DAPT/AAPT Interest Survey

1. DAPT/AAPT Interest Survey Compiled May 2007 by Don B. Cameron

2. Questions • Link to Survey Questions • There were 49 respondents to the survey • The winner of the $100 was Stephan Graham.

3. Membership Type?

4. Physics Association?

5. If you don’t attend DAPT, why not?(Note: 9 say they attend, 40 do not.)

6. If you don’t attend DAPT and answered “Other”, what did you comment? • DAPT seems to promote only Fads in Education like PHET, project based or inquirey based physics. • my job doesn't leave much time for my family as it is • I would consider a longer meeting on a Saturday perhaps. • I'm not a member of DAPT, so I wasn't certain if the meetings were open to me. • Young teacher - no time • I just joined • I am not currently the physics teacher at the high school. Next year, I will be, and I will attend some meetings • makes my day too long to drive to Denver during the school year • Time constraints.

7. Break Up Section?

8. DAPT Web Site?

9. Creating Email List to Share Equipment?

10. Creating an Email list to share Pedagogy?

11. Sponsoring New Teachers?

12. Sponsoring Summer Classes?

13. National Speakers?

14. Comments – Improve Local • I think the model should be local or web support. Quasi local is hard to manage during the school year. • Concentrate on providing ideas/content to the standard model of teaching physics i.e. lectures, demos, real labs (not virtual) • My schedule has made it hard to participate, but I would like to see things get more active in Col. Springs area. • I really appreciate the emails about workshops. I am sorry to say at this time I cannot attend the meetings. In a few years when my kids leave home, I may. • Didn't know there was a local AAPT • make the meetings more hands-on • Area physics teachers need to be invited to attend and contribute.

15. Comments – Improve Local • Bi-monthly newsletter with section news, teaching tips, demos, etc. • Excellent programs. Having AAPT meetings during school time is difficult since I am a HS teacher. Saturday meetings have fallen on days where other things have been happening for me. Also some Saturday meetings have not been too exciting. It is too long a day when the main agenda item is listening to students present. I know they need the audience but it takes valuable time away from HS teachers who have grading etc at weekends. • since my major obstacle to involvement is time constraints, the burden of improvement is not on the AAPT • have the meetings on different night of the week improve • The problem for me is time. I have a 40 hour/week job and I'd like to use my evenings for personal study. • Different days of the week • Having the meetings on Saturdays only makes it harder than if they were during the week. • Move them around the region

16. Comments – Improve Local • I didn't know that there was a local AAPT section. • Have not been involved enough to provide useful feedback. • More info about local grants? • over communicate: email, mailers, phone calls, etc. • None that I can think of at the moment • Vary Meeting Location/Size • If meetings took place in Boulder, I would attend. However, I cannot fit travel, even to Denver, into my teaching schedule. • I am not really mch involved. • I'm new, but I like what I see so far improve

17. Comments – Improve Local • Probably splitting up a little or perhaps moving the meetings around some • Schedule some meetings for other nights. • It's just hard to get to Denver from CS during the school year. • Since I have not been there, I could not comment. • unfortunately i am relocating this summer so i have no real input at this time • provide more email list access and publicity • I was pleased with the meeting I attended in Denver recently. It was my first AAPT meeting, so I do not have any suggestions at this time. • I am new so I won't be of much help yet.

18. Comments – Improve DAPT • We need to find ways to draw more participants. Perhaps we can ask different districts to host the events at a district school. • Althouogh I am retired, I like to think of myself attached to the Physics community, and even though I don't attend often, want to have that opportunity. • I love them - just too far to drive after a long day of work and denver traffic.

