Jon Celesia - SFSU Physics Dept.

jcelesia@stars.sfsu.edu

415/338-7706

CURRENT PROJECTS:

* Writing a tutorial to accompany the Lea/Burke text (Physics: The Nature of Things) for the lower division, calculus-based physics courses. In the tutorial/guide I am attempting to first build a conceptual understanding of the each chapter, and then proceed to basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. I attempt to ramp up the students' understanding through exercises that range from the likes of "What's the acceleration at the top of the path," to full calculations. I include detailed solutions which are worked out very methodically. I do my best to make the thinking clear and try to take the path of someone that connot yet see through the entire problem. I also include quiz questions/solutions that address common misconceptins or reinforce key points that the students' should not lose sight of and fully explained solutions. My goal is to greatly increase the students' conceptual understanding, physical intuition, sense of reasonable magnitudes of various physical quantities,and problem solving and quantitative analysis skills.

* Future Teachers Club advisor. This club is just starting up and long overdue. The club specifically targets those interested in teaching math and/or science at any level. It will be student run and will be a resource for both information and activities that support inquiry into and training in teaching. The club is one of the many projects that have sprung up from the NSF funded MASTEP project (Math And Science Teacher Education Program). Kelly Pointer (senior, Biology Dept.) is the student assistant for MASTEP and the driving student force behind the club. Professor Jose Gutierrez of the SFSU Math department is the other advisor to the club. Nan Carnel is with the Biology deptartment and is one of the primary coordinators of MASTEP.

* Prep. Physics Course/First Semester Screening Exam: Together with the College of San Mateo (Barbara Uchida and Mohsen .....) and City College of SF (Annette Rapplyea and Peter Rowe), I have submitted a grant proposal to the MASTEP project to develop, offer, and assess both a screening exam to be given at the beginning of the first semester algebra-based and calculus-based physics courses.