Message from the Forum Chair
Rush D. Holt
Roughly 10 percent of the members of each division of the APS are
also members of the Forum on Education (FEd). That means that at every
divisional or regional meeting of the APS there are sufficient people
to make it possible and worthwhile to organize sessions on educational
topics. You are surrounded by dozens or hundreds of colleagues who
share your interest in education. Let's make the effort to educate
ourselves and our colleagues about the interesting questions of education
that are important to the future of our Society and our society. I
ask members of the Forum in each division to plan such a session at
their next meeting. The range of possible topics is enormous: "Successful
innovations in teaching [insert your discipline here, e.g. fluid dynamics]", " The
meaning of national educational standards for the future of physics", "Should
graduate students be taught electrodynamics the same way we were?", "Why
should a physicist run for school board?", "Does the cancellation
or shrinkage of physics departments at some universities reflect a
belief in the irrelevance of the field?", "What are students
actually learning when teachers think they are teaching them sound
physics?", or "How can you, an industrial physicist, help
elementary school students when your company won't give you release
time?" You choose. The members of the FEd executive committee
would be pleased to help with ideas, references, and publicity. The
APS Council has relaxed the restriction on one author presenting multiple
papers at the same meeting to allow additional papers cosponsored by
the Forum on Education or other cross-divisional units.
Another valuable activity that Forum members can undertake is to
organize poster sessions at each meeting for undergraduates to present
their research. Some APS divisions have had real success with these
sessions.
Also, each divisional or regional meeting should offer something
of value to local schools and teachers. Several divisions routinely
offer workshops for school science teachers, free admission to the
meeting (especially on a day with popular talks), museum lectures,
television interviews. We can put you in touch with the local organization
of physics teachers where your meeting will be held as well as with
members of other APS divisions who have done these things.
So, please talk with your divisional leaders. The interest in education
is there. The need is there. You are what is required to proceed.
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