Minutes for the Reno meeting of the Committee on International Education
===================================================
Minutes for the Reno meeting of the
Committee on International Education
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Members Present: Menard (chair), Alonso, Baksay, Conrad, Drenchko, Gewanter,
Lietz, Manos, Ramsey (incoming chair)
Guests Present: Adair, Aubrecht, Ba, Bauman, Canderle, Chesick, Clark,
Elizondo, Finn, Fitzgibbons, George, Gonsolez-Menendez, Gonzalez, Gottlieb,
Halpern, Jossem, Lotze, Martinez, Mireles, Pak, Papacosta, Preese, Reimann,
Robertson, Rodriguez, Rossing, Sears, Snyder, Tam, Urone, Van Hise, Weathers,
Worner
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The meeting was called to order by the chair at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January
15, 1996.
The minutes of the August meeting at Spokane were unanimously approved.
Announcements:
1. Herb Gottlieb announced that India is planning an international conference
in 1997 and would like a letter from AAPT expressing interest in participating.
A motion to request AAPT Executive Committee send such a letter passed.
2. Nellie Mirelis mentioned that the morning session, "The Historical
Development of Scientific Thought Throughout the World", sponsored by the
committee, went well. A good discussion followed the session.
3. Committee-sponsored workshop leaders (C. Worner and E. Martinez) felt that
more information was needed as to what was expected in the workshops would be
useful. Sessions should also include discussion time. Al Menard will draft a
set of guidelines for workshops.
4. Al Menard stated that the committee is not sponsoring anything for the
joint APS/AAPT meeting at Indianapolis.
5. Marcelo Alonso reported on several international meetings to be held
during 1996 and 1997. These will be included on the committee's list of
International meetings, to be initiated by G. Ramsey. He also recommended
that anyone wishing to organize a session to be sponsored by the committee,
present in writing: (1) full title and required time, (2) a short summary of
the proposed session and (3) a tentative list of speakers, to the committee
well in advance of the session.
AAPT Summer meeting at College Park:
1. Betty Preese is organizing a session on "Physics Teaching Around the World"
and is still seeking participants. Len Jossem suggested inviting participants
from the Maryland International Conference of the ICUPE.
2. Discussion followed on setting up regular sessions, which would include
reports from attendees on prior international conferences. Dave Gewanter
volunteered to collect information about international meetings and
disseminate this information via the World Wide Web. The ICUPE newsletter
was recommended as one possible source of information. No specific suggestions
were made for a standing set of sessions, but there was a general consensus
that we should try to do this as often as possible.
3. In response to this suggestion, Gordon Aubrecht offered to organize a
session for the Phoenix meeting in January, "Physics Teaching Around the World:
Personal Perspectives", which would report on recent international conferences.
4. Betty Preese volunteered to organize a "Cracker Barrel" session at College
Park, which would include discussions on the ICUPE meeting, led by participants
of the conference.
5. Larry Weathers will be coordinating the visit of the "Stray Cats" from
Japan. He requested that the AAPT Office send an official letter of invitation
and statement of financial support to the group so that travel plans can be
finalized for the meeting.
6. Bob Clark stated that there may be some funds available to bring
participants from Latin America to the meeting.
7. Abstract deadlines are: Apr. 1 for Invited papers and Apr. 8 for
contributed papers.
Other meetings in 1996:
1. ICUPE International Conference, University of Maryland (from 31 July to
3 August, just prior to the AAPT summer meeting). Joe Redish passed out
information on the conference and briefed the committee on some of the invited
speakers, including the UNESCO course developers. More information is available
on the Web at- http://www.physics.umd.edu/~inted/
2. GIREP: John Fitzgibbons announced that the GIREP and ICPE jointly sponsored
conference, entitled "New Ways of Teaching Physics" is to take place in
Ljubljana, Slovenia from 21-27 August, 1996 and will cover topics such as:
demonstrations, labs, computers, interfacing and networking. More information
is available on the IOP home page of the Web.
3. Gordon Ramsey briefed the committee on the LFMK conference in Linkoping,
Sweden, from 25 July to 3 August, immediately prior to the AAPT summer meeting.
He gave a tentative list of American participants. This meeting will include
participants from the USA, Denmark and the other Scandinavian countries, and is
part of a reciprocal invitation involving the AAPT and the Danish APT.
4. Betty Preece announced that the NSTA is organizing a conference in San
Francisco, to be held from Dec 27-29, 1996, entitled, "Global Summit on Science
and Science Education". She distributed information and registration forms.
