Nancy L. Donaldson, PhD

Rockhurst University

The Rockhurst Physics Department has received two, 3- year grants to develop professional development programs for physics teaching:

 

1. Title II Improving Teacher Quality Grant Program (ITQG) —funded by the State of Missouri Dept. of Higher Education.

 

2. Rockhurst Physics Program for the Diocese of Kansas City, Missouri—funded by the Kauffman Foundation.

 

 

Each three-year grant offered summer physics institutes with academic year follow-through in years 2006, 2007, and 2008.  All physics content taught is modeled through a hands-on, inquiry based constructivist pedagogy.  The physics institutes focus on improving the content knowledge of the teacher participants as well as improving the pedagogy necessary to teach with a reform based physics curriculum. The topics covered each year are as follows:

 

Summer 2006:  8-day constructivist workshop covering concepts in Force, Motion, and Mechanical Energy (completed June 2006).

 

Summer 2007:  8-day constructivist workshop covering concepts in Gravitational and Magnetic Interactions, Current Electricity and Energy (completed June 2007)

 

Summer 2008: 8-day constructivist workshop covering concepts in Simple Machines, Heat, Light, Color, Energy (upcoming June 2009 institute).

 

Rockhurst ITQG website listing the teachers’ physics institute work:

 

External Evaluator Report Website

 

Physics for Everyday Thinking (PET) website (curriculum used in PD programs) 

GRANTS & INSTITUTES