Director, Center for Science & Mathematics Education
Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor of Physics & Astronomy

 

Info

My calendar with drop-in hours and appointment scheduling.

Office: Tracy Hall Science Center 204
Email: ajohnston@weber.edu
Phone: 801.626.7711
Address: 1415 Edvalson Street Dept. 2509; Ogden, UT 84408

Etc.: Personal page

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Engagement

I work in two parallel universes, the Center for Science & Math Education and the Department of Physics & Astronomy here at Weber State. Even as I was hired by a physics department, much of my work is specifically in science education. My research focuses on how students and teachers come to understand what science is and how that gets represented in classrooms and other learning spaces. I get to collaborate on projects including our NSF funded Propel project that provides scholarships and teaching opportunities for future science and math teachers. I work with classroom teachers at all levels, but I've also worked with dancers and poets and ski jumpers. There are examples and stories.

Learning

I think education is one of our greatest inventions, and I love teaching. The best person I know how to be is the one that I get to be as an educator. I instruct courses in physics (from Elementary Physics to Advanced Lab) as well as in science education (including Science Teaching Methods and Elementary Science Endorsement courses). I feel like I do a pretty good job with these but I'm also always reconsidering what I'm doing, so my courses are always in flux. Most recently in my career I've been rethinking how we "cover content" in science courses and instead try to link science learning to shared student experiences that they can collectively build into coherent models, sensibilites, and identities. I'm sure that I'll keep rethinking and reconsidering this. More course details and ideas are on my teaching page.

Words

In addition to research I do, I get to contribute a monthly newspaper column compiled here. I also create these materials on science education for teachers and students I work with, and other writing gets piled into this blog occasionally. 

Other Stuff

I'm in a band and co-host a podcast. I link to those and other stuff on my personal page.

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