AAPT Winter 1997 meeting at Phoenix:
1. Sponsored sessions:
a. Highlights of international conferences in 1996 - G. Aubrecht, chair
b. Highlights of the LFMK conference in Sweden - G. Ramsey, chair
c. Others which may be submitted at the College Park meeting.
2. Meeting format: The AAPT Executive Board has proposed that the winter
meeting will begin a new format, namely: 2 1/2 days of workshops and 3 1/2
days of sessions, adding 1/2 day to the workshop schedule. More information
will be available in the AAPT Announcer and at the College Park meeting.
3. Abstract deadlines are: Sept. 6 for Invited papers and Sept. 13 for
contributed papers.
Other meetings in 1997:
1. Laszlo Baksay - The steering committee has been selected and plans are
underway for the US-Germany-Hungary conference in 1997. Agreements with
Hungary are set with George Marx. Contacts are still being made in Germany.
There is positive feedback from the NSF for a tri-lateral meeting, but the
German side has not yet made a commitment. There is also a possible problem
with conflicts, given the numerous conferences scheduled for 1997.
2. Bob Clark gave some information regarding the Inter-American conference in
Argentina around mid-July, 1997. He will be in close contact with Ernesto
Martinez to obtain more specific information for the committee.
3. There will be a physics teaching conference in Volvograd, Russia in
June, 1997. More details will be forthcoming, when available.
Other Committee Business:
1. Bob Sears solicited a complete list of eligible countries for the Fuller
Fund, so that there will be no ambiguities in selection criteria for candidates
to receive a complementary two year membership in AAPT. These must be from
developing countries, where it would not be easy to establish contact and
involvement with the AAPT and its activities. Al Menard and Gordon Ramsey
will construct a list, based on the initial work of Al Gibson. The committee
passed a motion to approve such a list.
2. Gordon Ramsey, incoming chair, passed around a list of "directions for the
committee" and project ideas. The main emphasis was on communications and
dissemination of information regarding committee work and world-wide events
relating to physics teaching. He would like to establish a communications
web to encourage more international collaborations in physics teaching.
He also distributed a copy of the committee mission statement and solicited
feedback on its content and form.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
=============================================================
Submitted by G. Ramsey
Minutes for the Reno meeting of the
Committee on International Education
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Members Present: Menard (chair), Alonso, Baksay, Conrad, Drenchko, Gewanter,
Lietz, Manos, Ramsey (incoming chair)
Guests Present: Adair, Aubrecht, Ba, Bauman, Canderle, Chesick, Clark,
Elizondo, Finn, Fitzgibbons, George, Gonsolez-Menendez, Gonzalez, Gottlieb,
Halpern, Jossem, Lotze, Martinez, Mireles, Pak, Papacosta, Preese, Reimann,
Robertson, Rodriguez, Rossing, Sears, Snyder, Tam, Urone, Van Hise, Weathers,
Worner
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The meeting was called to order by the chair at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January
15, 1996.
The minutes of the August meeting at Spokane were unanimously approved.
Announcements:
1. Herb Gottlieb announced that India is planning an international conference
in 1997 and would like a letter from AAPT expressing interest in participating.
A motion to request AAPT Executive Committee send such a letter passed.
2. Nellie Mirelis mentioned that the morning session, "The Historical
Development of Scientific Thought Throughout the World", sponsored by the
committee, went well. A good discussion followed the session.
3. Committee-sponsored workshop leaders (C. Worner and E. Martinez) felt that
more information was needed as to what was expected in the workshops would be
useful. Sessions should also include discussion time. Al Menard will draft a
set of guidelines for workshops.
4. Al Menard stated that the committee is not sponsoring anything for the
joint APS/AAPT meeting at Indianapolis.
5. Marcelo Alonso reported on several international meetings to be held
during 1996 and 1997. These will be included on the committee's list of
International meetings, to be initiated by G. Ramsey. He also recommended
that anyone wishing to organize a session to be sponsored by the committee,
present in writing: (1) full title and required time, (2) a short summary of
the proposed session and (3) a tentative list of speakers, to the committee
well in advance of the session.
AAPT Summer meeting at College Park:
1. Betty Preese is organizing a session on "Physics Teaching Around the World"
and is still seeking participants. Len Jossem suggested inviting participants
from the Maryland International Conference of the ICUPE.
2. Discussion followed on setting up regular sessions, which would include
reports from attendees on prior international conferences. Dave Gewanter
volunteered to collect information about international meetings and
disseminate this information via the World Wide Web. The ICUPE newsletter
was recommended as one possible source of information. No specific suggestions
were made for a standing set of sessions, but there was a general consensus
that we should try to do this as often as possible.
3. In response to this suggestion, Gordon Aubrecht offered to organize a
session for the Phoenix meeting in January, "Physics Teaching Around the World:
Personal Perspectives", which would report on recent international conferences.
4. Betty Preese volunteered to organize a "Cracker Barrel" session at College
Park, which would include discussions on the ICUPE meeting, led by participants
of the conference.
5. Larry Weathers will be coordinating the visit of the "Stray Cats" from
Japan. He requested that the AAPT Office send an official letter of invitation
and statement of financial support to the group so that travel plans can be
finalized for the meeting.
6. Bob Clark stated that there may be some funds available to bring
participants from Latin America to the meeting.
7. Abstract deadlines are: Apr. 1 for Invited papers and Apr. 8 for
contributed papers.
Other meetings in 1996:
1. ICUPE International Conference, University of Maryland (from 31 July to
3 August, just prior to the AAPT summer meeting). Joe Redish passed out
information on the conference and briefed the committee on some of the invited
speakers, including the UNESCO course developers. More information is available
on the Web at- http://www.physics.umd.edu/~inted/
2. GIREP: John Fitzgibbons announced that the GIREP and ICPE jointly sponsored
conference, entitled "New Ways of Teaching Physics" is to take place in
Ljubljana, Slovenia from 21-27 August, 1996 and will cover topics such as:
demonstrations, labs, computers, interfacing and networking. More information
is available on the IOP home page of the Web.
3. Gordon Ramsey briefed the committee on the LFMK conference in Linkoping,
Sweden, from 25 July to 3 August, immediately prior to the AAPT summer meeting.
He gave a tentative list of American participants. This meeting will include
participants from the USA, Denmark and the other Scandinavian countries, and is
part of a reciprocal invitation involving the AAPT and the Danish APT.
4. Betty Preece announced that the NSTA is organizing a conference in San
Francisco, to be held from Dec 27-29, 1996, entitled, "Global Summit on Science
and Science Education". She distributed information and registration forms.
AAPT Winter 1997 meeting at Phoenix:
1. Sponsored sessions:
a. Highlights of international conferences in 1996 - G. Aubrecht, chair
b. Highlights of the LFMK conference in Sweden - G. Ramsey, chair
c. Others which may be submitted at the College Park meeting.
2. Meeting format: The AAPT Executive Board has proposed that the winter
meeting will begin a new format, namely: 2 1/2 days of workshops and 3 1/2
days of sessions, adding 1/2 day to the workshop schedule. More information
will be available in the AAPT Announcer and at the College Park meeting.
3. Abstract deadlines are: Sept. 6 for Invited papers and Sept. 13 for
contributed papers.
Other meetings in 1997:
1. Laszlo Baksay - The steering committee has been selected and plans are
underway for the US-Germany-Hungary conference in 1997. Agreements with
Hungary are set with George Marx. Contacts are still being made in Germany.
There is positive feedback from the NSF for a tri-lateral meeting, but the
German side has not yet made a commitment. There is also a possible problem
with conflicts, given the numerous conferences scheduled for 1997.
2. Bob Clark gave some information regarding the Inter-American conference in
Argentina around mid-July, 1997. He will be in close contact with Ernesto
Martinez to obtain more specific information for the committee.
3. There will be a physics teaching conference in Volvograd, Russia in
June, 1997. More details will be forthcoming, when available.
Other Committee Business:
1. Bob Sears solicited a complete list of eligible countries for the Fuller
Fund, so that there will be no ambiguities in selection criteria for candidates
to receive a complementary two year membership in AAPT. These must be from
developing countries, where it would not be easy to establish contact and
involvement with the AAPT and its activities. Al Menard and Gordon Ramsey
will construct a list, based on the initial work of Al Gibson. The committee
passed a motion to approve such a list.
2. Gordon Ramsey, incoming chair, passed around a list of "directions for the
committee" and project ideas. The main emphasis was on communications and
dissemination of information regarding committee work and world-wide events
relating to physics teaching. He would like to establish a communications
web to encourage more international collaborations in physics teaching.
He also distributed a copy of the committee mission statement and solicited
feedback on its content and form.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
=============================================================
Submitted by G. Ramsey
