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Laboratory supporting physics conference for teachers

Concept-based instruction focus of workshop at Albuquerque event

The Laboratory is one of several organizations supporting the annual American Association of Physics Teachers conference beginning Saturday in the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The Laboratory is a co-sponsor and has provided funding support for the conference. Other sponsors include Sandia National Laboratories, the Seaborg Institute for Science and the American Association of Physics Teachers.

Laboratory technical staff member Bill Feldman of Space Science and Applications (ISR-1) is scheduled to speak at the workshop, while Nobel Physics Laureate Douglas Osheroff of Stanford University also is a keynote speaker. Osheroff will talk about the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia accident and subsequent investigation.

Fred Begay of the Government Relations (GRO) Office is scheduled to speak on Jan. 11 about Navajo astronomy. Begay is a member of the association and organized a workshop on Saturday for high school physics teachers who teach Native American and Hispanic students.

"This American Association of Physics Teachers workshop for physics high school teachers will explore why things work and how things work," said Begay. "The issue of why things work is related to concepts that govern the laws of nature and the issue of how things work is related to the rules that characterize how the laws of nature work.

"We expect the teachers will learn about reform in improving how we teach physics in the K-12 classrooms. This process will affect the quality of technical work force needed to successfully meet the scientific and technological challenges of the 21st century."

The American Association of Physics Teachers Web page has information about the conference at http://www.aapt.org online.

For more information, contact Begay at 7-8672.

--Steve Sandoval

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