Cultivating Relationships with Schools of Education

Developing, growing, and administering physics teacher education programs usually requires collaboration between faculty and staff members of physics and education departments. In this panel members of both departments at two institutions will discuss successful strategies they have learned for building strong relationships despite differences in culture, motivations, expectations, and rewards. Faculty members at Georgia State University will discuss topics such as first contacts: getting the conversation started, finding a shared vision, mutual benefits: learning from each other, and walking in two worlds: the role of dual positions. Faculty members at the University of Central Florida will examine what we are saying about our discipline and about pedagogy through our words and actions in content courses. They will also discuss the the effects of curriculum design, the need for scholarship support, high school classroom experiences, benefits for classroom teachers, and completing accreditation and state paperwork. The audience will be asked to participate as well.