On the train to Boston on Wednesday, the view for most of the ride was gray and dreary. But coming out of the station–blue sky and sun! After what seemed to be an endless winter, I hope that was a sign to indicate the bright ideas we’ll learn from our colleagues here at the conference.
In addition to the general sessions and a stroll through the Exhibit Hall, I went to a session hosted by Gary Nakagiri, an educator from California on “Developing a Toolkit for the Next Generation of Science Leaders.” He demonstrated with us the use of case studies to examine beliefs and facilitate the change process. I’m wondering if a collection of case studies around the implementation of NGSS would be a helpful resource?
We’ve all heard of amusement park physics and seen projects that related physics and music. Using the nearby Philadelphia Museum of Art (yes, the one whose steps Rocky ran up in the film), a team from Drexel University has developed an app for “Physics in the Art Museum.” The app can be accessed for free through the App Store. Search for “Drexel” (right now, the app is best used on a iPad). You can use it without going to the museum, because photos of the art work are included in the app. I visted the Boston Museum of Fine Arts this evening after the conference (it has later hours on Thursdays), and I found myself looking at art from a new perspective!