Friday 17 February 2012

Helen Pollard's (Ogden Trust) comments about her recent visit to the Physics Factory


Dear Philip,

Thank you very much for your warm welcome at the Physics Factory last week – it was a rare treat for me to take part.

Jenny, Neil and you have such a good blend of knowledge, enthusiasm and empathy with the teachers, which together make for very effective training. The lab looked tremendous – well organized storage and inspiring displays. With so much practical work – set up and ready for us to use- we quickly assimilated the value and idiosyncrasies of the demonstrations and class practicals you introduced. I liked the way you encouraged discussion and valued our contributions. The powerpoint notes, which exactly matched the requirements of the specification,  were very valuable. 

Thank you also for giving me the opportunity to chat to Caroline. The ambassador role is very important to her, and she was keen to let me know the kind of activities made available to her- no doubt that the experience has been of real value to her – as well as to the younger students she has influenced.

I tried some aspects of your current electricity model with Cambridgeshire GTPs last week - most notably, the circuit diagram tape on the floor.  An excellent source of discussion. It won’t be long before I have a drinks carton lift cage complete with plasticine man to replace the slotted masses in my ‘efficiency’ experiment! Many thanks for these, and other ideas.
It’s always good to see other trainers in action – we can pick up so many hints and alternative ways of presenting the physics.

No comments: