House Bill 515
This information was provide by Evelyn Restivo, Daniel Marble, Sandra S. West, Jill Marshall and others. The STAT board has also asked affiliate presidents to consider sending the information out to their membership.

Jerry Madden, representative from Plano, has introduced a bill (House Bill 515) to eliminate the space requirements in science rooms, despite being given the safety research about the increased hazard of overcrowding. If passed it would prevent TEA from adopting facility standards that include minimum room size requirements on science rooms, computer rooms, libraries, gyms, in fact all rooms. Plano wants to save money. If the room requirements are lifted then the 22 student ratio for elementary would also be dissolved, along with other number restrictions.

If passed, it would prevent TEA from adopting facility standards that included minimum room size requirements on classrooms, science rooms, computer rooms, libraries, gyms, etc. This bill, according to Rep. Madden's office is designed to "remove unfunded mandates for districts & that the loss of this safety requirement will not prevent districts from doing the right thing." Even when other safety requirements, such as from the fire marshal's office, is in place to protect students and teachers, Rep. Madden's rationale that this safety requirement is not needed.

Perhaps, our profession's recommendation is to exclude science rooms from this bill. This will also be discussed at the business meeting at the APS/AAPT/SPS meeting in March at SFA.

Summer Professional Enrichment Opportunities
by Daniel Marble

I have attached two program flyers (pdf files) that I received which are for paid summer professional enrichment opportunities for "Pre-Service Teachers" at the Engineering College at Texas A&M and at Argonne National Labs. Please spread the word to any students who you know that are presently in secondary math/science teaching programs and would be interested in such opportunities.

http://www.tsaapt.org/newsletters/200502/E3.pdf
http://www.tsaapt.org/newsletters/200502/preserviceprogram.pdf

• TSAAPT needs nominations for vice-president and 2-year college representative of TSAAPT. Please send their name and school affiliation to David Donnelly at donnelly@txstate.edu.

• The Texas rural PTRA sites are still interested in enrolling high school teachers. If you know of anyone who would be interested in the program, they can contact Karen Jo Matsler at Karen_Matsler@birdville.k12.tx.us.

• The Pre-College site for ComPADRE is now live. It can be found at http://www.compadre.org/precollege/

• Do you know pre-college physics teachers that deserve recognition for their hard work? If so, please send their name and school affiliation to the awards committee chair, David Brink, at debrink@tenet.edu.

• "I wanted to let you all know that PhysTEC (now called PTEC) is sponsoring a national teacher preparation conference at Ball State University March 11-12. I’m not sure I’ll be able to go, but I think it would be nice if someone from Texas could go. For more information, or to register, go to www.ptec.org, and click on the “Conferences” link. Please pass this info along to anyone who might be interested." - David Donnelly

• Here are a few images from the Fall 2004 meeting of APS/AAPT/SPS at Baylor: http://www.tsaapt.org/2004Fall/images/officers.html

Spring Meeting at SFA March 3-5, 2005

Spring Meeting

March 3-5, 2005: Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, will host the Spring 2005 Joint Meeting of the Texas Sections of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the American Physical Society (APS), and Zone 13 of the Society of Physics Students (SPS).

Meeting Home Page: http://www.physics.sfasu.edu/springmeeting.html

Pre-registration Deadline: February 20, 2005

Modeling Instruction Program
http://modeling.asu.edu

Scientists Find Missing Matter
http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697,66487,00.html

Tsunami Relief - Online Donation Form
https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp

2005 "World Year of Physics"
http://www.physics2005.org/

Wiley Faculty Network
http://he-cda.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-106091.html

Space probes feel cosmic tug of bizarre forces
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/sciences/story/0,12243,1302857,00.html

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF)
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/home/education/surf/index.html

NASA World Wind Software
http://learn.arc.nasa.gov/worldwind/

Why Women Live Longer Than Men - PowerPoint - Funny and True
http://observe.phy.sfasu.edu/courses/ast105/lectures105/99-Interesting/whywomenlivelongerthanmen2.pps

10 most dangerous intersections & photos
http://www.statefarm.com/di/danlist00.htm

Fogbows, Halos, and other Cool Atmospheric Phenomena
http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/droplets/fogbow.htm

Physics Study Guides and Solved Problems
http://www.sparknotes.com/physics/

AIP Career Services
http://www.aip.org/careersvc/

Physics Question of the Week
http://www.physics.umd.edu/lecdem/outreach/QOTW/active/questions.htm

Physical Science Resource Center (PSRC)
http://psrc.aapt.org

AAPT Teaching Resources
http://www.aapt.org/Resources/

What's new at APS?
http://www.aps.org/WN/

Check out this little parody
http://www.spiteyourface.com/one/

Ghost Research?
http://www.ghostresearch.org/

What does your phone number spell?
http://www.phonespell.org/

Here is an amazing optical illusion you may be able to use in your class. If you stare at this image for a while you can see a giraffe. Don't give up. It sometimes takes as long as 20 seconds.

Organization Links

Thanks to the TSAAPT officers and others for the links and information above. Feel free to send any interesting links that you find. This email message is sent to Texas physics teachers, students, and friends of TSAAPT. If you would like to be removed from the emailing list or are getting multiple copies of these newsletters, then feel free to reply to this message with your request.