Texas Physics Teaching Resource Agents (PTRA) Programs

Funded by the Texas Regional Collaboratives

 A Project of the University of Dallas

Funded in part by the Texas Regional Collaborative, the University of Dallas, Texas Tech University, Lee College, and the American Association of Physics Teachers.

 The PTRA programs provide hands-on experience for middle or high school teachers of physics and physical science.  They provide technological and pedagogical approaches to teaching that are research based and proven effective in the classroom. Teachers will have a deeper understanding of content in addition to learning how to use calculator and computer-based software for data acquisition and analysis, video analysis, and simulations. 

 Teachers will receive training from experienced classroom teachers that have been trained in effective classroom strategies that have been tested and used by teachers around the nation.  The AAPT/PTRA program has been providing quality professional learning experiences for teachers for the past 20 years.  For more information on the program go to http://aapt.org/PTRA/index.cfm.

Program and Description

 Participants will receive training hours in waves and energy from C³P or PTRA manuals and electricity from the CASTLE curriculum in addition to other content areas relevant to the needs of the participants.

 Sixty participants will be selected, twenty to attend one of three sites at the University of Dallas, Texas Tech University or Lee College

 Selected participants will provide a minimum of 12 hours of mentoring to at least 5 people in their school or district.  

Download a pdf version of the brochure.  (You will need  Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Program Components

Participants are required to make a two-year program commitment.  The program components include:

1. Attending a week-long summer institute (40 contact hours) held in June on the campus of UD, TTU or Lee College.

2. Attending follow up sessions during the school year.  Normally these are two day sessions (12 hours) held on a Friday and Saturday at the host university.

 District Responsibilities

1. Released time for teachers to attend the follow up sessions.

2. Opportunities for the participants to work with other teachers in their school and district through staff development initiatives.

3. Reimbursement for travel (gas/mileage) to the participant.

Participants

Each participant will receive:

1. A total of 105 contact hours over a period of 2 years.

2. Room and board provided.

3. Supplies and equipment for classroom use. 

4. Optional 6 hours of graduate credit (3 hours per year) from the University of Dallas (of which the program pays half of the $300 tuition and fee cost).  

Tentative Summer Schedule

• Texas Tech University:    June 4 – 10, 2006  

• Texas A&M University:    June 4 - 10, 2006

• University of Dallas:        June 11 – 16, 2006

• Lee College:                     June 18 – 24, 2006

Graduate Credit Application Form

Download a pdf version of the Special Student Application Form.   In addition to a completed application form, participants wishing to receive credit must request an official transcript from the Registrar of the institution from which they received their undergraduate degree.  Submit the application, transcript, and fee to your workshop leader for processing.

Contact Information