Workshops

A Taste of RTOP is a tutorial developed to raise awareness of the use of video and a classroom observation tool (the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol123) in the professional development of teachers and faculty. The tutorial is designed to initiate conversations and to develop a shared language and understanding about reformed instruction in science and mathematics. There is ample evidence that current teaching practices do not impact students' conceptual understanding. So then how do we break the cycle of "teaching as we were taught?" What does "better instruction" look like? What is reformed instruction? Does reformed teaching foster greater student understanding? Can we really quantify STEM teachers' practice? Will formative feedback accelerate professional growth and increase teacher retention?

 

Participants in the tutorial will actively discuss introductory physics teaching video vignettes to examine the use of video and RTOP in reflectively changing their own instructional practice. Parts of this tutorial were originally developed as a professional development experience for use in the PhysTEC4 project by Paul Hickman, and this tutorial is available regularly at AAPT and some NSTA meetings.

1. M. Piburn, D. Sawada, K. Falconer, J. Turley, R. Benford, and I. Bloom. "Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP)." ACEPT IN-003. (ACEPT, 2000). The RTOP rubric form, training manual, statistical reference manuals, and sample scored video vignettes are all available from <http://PhysicsEd.BuffaloState.Edu/AZTEC/rtop/> under RESOURCES.

2. A.E. Lawson et al., "Reforming and evaluating college science and mathematics instruction: Reformed teaching improves student achievement," J. Coll. Sci. Teach. 31, 388-393 (March/April 2002).

3. D.L. MacIsaac and K. A. Falconer. "Reforming physics instruction via RTOP," Phys. Teach. 40 (8), 479-485 (Nov 2002).

4. PhyTEC is the Physics Teacher Education Coalition, a consortium of (mainly US) educational institutions whose physics departments are promoting and improving the preparation of qualified physics and physical science teachers. See <http://phystec.org>.