The Science House - Modeling Workshop

North Carolina Physics,Chemistry and
Physical Science Modeling Institutes
Summer 2009

All three institutes are currently full.
You are welcome to apply, however at this time your application will be placed on a waiting list. If/when a spot becomes available you will be notified by email or phone. Thank you.

The North Carolina Modeling Instruction Workshops provide professional development opportunities in physics, physical science and chemistry content and research-based, reform-oriented pedagogy for teachers in North Carolina through a Math-Science Partnership grant.

Learn more about modeling and hear what teachers have to say about it.

Dates and Time
Choose one of three institutes for Summer 2009

July 7-24, 2009: Modeling I: First Semester Physics (mechanics)
July 7-24, 2009: Modeling I: Chemistry
July 7-24, 2009: Modeling I: Physical Science (pending funding)

The institutes will run 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM each weekday. Attendance is also required for three 2-day follow up sessions during the school year (Friday-Saturday sessions with dates to be decided during summer).

Who Can Participate
These institutes are available to any North Carolina science teacher who anticipates teaching physics or chemistry during the 2008-09 school year. A letter of support from your administrator will be required if you are accepted.

Modeling is a strategy that keeps students active and engaged while constructing physics concepts from the ground up.

Dee Dee Whitaker, High Point, NC

Where
All institutes will be held on the campus of NC State University, Raleigh, NC

Participants receive

Stipends ($150/day) are paid for summer dates and Saturday follow up sessions.

12.0 CEU credits for attending the summer institute and follow up days

Substitute teacher expenses are covered for Friday follow up sessions.

Institute materials are provided for each participant.

Campus housing is available for those participants beyond commuting distance to NC State.

State meal per diem is available as appropriate under university travel policy. Mileage reimbursement is not available for this project.

Apply Now!

Sponsored By
This project is a Math-Science Partnership Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the State of North Carolina.

Project Partners
The Science House at NC State University, Watauga, Buncombe, Durham, Martin, and Caldwell County School Districts. This project is a statewide initiative and therefore open to all NC school districts.

For more information
Scott Ragan Project Director 919-515-5610
Matt Greenwolfe Lead Instructor
Patty Blanton Project Coach

What is Modeling?

Physics Modeling Institutes are a structured inquiry approach to high school physics teaching that incorporates computer technology and insights from physics education research. Emphasis is placed on the use of basic models and modeling in mechanics. Participants develop skills in fostering scientific discourse and presentation and in assessment of student learning.

Goals:
Physics Modeling Insitutes are intensive 3-week courses with these goals:

To train teachers in the use of a model-centered, constructivist method of teaching and at the same time to improve their content knowledge in mechanics.

To integrate computer courseware effectively into the physics curriculum.

To establish electronic network support and a learning community among participants.

To help participants to make better use of national resources for physics education.

To strengthen local institutional support for participants as school leaders in disseminating standards-based reform in science education.

The Modeling Pedagogy

Coherent Instructional Objectives

To engage students in understanding the physical world by constructing and using scientific models to describe, explain, predict and control physical phenomena.

To provide students with basic conceptual tools for modeling physical objects and processes, especially mathematical, graphical and diagrammatic representations.

To familiarize students with a small set of basic models as the core content of physics or chemistry.

To develop student insight into the structure of scientific knowledge by examining how models fit into theories.

Student-Centered Instructional Design

Instruction is organized into modeling cycles that move students through the phases of model development, evaluation and application in concrete situations -- thus promoting an integrated
understanding of modeling processes and acquisition of coordinated modeling skills.

The teacher sets the stage for student activities, typically with a demonstration and class discussion to establish common understanding of a question to be asked of nature. Then, in small groups, students collaborate in planning and conducting experiments to answer or clarify the question.

It is the finest example of constructivist teaching in the U.S. It has changed my life and the way I teach.
Don Yost, Sacramento, CA

Students are required to present and justify their conclusions in oral and/or written form, including a formulation of models for the phenomena in question, and evaluation of the models by comparison with data.

The teacher introduces technical terms and concepts only as they are needed to sharpen models, facilitate modeling activities, and improve the quality of discourse.

