associated with teaching high school physics. Based upon the PTE program's philosophy of teacher preparation, you are expected to apply what you know to the many uncertain situations that you will encounter during your professional teaching career. If you do really know how to teach high school physics, you should be able to provide ready answers to the following questions.

Pedagogical Concerns

  1. What is teaching and how does it contrast with brainwashing, instructing, informing, training, etc.?
  2. What is the purpose of science teaching in general and physics teaching in particular?
  3. What knowledge, skills, and dispositions should a science teacher teach?
  4. What are and how does one effectively teach the various levels of scientific inquiry?
  5. What is and how does one teach the nature of science?
  6. What are and how does one employ metacognitive practices in such a way as to achieve self-regulation among students?
  7. How can a teacher know if your students really know or understand something?
  8. How does one prepare for and teach inquiry-oriented lessons?
  9. What is and how can you promote critical thinking among your students?
  10. How should/does prior knowledge affect your teaching and student learning?
  11. What key principles dealing with classroom management should a teacher keep in mind?
  12. How should a teacher structure problem solving in such as way as to best help students to learn to do it successfully?
  13. What is and how does one achieve a student-centered, assessment-centered, knowledge-centered, and community-centered classroom?

Your value system will help you to address the following tensions that exist within science teaching at the high school level. How you answer them will show what you value as a teacher, and whether you are wise enough to achieve the proper balances between the tensions listed below

Tensions in Teaching

Paul Hickman, writing on the AAPT CTP-L listserv (January 30, 2008), was the inspiration for these "tensions in teaching" ideas:
  1. How does one properly balance prepositional knowledge with procedural knowledge?
  2. How does one balance expository teaching with inquiry-oriented learning?
  3. How does one deal with the breadth versus depth of coverage issue?
  4. How does one deal with teaching for mastery versus cutting your losses and moving on?
  5. When do you deal with individualized instruction versus whole group instruction? (differentiated instruction)
  6. What is worth learning versus teaching everything in the textbook
  7. How does one balance formulas versus phenomena, conceptual understanding versus numerical reasoning?
  8. How do you balance teacher need with those of students and society?
  9. How much real-world application versus abstractions of physics?
  10. When does one use simulation versus demonstration?
  11. How does one balance teacher accountability with student accountability
  12. Does one teach for understanding or merely to get students to pass an exam?
  13. How should you use a textbook, as an authority or as a resource?
  14. How does one achieve a classroom that is student centered, knowledge centered, community centered, and assessment centered?
  15. How does one balance cooperative with individualized learning?