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This online course, intended for middle and high school physics teachers, includes a blend of 45 hours of synchronous, online learning. It also includes asynchronous lab activities that integrate computational modeling and physics, and emphasizes the pedagogical content knowledge and skills needed to effectively teach the course concepts to high school students. The course emphasizes computational modeling through the use of Pyret language and the Bootstrap:Algebra approach that was developed with the introductory computing student in mind. Computational ideas that are introduced include functional expressions, data types, and Boolean logic. These computing tools and approaches are also embedded in the Modeling Method of Instruction for developing students’ conceptual models in physics, and includes topics related to qualitative energy, constant velocity, uniform acceleration, balanced and unbalanced forces, and Newton’s laws. Every other week, this course will be partially led by a computational physicist to increase the relevance of this course to cutting-edge research. 

Date: Tuesdays from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm (EST)

Duration: 15 weeks, January 21- April 21, 2020

Costs: $50 registration fee which will be reimbursed at completion of the course

Optional Graduate Credits: 3 credits from Mercyhurst University, $360 plus $80 registration fee

Meet our Instructors

Melissa Girmscheid (AZ) is in her tenth year of teaching physics using Modeling Instruction. She holds a Masters degree in Natural Science with an emphasis in physics from Arizona State University and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Melissa is part of the team developing curricular materials and the workshop for Computational Modeling and co-led the first workshop in the summer of 2018. This past summer Melissa was chosen as a Master Teacher Policy Fellow for the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Institute of Physics.

Jess Dykes (PA) is in his fourteenth year of teaching physics using Modeling Instruction. He holds a Masters degree in Educational Development and Strategies from Wilkes University. Jess has led or co-led 13 different Modeling Workshops. Jess is part of the team developing curricular materials and the workshop for Computational Modeling and co-led the first workshop in the summer of 2018. Jess has also been involved in writing a 9th grade specific Modeling Physics curriculum, as well as a physics teaching consultant for the American International School in Cairo, Egypt.