Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A dozen public school teachers are recent graduates of a special four-week teacher training program in physics.
Held at Mississippi State University, the hands-on workshop that concluded last week covered topics regularly taught in a two-semester high school physics course.
In addition to classroom and laboratory activities, the curriculum included problem-solving exercises, discussions of common student misconceptions about physics and examinations of available teaching resources. Identification of the misconceptions and development of instructional strategies to help overcome them was based on the results of recent educational research.
"While the workshop is designed to assist teachers with primary training in physics, it gives particular attention to bolstering the skills and confidence of those who find themselves out of their expertise areas when teaching in this field," said project director Anastasia D. Elder.
Elder is an assistant professor in MSU's department of counselor education and educational psychology, which co-sponsored the training with the department of physics and astronomy.
Each selected participant received a $1,760 scholarship and $1,200 worth of laboratory supplies and workshop materials, among other benefits. Funding was provided by the state College Board through the U.S. Department of Education's No Child Left Behind initiative.
Graduates of the 2005 workshop include (by hometown):
ACKERMAN--Jason McCuller of West Point High School.
ECRU--Glenise Weatherly of New Albany High School.
HERNANDO--Jeanne Lee Miller of Byhalia High School.
HILLSBORO--Juan Jimenez of Murrah High School in Jackson.
LOUISVILLE--Denise Byrd of Grace Christian School.
MENDENHALL--Cynthia Cook of Murrah High School in Jackson.
PHILADELPHIA--Deborah Duncan of Neshoba County High School.
STARKVILLE--Bertha Bush of East Oktibbeha County High School and Carol Ann Huber of Starkville Academy.
TUPELO--Penny Sharp of Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton.
WIGGINS--Jane Ann Maddox of Stone County High School.
YAZOO CITY--James Brown of Yazoo County High School.