Helen Reynolds

Great 'use your words' question for students in any physics course... might kick off next semester with a discussion in APC.

#iteachphysics

Exactly. It's a LOT.
As is AP1 with rotation AND fluids.

It seems completely irresponsible to give teachers LESS time to teach and students LESS time to learn.

I can think of no earthly reason why you would do AP Physics 1 AND AP Physics 2 in the same year in a High School if you didn't have to.

You'd 'deliver' the material by lecture, but have NO time for checking for understanding/retrieval practice/applying cognitive science so you actually learn it.

... and it was really an observation of US/UK differences.

No one would ever say physics is essentially just maths. That would not occur to anyone. They are clearly distinct subjects, as distinct as History and English. Yes, students write essays in them both, but that doesn't make them the same.

And I expect they are very grateful for that!

Yes, let's reform that system!

So many students missing out because they are not allowed in!

No offense intended Jess, apologies if that is how it comes across.

It's just not a thing I have met in the UK.

And yes, lots of people are working to instill that awe and wonder. It's a cultural/societal/systemic expectation that you have to do lots of math to appreciate physics. Not true.

It's not everybody, but the majority of parents and teachers see it that way.

I really wish we could get rid of the conceptual/honors divide and teach everyone the awe and wonder, and how the math describes and models it. We're shortchanging students if we don't.

2/2... but not ALL physics and to use math(s) as the gatekeeper to the subject deprives very many students from the awe and wonder: of sunsets, images, understanding nuclear medicine, how power stations work and more.

We can BOTH prepare them for the next level and give them awe and wonder. Let's.

I've been in the US for 9 years, and have been told often that physics is applied math(s).

This is a mystery to me -there are so many phenomena with a lovely physics explanation + no math(s), like why sunsets are red here, blue on Mars.

Because HIGHER level physics needs math(s)... 1/2

I just did it and it WORKS!!!

Supercharging the Fun Fly Stick - Van Der Graaf Generator // Homemade Science with Bruce Yeany YouTube video by Homemade Science with Bruce Yeany

BRILLIANT! If you don't have a Van de Graaf generator then 'make' one with a fun fly stick.

Thanks Bruce Yeany!
Instructions here!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhke...

It's perfect for those who haven't done trig.

If you want a component
- you 'take the force* to the component'.
- f you squash the angle when you do that then it's Cos (the other one is Sin)
- if you don't squash the angle then it's Sin (the other one is Cos).
*.... or velocity or whatever.

One of my ex-students who is currently in her second year of biomechanical engineering at RPI, visited and she told me she has explained Squashy Cos to all her classmates because, well, it really helps.
Yay!

That and knowing Billy and Charlie... itsalearningcurve.education/on-the-benef...

A Hands-On Activity for Introducing Gauss’s Law Forming a cornerstone of electromagnetism as one of the four Maxwell’s equations, Gauss’s law is typically introduced early in the second-semester introductory

Heading into this in a couple of weeks.

Great activity with resources - thanks Ben Levy et al (sorry can't find you on here).

#iteachphysics

pubs.aip.org/aapt/pte/art...

My student found it and shared it with me, which is a great sign you're reaching your audience!

I'm going to show it to the APC student in relation to resonance and microwaves.

Why Does Thinking Feel So Hard? Effort Feels Costly When the Brain Can't Detect Progress

Such important lenses to apply when planning.

So many useful points that I could see apply to physics teaching.

Thanks @carlhendrick.substack.com

#iteachphysics

carlhendrick.substack.com/p/why-does-t...

The origin of Electromagnetic waves, and why they behave as they do YouTube video by ScienceClic English

Excellent video explanation of electromagnetic waves. My AP 2 students found it... thanks @scienceclic.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_jY...

The Success Loop Helping students fuel their own motivation

There's often discussion about the link between motivation and success ... this is a really useful way of thinking about it.
Excellent snack from
@pepsmccrea.bsky.social

snacks.pepsmccrea.com/p/the-succes...

Always happy to top up my cultural references! 😊

Excellent thin film interference simulation - thanks Martin Kirby...
sites.google.com/a/kirbyx.com...
#iteachphysics

Highly recommend one of these for teaching rate of change of momentum... for some reason getting 'bopped' is a great privilege...
#iteachphysics

In terms of physics, catering for students looking to do a physics/engineering course in college....

AP Physics (I've taught/had students with all of AP1/2/C) vs Dual Enrollment?

I'd really like some info - I don't know anything about Dual Enrollment or how it fits into the whole.

#iteachphysics

Agreed! SUCH a good read! And incredibly useful.

The first book I read about cognitive science in the classroom back in 2009... changed my (teaching) life forever!
Very grateful to @dtwuva.bsky.social.

2nd Edition summary here + (C)PD version for you to fill in: itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...

A must-read (again)!

Delighted to make a summary of this EXCELLENT book - thought-provoking and extremely useful, and one of the BEST chapters about 'How Do We Learn' that I have read. Thanks @drcastelino.bsky.social

Summary pdfs here: itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...

Another summary! This time it's the excellent Evidence-Informed Wisdom: Making Better Decisions in Education by Bradley Busch, Edward Watson, Matthew Shaw.

A must-read for those interested in research in education! It's the wisdom part that we all need.
itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...

Agreed on all counts. When I got to the summary I wondered about making my own summary!

But... I learn a lot producing them... and it works as an aide-mémoire for me.

Delighted to share another summary- a profoundly thought-provoking book.
A must-read for those interested in the the bigger picture of transforming learning.
Thanks to @P_A_Kirschner for his help with the summary.
Download summary and book here:
itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...

Those were the days!

5 years ago I sent them the picture of the cup and find something that wasn't a cup and do the same.

The cat won, obvs.

Force arrows still the best way to show forces act ON objects.

#iteachphysics