|
 |
Department
of Energy Academies Creating
Teacher Scientists
|
Thomas
Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
Teachers as Investigators Program
July 7 – August 1, 2008
Teacher Academy in Physical Science
The Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator
Facility, or Jefferson Lab (JLab), is a basic research laboratory
built to probe
the nucleus of the atom to learn more about the quark structure of matter.
Jefferson Lab is located in Newport News , Virginia , is a major resource
for education and is a valued partner to the local, regional, and national
education community at all grade levels. In partnership with the local
school divisions and the surrounding community, Jefferson Lab is dedicated
to providing development opportunities in math and science to students,
teachers, parents, and the general public. Each year, about 11,500 students
and 700 teachers participate in a variety of science programs and interact
with Jefferson Lab scientists and engineers who share their knowledge,
experience, and enthusiasm.
As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science Academy
for Creating Teacher Scientists (ACTS) initiative, Jefferson Lab
is the host
of TAPS - Teacher Academy in Physical Science - a four-week summer
classroom and research program for upper elementary and middle
school teachers
designed to build teachers' skills in the physical sciences.
The 2007 program (July 9 - August 3) will include the following components:
a course in basic physics (50 hours), guest lectures on current
research by Lab staff (20 hours), workshops on teaching physical
science at
the middle school level (40 hours), and team-based, hands-on scientific
explorations
under the guidance of Lab staff (50 hours). Upon completion of
the program, teachers are eligible to apply to the Department
of Energy
Office of
Science for funds to help them implement new strategies in their
classrooms as
well as to participate in additional professional development opportunities
during the school year. The 2007 physics topics include matter,
energy transfer, force and motion, magnetism and electricity,
and optics.
All TAPS components address the National Science Education Standards
and
the Virginia Standards of Learning. Participants are expected to
participate in ACTS for 3 years. After completing one year of TAPS,
participants
may
choose to participate in an eight-week research project at Jefferson
Lab, travel to another National Laboratory's ACTS program, or continue
with
the traditional TAPS program at Jefferson Lab. The 2008 TAPS program
will focus on chemistry; geophysics will be the focus during the
2009 TAPS program.
Based on individual needs, Jefferson Lab will tailor professional
development plans appropriate to each teacher. The professional
development plan
includes specific content areas that will be addressed in detail
during the program,
topics for teachers to develop and improve science and math activities
for their use in the classroom, leadership initiatives, and Jefferson
Lab required safety, security, and computer training. All teachers
agree to
participate in web-based follow-up activities to extend the teachers'
experiences and to provide Jefferson Lab with data for use in program
evaluation. Through
these experiences, teachers will establish long-term relationships
with Jefferson Lab scientists and engineers who will continue to
support the
educational efforts of the teachers when they have returned to
their classrooms.
http://education.jlab.org/
|
