The Global Physics Department: A weekly virtual physics teacher coaching and professional development site Globalphysicsdept.org

An 18-month-old model of physics teacher professional development on the web, the Global Physics Department is a free, Elluminate-based (Java-based video collaboration) weekly physics audio-video presentation broadcast dedicated to physics instruction and pedagogical practices, and delivered via the web Wednesday evenings at 9:30 p.m. ET (sessions are recorded for asynchronous review). Viewers may pose questions to the presenter or other viewers using conference text or audio chat and whiteboard tools. The GPD provides opportunities for online reflection and discourse —kind of like a weekly physics alliance meeting for shut-ins via the web. Topics addressed within the past three months include advice to new college physics teachers, advice to new H.S. physics teachers, an overview of the AAPT Summer Meeting in Philadelphia (the Millikan Medal address by Philip Sadler and related artifacts are particularly powerful), talks by John Townsend on QM, Ted Hodapp on PhysTEC, Eugenia Etkina on the Rutgers physics...