Session 03

21st Century Skills for Success Beyond High School

How can we best prepare our students for life beyond our classroom? A major improvement in physics education has been the transition to inquiry-based teaching, but this involves much more than just a different kind of lesson. It requires a shift in our understanding of what is valuable to teach and what our goals of teaching are. The learning environment we create and the ways in which we assess our students will either support or quash these goals. Join Chris in an exploration of 21st century skills in the physics classroom and learn how to support and nurture skill growth, while your students build a deep understanding of physics.

Biography

Chris Meyer completed a Specialist Degree in Physics at the University of Toronto, but didn’t really get this physics stuff until he began teaching. From his experiences “teaching” physics at A. Y. Jackson (North York), the Ontario Science Centre, Rosedale Heights (Toronto) and now York Mills C. I. (North York) he realized the teaching techniques he was raised with were not adequate. After attending a lecture by Edward Redish at the University of Toronto, and becoming acquainted with Physics Education Research, things began to change. Now Chris gives presentations across southern Ontario encouraging teachers to stop teaching and start helping their students to learn.