Why?

This is the third generation of IB Physics website that I have developed for workshop participants and their students. The original, a google website, was inspired by other IB physics teachers (particularly David Hoult) who shared their notes and worksheets on the OCC and elsewhere. As teachers we put a lot of effort into developing resources for our own students, it's a simple thing to share them with the world. Physics teachers are a rare breed often working alone, it's always useful to see what others are doing even if its not the way you'd do it yourself and it is in that spirit that I have put together this website.

 

Where?

As you can see from the picture of my HL 2008 class below I work at a school with a lot of different nationalities, it's the Red Cross Nordic United World College in Norway .  You can also see in the photo that I have a SMART board, the best thing that ever happened to physics teaching. When not in the classroom my main passion is rock climbing but I also surf, flyfish and walk my Gordon setter Ben.  As well as providing me with nice students to teach the RCNUWC has given me a beautiful laboratory full of some of the best equipment available. This has enabled me to develop the use of ICT in my teaching resulting in the ICT and Physics website I designed for the OCC.

  

 

What?

Physics is physics but not all physics courses are the same, I certainly notice this with the diverse range of students I teach at the UWC. IB physics is about understanding concepts rather than learning to solve difficult "Physics Olympiad" style problems, this makes things difficult for students who have been coached in problem solving rather than really taught how to use models to understand our universe. Another aspect many students find challenging is applying what they have learnt in practical situations, any student can apply theory to simple idealised situations but the real world is very different. Giving students the freedom to devise their own investigations adds another level of complexity leaving even the most experienced physics teacher struggling for an explanation.

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