PhET Blog

We’re presenting PhET’s work May 11-15 in the NSF 2015 Teaching and Learning Video Showcase. View our video and browse the more than 100 other great videos about STEM teaching and learning. You can even join the conversation by posing questions to presenters. Vote for your favorites with the “Public Choice”. Winners will be announced on Monday May 18th.

Want to learn more about how to use visualizations—animations and simulations— in chemistry education? This conference will discuss a range of topics in the study of chemistry visualizations, providing insights into: problem solving practices; student ownership; multi-model learning; and inclusive chemistry learning. Each week there are two “assigned” papers for reading, and then an open discussion period where participants can post questions and engage in a public discussion with the authors. Join us for some or all of the conference:

Time: Friday, May 8th 9 PM through Friday, June 4th 9 PM
Link: http://confchem.ccce.divched.org/2015SpringConfChem

PhET will be featured during:

May 15-21
Using an Interactive Simulation to Support Development of Expert Practices for Balancing Chemical Equations
Yuen-ying Carpenter, Emily B. Moore, and Katherine K. Perkins

May 29-June 4
Designing Accessible Interactive Chemistry Simulations
Emily B. Moore

The PhET team would like offer our sincerest gratitude to all the dedicated educators of the world. Thanks for inspiring your students to reach their peak! #ThankATeacher

Congratulations to Conifer Chemistry Teacher and PhET K12 Specialist, Trish Loeblein, on her retirement from teaching!

Trish has been a dedicated teacher for over 30 years, and a member of the PhET team for the last 10, helping design over 50 simulations and contributing over 130 guided-inquiry-based activities along with many teacher resources! Her activities are the most popular in our database with more than 900,000 downloads in the past year. In addition, she has run numerous teacher workshops and webinars, both locally and nationally. Over her many years of teaching, Trish has touched thousands of students focusing on their learning, specifically understanding and learning to think, NOT just memorization.

Thanks Trish for inspiring a generation of students! And while the students will certainly miss you in the classroom, we are excited that you will continue to work part-time with PhET! #ThankaTeacher

In honor of #ThankaTeacher week, PhET would like to thank Prof. Martin Veillette. Martin comes to us from Berea College where he is an associate professor of physics, teaching courses across the physics curriculum, from astronomy to quantum mechanics. He has been an avid user of PhET simulations as an instructor and this year he has been with us working as a software developer, learning the tools of the trade during his sabbatical leave. During his time at PhET, he partnered with Amanda McGarry to create the brand new #HTML5 sim Least Squares Regression. He also worked on the upcoming #HTML5 Charges and Fields and Pinko Probability.  When he’s not teaching physics, you can see him in “creeking” in the streams of Kentucky. Thanks Martin!

Use the #HTML5 Wave on a String to learn about wave properties. Watch a string vibrate in slow motion. Wiggle the end of the string and make waves, or adjust the frequency and amplitude of an oscillator. Adjust the damping and tension. The end can be fixed, loose, or open.

Recently PhET attended the Reimagine Education Conference for “outside-the-box” approaches to higher education at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. PhET was honored to share the overall prize with PaGamO from National Taiwan University. Read about other honorees and the conference at http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/glimpse-future-oscars-innovation-higher-education/

Try the new #HTML5 Molecules and Light simulation. Do you ever wonder how a greenhouse gas affects the climate, or why the ozone layer is important? Use the sim to explore how light interacts with molecules in our atmosphere.

Interested in working for PhET? Know someone who is? Forward this to math educators and education researchers in your community! And of course, apply if you’re interested! Dr. Karina Hensberry (khensberry@mail.usf.edu) and Amanda McGuarry (amanda.mcgarry@colorado.edu) will be at NCTM Booth #647 and Rm. 153 C (BCEC) Friday, April 17 11:00 AM-12:00 PM.

Two math education positions—both focusing on teaching and learning pre-algebra and algebra with simulations (grades 6-9)—are open as described below. Application review will be ongoing (disregard any dates in the postings) and continue until filled. Please contact Kathy Perkins at Kathy.Perkins@colorado.edu when you apply.

Post-doctoral research position: https://www.jobsatcu.com/postings/75448
K12 Simulation Designer/Specialist: https://www.jobsatcu.com/postings/96105

See us at our Booth #647 at the exhibit hall. And, on Friday, learn about how to use PhET Sims in your math classes with Karina Hansberry and Amanda McGarry.

Practical Strategies for Teaching with Interactive Computer Simulations
Friday, April 17, 2015: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
153 C (BCEC)
You can use interactive simulations (sims) to engage your students with math content and support their development of the CCSS mathematical practices. Learn practical strategies for integrating sims into your teaching and designing sim-based activities. Videos of teacher practices for effective sim use and lesson plans will be shared.