The teacher is prepared with a definite agenda for student progress and guides student inquiry and discussion in that direction with "Socratic" questioning and remarks.

The teacher is equipped with a taxonomy of typical student misconceptions, to be addressed as students are induced to articulate, analyze and justify their personal beliefs.

Institute Methods

Included in the institutes are practices and skill building exercises to encourage Socratic questioning in teaching methodology. In “student mode” teachers experience the materials they will use with their students. In “teacher mode” they will practice the skills to use this methodology.

Anticipated Project Outcomes

Teachers who participate in the institute will have greater confidence with and deeper understanding of content outlined by North Carolina’s science content standards.

Participants will have enhanced pedagogical knowledge and skills and teach their science courses using Modeling instruction, a flexible, robust, research-based pedagogical framework that is effective for all levels of students.

Students of participants will demonstrate an increased knowledge of the physical science concepts detailed in the state standards.

We will hold the first modeling institutes for physical science, chemistry, and second semester physics in the state. Modeling institutes in physics, physical science, and chemistry will become part of the regular summer program of The Science House.

Teacher Quotes:

I have for a long time intrinsically felt that modeling was the way to learn...and teach, but was never able to complete the full loop necessary and have both research and colleagues to support this view.
Oleg Moiseenko, Chapel Hill, NC

There is no doubt that the EPC modeling workshop I just finished this summer is one of the very best workshops I have ever taken. I learned a wonderful new teaching strategy to help me help my students better understand the concepts of Physics. Each minute of class time is well-planned and we, the teachers, became like our students. We experienced the models, labs and "whiteboarding," just as our students will. This gave us a great perspective on how to implement this teaching style in our classrooms. We also received a wealth of resources to use throughout the year. The staff and my fellow students were all genuinely interested in our purpose. It made for a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to returning during the school year and next summer.
Linda Martin, Winston Salem, NC

The Modeling workshop has been one of the best workshop experiences I have had in a long time. Not only did I have the opportunity to refresh and rebuild my physics skills but I also was introduced to an innovative way to teach physics to my students. Modeling is a strategy that keeps students active and engaged while constructing physics concepts from the ground up.
Dee Dee Whitaker, High Point, NC

The modeling workshop was fantastic. The integration of constructivism and hands-on completes the circle for me. One will learn the concepts and for some reason conceptual learning goes into long term memory very well. The only problem is that I do not have modeling methods that address my curriculum; chemistry, weather, human body, and genetics. The efficacy of modeling is making me look and try to think up methods to use it. The thing that so struck me was how it really solidified in my mind the beginnings of calculus, which I had only memorized before. Now I fully understand what the slope of a tangent line of a point on a curve means.
Kent Autry, Charlotte, NC

The workshop helped invigorate me in my career. I have taught for seven years, and was thinking about a career change. This workshop has gotten me excited about what I do again. The strategies taught were great in order to engage students and make them accountable and in charge of their learning experience. I have had success with this in the past, but I think Modeling will really help! The focus shifted the classroom to the greater good and learning in a critical thinking realm, instead of just teaching toward a test. I like how Modeling helps students make long term connections with their experiments and experiences and not just a short term recall for the unit exam. Modeling helps students have confidence in making a conclusion and sticking to it. The process also makes students explain why they think what they do. This can aid teachers in correcting misconceptions and help students directly see their errors. Last, it would help students prepare to speak in front of an audience with conviction.
Keith Sweeney, Charlotte, NC

I am continually amazed at how the modeling method manages to give students
1) the opportunity to confront their misconceptions about physics head on,
2) the ability to analyze their data in an in-depth, consistent way in order to construct appropriate models, and
3) the skill and confidence needed to interpret their results (as well as others') in a scientifically critical way.
Jim Stankevitz, Wheaton, IL

An important objective of education is to move students along the road towards self-suffiency. I feel that the modeling method does this better than anything else I have seen.
Louis Turner, Massachusetts - formerly Ohio

The project gives the teacher the knowledge and practice needed to develop or adapt other materials to the modeling method. The teacher is not restricted to particular topics or materials from the workshops because the modeling method is a WAY to teach, not an independent topic to teach.
Art Woodruff, Sanford, FL