Monthly Archives: October 2020

Here’s the most important thing I’ve demonstrated about online college physics instruction during my first experience with it this fall: It’s not as effective as the face-to-face studio physics classes I usually teach. One reason for that has to do … Continue reading →

According to the Florida Department of Education’s report on Critical Teacher Shortage Areas for the 2020-21 school year, which was approved by the State Board of Education last spring, the numbers of teacher vacancies in math, biology, physical sciences, Earth/space … Continue reading →

I’ve invested a lot of time and effort in preparing and teaching an online first-semester calculus-based introductory physics course this semester. It is likely that this is the only time I will teach this course online – I anticipate being … Continue reading →

The goal of the K-12 system in every state should be to produce high school graduates who are prepared to fulfill their potential and take advantage of opportunities they encounter in the world beyond high school. Being terrific in 4th … Continue reading →

My two takeaways from the results of the 2018 edition of PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) for 15-year-olds, which were released several weeks ago: First, American teenagers are still weak in math, as every previous edition of PISA has … Continue reading →

The first two editions of the FSU Nuclear Medicine and Science Camp were held in-person on FSU’s Panama City campus in the summers of 2018 and 2019. But the COVID pandemic forced the FSU Nuclear Medicine and Science Camp online … Continue reading →

As Florida’s economy is disrupted by the pandemic, it is more important than ever to make sure that all of the state’s students have the best opportunity possible to pursue bachelor’s degree-level careers in the economically robust fields of engineering … Continue reading →

The K-12 science teachers I’ve communicated with this fall are frustrated and exhausted. Their students – both those physically in their classrooms and those participating in their hybrid classes online – are not learning anywhere near as well or as … Continue reading →

Black students are severely underrepresented among bachelor’s degree graduates in engineering, physics and computer science from Florida’s State University System, as shown in the plot below. What can the state’s public universities do to address this issue? Waiting until these … Continue reading →

With deep budget cuts seemingly imminent for Florida’s public K-12 schools, the state’s already-poor performance in high school physics may be about to become much worse – a situation that would have a serious impact on the undergraduate programs in … Continue reading →