- #1
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Anyone at AAPT Portland?
Connecting with Fellow Science Educators at AAPT Portland
- Thread starter robphy
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Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) Summer Meeting held in Portland, focusing on the experiences of attendees, the nature of the organization, and the topics covered in meetings. Participants share their thoughts on attending the event, the costs involved, and the broader community of science educators.
Discussion Character
- Meta-discussion
- Exploratory
Main Points Raised
- Some participants express regret about not attending the AAPT meeting in Portland, citing high costs and membership requirements.
- One participant shares their positive experience at the meeting, noting the enjoyable food and successful presentations.
- Another participant mentions that the AAPT meetings are not exclusive to high school teachers, highlighting the presence of college faculty, undergraduates, and graduate students.
- Discussion includes the variety of topics covered at AAPT meetings, such as teaching strategies, student engagement, and apparatus construction.
- Some participants discuss the logistics of attending meetings, including the benefits of institutional support for travel and expenses.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally share experiences and information about the AAPT meetings, but there is no consensus on the necessity of membership or the perceived exclusivity of the organization.
Contextual Notes
Participants mention varying perceptions of the AAPT's audience and the types of discussions that take place, indicating that there may be differing views on the organization's focus and accessibility.
- #2
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Are you ? :) Looks like a lovely area!
- #3
OmCheeto
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Greg Bernhardt said:
And I had this whole week off...
And I have a Physics Forums t-shirt...
And I stayed home and sat on my butt all day on the 17th...
Wait. I'm not an AAPT member. It would have cost me $900 to attend. Good god, I could buy a ton of scientific gear for that much money.
hmmm... What's this? They made six trips to the "World´s Tallest Barometer"? And it was free!
I'll have to stop by notaPSU and take a look. That sounds very cool.
- #4
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I was there from Sunday to Wednesday. Portland was a nice place... Food was tasty. The meeting went well.
(I usually attend at least one of the two national AAPT meetings a year, presenting either a 10 minute talk or a poster.)
The next meetings are in Orlando (Jan '14) and Minneapolis (Jul '14).
(I usually attend at least one of the two national AAPT meetings a year, presenting either a 10 minute talk or a poster.)
The next meetings are in Orlando (Jan '14) and Minneapolis (Jul '14).
- #5
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Cool, I just joined AAPT last month. I live on the opposite coast, however, and the trip was not feasible for me.
- #6
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The meeting moves around. It helps when the meeting expenses ( registration , travel, and hotel ) are covered by an educational institution.
In addition to the national meetings, there are regional meetings as well :
http://www.aapt.org/aboutaapt/calendar.cfm (click the search button at the bottom if the entire year isn't shown.)
[There has been a perception (particularly by classmates when I was in grad school) that the AAPT is just for high school physics teachers. That's not true. There are also many college and university faculty, as well some enthusiastic undergrads and grad students,... from all over the US and from the rest of the world. Topics include, for example: construction of apparatus (from hands on tabletop experiments to advanced undergraduate labs), studying student understanding of various concepts in physics, new strategies and technologies to keep students engaged, new ways to teach (say) quantum mechanics, strategies for career advancement and applying for grants, etc...]
In addition to the national meetings, there are regional meetings as well :
http://www.aapt.org/aboutaapt/calendar.cfm (click the search button at the bottom if the entire year isn't shown.)
[There has been a perception (particularly by classmates when I was in grad school) that the AAPT is just for high school physics teachers. That's not true. There are also many college and university faculty, as well some enthusiastic undergrads and grad students,... from all over the US and from the rest of the world. Topics include, for example: construction of apparatus (from hands on tabletop experiments to advanced undergraduate labs), studying student understanding of various concepts in physics, new strategies and technologies to keep students engaged, new ways to teach (say) quantum mechanics, strategies for career advancement and applying for grants, etc...]
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