Welcome! This is teachingphysics, a website where those involved in teaching physics (in Scotland, for now) can arrange to meet to share resources and ideas. Because it can be edited and added to by the community, it ought to be relevant and up to date all the time. Not a bad thing with so much changing in the curriculum in Scotland at the moment.

Resources

There are plenty of good places where we already share resources - find and share links to them here.

Browse excellent resources uploaded here in the folders. Why not add your own - Physics teachers like yourself are always looking for good resources to use or adapt.

Book reviews

Following Drew's idea on SPUTNIK, there's a new book review page.

Meetings and CPD opportunities

The most effective sharing of good practice takes place when teachers meet face to face. You might know how good it is when you get 10 minutes to share ideas at a QIN or in the coffee breaks at some excellent CPD. We hope to be able to make these teacher-meets-teacher moments more regular and better supported across the country.

Register and contribute: publicise your meetings, no matter how formal or otherwise. You are welcome to put CPD opportunities here.

Scottish Learning Festival

I'll be doing a seminar for Learning and Teaching Scotland on the Wednesday (that's the 23rd) at the Scottish Learning Festival focussing on using National Qualifications Online Resources in the classroom. Basically how to modify them to make a snappy happy resource for enhancing the learning and teaching experience in your classroom. If you have any methods / ideas/ resources you would like me to highlight then don't hesitate to contact me. I'll also be on a Curricular discussion group on the Thursday but details of that to follow.

Sean D

Meetings coming up

• Monday 21st September in Glasgow Science Centre from 5pm: Teltron Tubes, Girls in Physics and more to be arranged - for details contact Ronna Montgomery

• Wednesday 23rd - Thursday 24th September 2009 Scottish Learning Festival

• Wednesday 23rd September 2009, Teachmeet

• 09:30-16:00, Saturday, 26 September 2009 ASE Tayside: CfE Day Conference: Planet Earth Monifieth High School

• Thursday 6th October 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Observing the Moon and Jupiter this winter, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. Workshop for those planning to run telescope observing activities this winter, especially during School Moonwatch 22 - 29 November. To register, contact dave [dot] chalton [at] stfc [dot] ac [dot] uk, tel 0131 668  8343.

• Thursday 1st October 2009  Curry at the Amritsar, Kirkcaldy. Cheese, with a naan on it. And Physics.

• Thursday 12th November [time tbd, about 7-9], IoP Edinburgh Meeting. Contact Tom Balanowski tom.balanowski [AT] wled [dot] org [dot] uk to let him know you're coming. Tom's looking for volunteers to give a 5/10 minute presentation on what is happening in your school in relation to Physics / Science Education and ACFE. Get in touch if you're up for this. 

• 17:00-19:30, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 ASE Grampian: Hands-on Science in the Classroom: with a focus on Forensic Science and Renewable Energy The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen 

• ASE Scottish Science Education Conference, Dunblane Hydro, Friday 5th - Saturday 6th March 2010. Programme and booking form here (pdf - it's last year's at the moment but hopefully will update very soon). 

• Teachmeet:PhysTech - 13th May 2010, Dewars Perth 6p.m. - an unconference for Physics and Technology teachers. Sharing good practice in the informal style. Still subject to confirmation, join us live or on the web, click the link for details.

Recent meetings

• Saturday, Sept 19th, 10:00-15:00, IOP Network Day "Supporting Physics in the North" including: AH Physics, Rockets, Teltron tubes, Optoelectronics College, Using ipods and itunes and a manufacturers and publishers exhibition at Fortose Academy - for details contact Nick Forwood or Stuart Farmer.
• CURRY NIGHT IN DUNDEE Jahangir on Thursday 17th of September. Confirmed so far: S. Duffy, L. Boath, N. Taylor, A. Taylor (possibility) stick your name up if you fancy it. Kick off about 1815!
• IOP/ASE/3B Scientific workshop on Teltron Tubes at Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen on 17th September, contact Stuart Farmer
• IOP/ASE/3B Scientific workshop on Teltron Tubes at Belmont Academy, Ayr on 16th September, contact Tom Clark
• IOP/ASE/3B Scientific workshop on Teltron Tubes at SSERC, Dunfermline on 15th September, contact Stuart Farmer
• Thursday, 10th September from 17:00 at Crawfurd Lecture Theatre, Jordanhill Campus, Uni of Strathclyde, ASE West of Scotland/IOP lecture and workshop: "If birds and pigs can fly, then why can't I?" by Tom Clark and Ronna Montgomery
• Wednesday, 9th September from 19:00 at Robert Gordon's College, ASE Grampian: "AH Physics Investigations" by Charles Buchan, Fraserburgh Academy and SQA Visiting Verifier for AH Physics Investigation unit
• Thursday 27th August 2009  Curry at the Amritsar, Kirkcaldy: new term, new kids, new enthusiasm.... new ideas.
• Earlier meetings  

* SPUTNIK is the network facilitated by the Institute of Physics for teachers of physics in Scotland. If you want to join, contact Brian Redman at the IoP by email, there's no fee and you need not be a member of the Institute.