19. Comments – Improve DAPT I have found from my work with other groups that occasional personal communication is often required to bring teachers to meetings. This might be in the form of a more personal group email, a personal email or a phone call. In other words, someone must "work" the database. This takes more time, but gets results. There are many new physics and physical science teachers out there and their participation must sometimes be cultivated. The "old guard" of the DAPT are great guys/ladies and a wonderful resource, but they can appear unapproachable, staid, and cliquish to the less gifted of us. I also think the "problems" in schools today and lack of student motivation turns teachers off to going the "extra mile". They must find benefit from participation in DAPT/AAPT. I think some roundtable or small group discussions that address how the global problems in education affect teaching in the physic/science classroom would be appropriate. The usual response of th! e educational community to lack of student achievement is to reform curriculum, make it more hands-on, dumb it down, etc. I am afraid that those do not address the real problems. They are efforts to motivate studetns from the outside, whereas students need motivation from their inside. We fail to promote the value of learning for its own sake, as man's highest calling, as fulfillment of human potential, as a modern man's duty. Education has lost the sense of "higher calling". Our interactions in the classroom do not promote these expectations. Students flounder, lacking moral guidance. How can we expect students to excel in Physics when we don't even expect/demand them to learn the multiplication tables. (I taught and sub in the Aurora Public Schools).

20. Comments – Improve DAPT • Area physics teachers need to be invited to attend and contribute. • We are in the middle of Denver. We need to get DPS teachers involved. • Have people personally invite other teachers. I have added many teachers to Steve's list over the years but very few younger teachers attend. Not sure why. Have carpooled with some in past and that helps. • Sorry, I'm not so familiar with it to be credible at a suggestion for improvement. • I am thrilled with DAPT as it is, really! • I'm not really sure what DAPT is - perhaps better education on this front (who DAPT is, what they do, how to become a member, attending meetings if you're not a member, etc.) would help. • Have not been involved enough to provide useful feedback. • Maybe make it a 2hour meeting rather than 3

21. Comments – Improve DAPT • I wish I could - I am so busy I have a hard time getting there • Connecting young/new teachers with a veteran teacher in a similar position at a different school - it would be good to have another person to bounce ideas off of. • More online sharing, face to face meetings are important, but not a feasible way of maintaining active network v • Monthly email to teachers to trigger our memory about activities • Meetings on Sat. morning - but I realize that may not be preferred by most. • More meetings. Time topics to coincide with typical curriculum (mechanics in fall, e&m in spring)

22. Comments – Improve DAPT • I'm new, but I like what I see so far improve • I think the Denver Area group is fairly strong • none • Since I have not been there, I could not comment. • take advantage of the Colorado Science Educators Network • I have benefited from the meetings in the last year. If they were to start slightly later, 5:30, say, that would help me a bit.

23. Comments – AAPT Value • It's expensive but I'm not giving it up anytime soon. The journals are great. • The Physics Teacher publication • This has been a high light of my personal professional development for my entire career of 40 years. • I have been a member for 57 years. It has been very valuable for me. • Good information source in journals. Useful for networking at meetings (when I can get there!!) • Love it - very useful and helpful for growth as a physics teacher • AAPT membership allows many good professional growth opportunities. • Very valuable - especially AJP and Physics Teacher • high value • Invaluable. Contacts with other teachers, and stuff learned at DAPT meetings.

24. Comments – AAPT Value • Anything like this that promotes physics education has my support. • Keep informed, part of the physics community • I value the journals and the networking. Rarely do I get to participate on the national level. • I have gotten a lot out of national workshops and a few national meetings. • I have a student membership, which is wholely sponsored by AAPT. I love being a member! • I really like the publications and national meetings. Useful for learning about and sharing with others. • Journals received with great ideas • I feel like there are more opportunities than I have time to take advantage of this year. Valuable, but I have a hard time taking advantage of it all. • not a member, used to be though • I find it extremely valuable • I mainly like to get the publications. Not involved much otherwise. • Love the Physics Teacher magazine! • Magazines are great • I find it very valuable, both journals and the conferences

25. Comments – Why Not AAPT? • Too expensive • no good reason • As a retired teacher, my science interest has moved into the realm of evolutionary and molecular biology. • low teaching salary versus membership dues • Geographical and financial, although would join now. • How do I join? • No reason--just hasn't happened • Might become a member next year. Depends on cost of dues • Too many commitments already to take on another. • I can not justify the expense when I only teach physics every now and then. • i think it is because i probably have received stuff on membership but just souldn't afford it • since teaching mostly biology and environmental science currently, I am only maintaining memberships with NSTA and NABT right • I am just three years into teaching HS physics. I am a mathematician first, so up til now I have attended more to professional development in math. • Have not started teaching physics in Colorado yet.