MAKING SENSE OF PHYSICS IN A DAY! Developing an Understanding for Non-Specialists Teaching Physics
- Created By Neil Atkin
- Last Updated October 25th, 2022
Programme details:
Physics is tricky to teach as almost every concept is linked to other concepts that we may not have taught yet. It is imperative that we understand all of these interconnections in order to deliver a coherent program of study.Misconceptions abound in physics, our students do not enter our classroom without ideas of how physics works, on the contrary they have many, most of which are wrong. We have to destroy erroneous beliefs before we can replace them with better models. You will be shown strategies on how to do this.
This course is not just about understanding individual concepts, it is about making sense of the whole body that students need to learn. How forces underpin almost all other concepts, how energy is massively misunderstood, how the maths tells the same stories as physics does.You will be encouraged to ask questions and will be supported writing lesson plans.
Day One | |
08:45 | Registration and refreshments. |
09:00 | Session 1: Introduction to the Seven Piece Jigsaw Puzzle that is
Physics ● Why physics is difficult to teach and how to make it easier ● What do you know, or think you know? ● Exploring the links between the topics ● How Forces underpin most other concepts ● Maths in Physics – Stories that formulae and graphs tell us
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10:30 | Coffee Break. |
11:00 | Session 2: Why Energy is so misunderstood and what to do about
it ● Energy, the topic which is much more complicated than most people think ● A better model for energy and how it links to the other concepts. ● Waves and how they link to energy and forces
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13:00 | Lunch Break. |
14:00 | Session 3: Electricity
● Simplifying what is probably the hardest concept of all to teach! ● A better model thinking about fields (don’t worry this is not as complicated as it sounds!)
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15:30 | Finish. |
About AtkinEdu
Neil’s background in challenging schools led him to develop the physics of activities students found engaging such as football, surfing, and skateboarding. “You can teach most of the forces topic using a skateboarder doing an ollie and the skaters will listen to you!”
A hearing loss forced Neil from the classroom where he loved being an Advanced Skills Teacher in challenging schools- Terrible title, but wonderful job. So he became an educational consultant and the more he learned, the more he realised he had and still has to learn. But digital tools have enabled him to effectively teach again and have opened a whole host of new opportunities.