July 6 – 8, 2016
London, Ontario
Presented by James Ball, Saara Naudts, Roberta Tevlin
OAPT Physics Teachers

This summer’s physics camp will be three days packed full of physics, pedagogy and professional friendship. The good news is that the OTF will pay for your overnight accommodation, meals and travel expenses. Your only cost is a $50 registration fee, and this is refunded once you complete the course. Registration is only open until June 24 and we usually fill up well before the deadline, so register ASAP.

The OAPT Physics Camp is like an OAPT conference, but slowed down so you can savour the flavours. You will be hanging out with two dozen teachers, attending the same workshops and taking the same breaks. You will get a chance to have some extended discussions and make new friends.

James will be leading sessions on Role Playing, Videos and Context-Rich Problem-Solving, Black Holes and What Wiley Coyote can teach us about Physics.

Saara will be leading sessions on Using Digital Media, Cosmology, Inquiry-Based Learning Using Probeware and Conceptual Questions.

Roberta will be leading sessions on Motivating with Competitions, Getting Girl Science Power, Modelling Light and Generating Electrical Solutions.

If you need accommodation, we recommend that you request the Previous Night Accommodation as well as the standard two nights. The first morning starts at 8:30 and you don’t want to miss anything. Most of these institutes run from 8:00 to 3:30. However, because most of our participants are coming from far away, our sessions will run until 5:15 for the first two days so that on the third day we can finish after lunch and you can use the afternoon to travel back home.

This workshop is free to all OTF members (dues paying members in AEFO, EFTO, OECTA or OSSTF). If you are not a member of OTF, you may attend but there will be a charge. Contact roberta@tevlin.ca for more information.

James, Roberta and Saara look forward to seeing you there. In case, you are still not sure, here are some testimonials from previous summer camps:

“WOW!! The OTF physics summer camp was a whirlwind of an experience that not only left my head spinning with new ideas and concepts but also a renewed sense of purpose and excitement, something I hadn't felt since my early days of teaching.  If this program ceases to exist, it will definitely be a sad day for physics teachers across Ontario.”

Scott Young

“The OTF Physics Summer camp was the best Professional Development that I have been to in my 14 years of teaching.  I attended at a time when I was doubting my role as an educator and my future in education.  The camp and the presenters rejuvenated my love of teaching Physics.  Their enthusiasm was infectious and each workshop was challenging and useful. There has been no other training, workshop, seminar, conference or course that I have taken that even comes close to this experience.”

Serena Macfie

“I found the summer physics session amazingly useful. Specifically, the networking with other physics teachers, the resources and the ideas for activities and labs.”

Andrew Moffat

“These workshops presented the stuff to me in a way that help me relearn without the stress of being a physics teacher who doesn't know the answer (ugh!), and also in a way that I can present the same material to my own students. The fact that we can actually spend substantial amounts of time on them is huge, too — we can get the benefit of trying to figure out all the potholes the students will encounter in tackling it for the first time.”
Alasdair Paterson

“Being able to work with and talk to other physics teachers has allowed me to discuss ways to get around certain student misconceptions with people who have dealt with the same issues. The tools and techniques I learned at the summer camp have helped make my classes more dynamic, student centered and entertaining.”

Peter Dobias

“We are fortunate to have an organization such as OAPT that continues to support the necessary PD specific to the subject that we teach. The full attendance and participation in the July OAPT speaks volumes as to what practicing teachers have determined they need. “

David Gervais

“The OAPT/OTF Summer Program has without a doubt made me a much more effective physics educator. The professional development that I received was of the highest quality because it was developed by master teachers who have perfected the strategies in their own classrooms. I hope that the program continues for many more years. Becoming a highly effective teacher takes years of development, and the OAPT/OTF Summer Program has been indispensable to me in walking the journey to becoming a master physics teacher.”
Edward Gissing

“Physics camp was fun, engaging, had tons of usable resources to take back to the classroom and was a great learning environment… exactly what we want for our students, what a great way to learn!”

Kirsten Babb

“I have great memories of last year’s camp. I very much appreciated the amount of time, energy, and thought that the leaders invested in the success of this event. Excellent professional development in a setting where I made many new friends. I plan on attending again!”
Will Lammers