Open Lab 2015: July 19-21 at Woodberry Forest School.

It was successful last summer, so we'll do it again -- Open Lab 2015 at Woodberry Forest will be July 19-21.  Here's the official announcement, similar to last year's:

I spend much of my summer running official College Board AP Summer Institutes. I encourage you to join me for one of these... the dates and locations for 2015 are posted in the sidebar.

While I love AP Physics, and I love the Summer Institute format, I also recognize that there's more to physics teaching than can be discussed in a week devoted specifically to the College Board's courses. What about conceptual physics? General physics? Research? And how about college-level physics that doesn't correspond to the new algebra-based AP exams? These topics deserve some attention in serious professional development workshops.

On July 19-21, 2015, I invite you to Woodberry Forest for a Summer Institute that is NOT exclusively devoted to AP physics. I will share my own materials related to non-AP courses; we'll talk about and actually do some activities and laboratory work focused at all levels of physics, from conceptual to research and everywhere in between.

The best professional development gets interested teachers together, in person, and then facilitates shop talk.  Last year we had ten teachers participating, of all experience levels, and from six different US states.  My goal is that you should be able to have good discussions, with me and with the other participants, about any physics teaching related questions you might have. Hopefully we'll all leave on Tuesday the 21st with a bunch of new ideas to try out. 

I'll post more logistical information shortly. For now, know that there is no charge for the open lab, but there's no grant money, either. You'd need to pay for food and lodging. Arrive on Sunday midday; we'd have a late afternoon formal* session followed by dinner together and an (informal) evening "session" at my house. We'd work all day on Monday, and until mid-afternoon on Tuesday. You'd want to stay Sunday and Monday nights at the Holiday Inn Express in Orange, VA -- that's a five-minute drive** from campus. We'll eat together in Orange for meals, with Sunday night's dinner at my house sponsored by Woodberry Forest's science department. As those of you who have been to my summer institutes know, just being around other physics teachers is professional development, whether we're in the lab, walking around campus, at dinner, in the pub, etc.

* (or as formal as anything I do ever gets)

**(Or a 1.5 hour walk, or a 50 minute jog... I've done all of these.)

There is no "registration," -- just tell me you're coming and make a hotel reservation. Spread the word.