University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota began project activity in August, 2007.  Project activities include: 

• The selection of the first TIR from an existing teacher mentoring program.
• A pre-existing physics education track.
• Grouping of pre-service PhysTEC teachers into a cohort.
• A recruitment plan that includes a freshman seminar on inquiry-based learning and the Physics Force.
• Research Experience for Teachers (RET) and Quarknet as components of a mentoring program for PhysTEC graduates.
• Active Teacher Advisory Group and Teaching and Learning Assistant programs already in place.
• History of using recruiting Learning Assistants in Physics for Elementary Teachers.
• Project assessment as a primary concern of a graduate student in Physics Education Research.