818 Richmond Avenue
Silver Spring, MD20910-4912
MontgomeryCollege at Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus
7600 Takoma Avenue
Takoma Park, MD20912
Dear Committee,
I am applying for the full-time position in physics/Physical Science Facultynumber 2115 at MontgomeryCollege at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. I believe that I would be able to serve the College better in this position, and I would find it personally satisfying as well.
I am a physicist and a member of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers; my Ph.D. was earned in Physics at LouisianaStateUniversity. I have been the physics lab coordinator since September 1992. As physics lab coordinator, I modernized the physics labs at Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus,first with Calculator Based Laboratories (CBL) units and with Vernier Data Loggers, which have probes that measure all of the basic dynamical variables in physics. If I am chosen for this job I would rewrite many of the PH203 and PH204 labs to use these probes and Vernier Data Loggers with computers. Several of the PH203 and PH204 labs already use this equipment.
I have taught Introductory Astronomy, AS101, to non-science majors at MontgomeryCollege since September 1990. I have been the planetarium coordinator since September 1990 and present monthly public planetarium programs, grade-specific planetarium shows by appointment to school groups, and other planetarium shows by appointment to other groups. I realize that as a physics faculty member I would be giving up the planetarium coordinators position in order to teach more physics, astronomy, and geology. I am a member of the American Astronomical Society and an astrophysicist. I am also an accomplished amateur astronomer, and currently I am again president of the National Capital Astronomers(NCA). I use three of the Contemporary Laboratory Exercises in Astronomy (CLEA) activities as lab projects in AS101 and the rest of the CLEA as lab projects in AS102. I use Janus astrolabes in my instruction in AS101;I have my students buy them in the bookstore and use the astrolabes to solve problems. I have taught AS101 (and the same course, PHSC111, at BowieStateUniversity) online using Blackboard. I have also taught AS101 and AS102 via distance learning using WebCT, which is the current platform that MontgomeryCollegeuses. When I teach AS101 the traditional way with lecture, recitation, and lab, as I did last semester and will do again starting January 23 at Montgomery College, I use WebCT as supplemental support for my students. This past Saturday and Sunday, January 7 and 8, I attended the workshop at the 207th AAS meeting,“Learning-Centered Astronomy: A Teaching Excellence Workshop,” and I plan to use additional lecture-tutorials in class starting January 23; I plan to try out ranking tasks for some homework for the first time.
I am the mentor to the Montgomery College Science Club, and several years ago we built a Very Low Frequency InspireRadio with a notch filter that I had acquired, which makes it less necessary to set up the antenna far away from power line noise. This summer when I went to “StarQuest II,” in Greenbank, West Virginia,and had the opportunity to use the small educational radio telescope that receives around 21 centimeters, the HI electron proton spin flip line. I have run teacher workshops in the summer for teachers in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
I am in the process of applying for the “Maya Worlds in Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize" study program, which runs June 18-July 29, 2006. I am working on improving my planetarium program, “Ancient Sky Watchers of Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras, the Maya,” and want to learn more about Mayan astronomy and culture. This program, besides being a planetarium program, can be used in AS101 and AS102 and in other courses to internationalize our curriculum. Many of our students are from one of these countries, and many have Mayan ancestors. The Mayans were masters of many calendars, some of which we are just learning about now that most of the Mayan glyphs can finally be read.
In addition to teaching physics and astronomy at MontgomeryCollege, I can and have taught physical geology, GL101 at MontgomeryCollege. I have also taught SOSC107, Earth Science, at SoutheasternUniversity in the District of Columbia many times. A syllabus from this course is on the Web at . I have taken MontgomeryCollege students, Science Club members, on field trips to Great Falls and SugarLoafMountain where we have studied the geology. I recently visited Sidling Hill in Maryland with my wife, and it, too, would make a good destination for geology student field trips. I am aware of rock outcroppings a few blocks from the campus on East West Highway that make for interesting field trip possibilities. Upper and lower Rock Creek, also easily within field trip distance for Montgomery College geology students, also have many interesting rock strata that are easily examinable. MontgomeryCounty and its near environs have a lot of interesting geology. I have dug for fossils in PrinceGeorgesCounty with Science Club members near Murkirk Road and U.S. Route 1, near where the first dinosaur fossil was discovered in North America, the Astrodon tooth, from Maryland’s state dinosaur. I took a graduate level geology course while I was a graduate student in physics at LSU. Physics has invaded geology, just as it has invaded biology more recently. I am a member of the Geological Society of Washington, and a bit more than an amateur geologist. I have not published any geology papers in referred journals; my publications have been in physics and astronomy.
While I am reasonably confident that there is more than sufficient ESH in the physical science department that I can teach if I obtain this faculty position, I have also successfully taught many mathematics courses here at MontgomeryCollege in the past. I am an applied mathematician as well as a physicist or astrophysicist. I am a very versatile educator, and have even taught BI106, “Oceanus: the Marine Environment,” while at MontgomeryCollege several times.
Classes taught at MontgomeryCollege as an adjunct
AS101, Introductory Astronomy, traditionally in the planetarium and via distance learning both using Blackboard and now WebCT.
AS101, Introductory Astronomy, College of the Air, "Universe the Infinite Frontier" no longer offered in this format at MC.
AS102, Introduction to Modern Astronomy, via distance learning using WebCT.
PH203, General Physics I,traditionally, lecture, recitation, and lab.
PH204, General Physics II,traditionally, lecture, recitation, and lab.
MA100, Intermediate Algebra, traditionally, but I used MyMathLab at and all of my students that came fairly regularly to class and did their online homework andonline quizzes passed the course based upon three exams and a final given in class.
BI06, Marine Environmental Science, College of the Air, "Oceanus: The Marine Environment at MC." Students met with me three Saturdays to ask questions and took a midterm and final with me additionally.
GL101, Physical Geology, lecture, recitation, and lab.
Prealgebra, when it had a different number than now.
Elementary Algebra, when it had a different number than now.
Survey of College Mathematics, when it had a different number than now.
Intermediate Algebra and Trigonometry, when it had a different number than now and included trigonometry. I allowed some students to do a special extra credit project on astrolabes; and this turned at least one English major around and she started doing well. She respected Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote "The Treatise of the Astrolabe;" and she could identify with him. I also started using Journals (now we call them Portfolios) because of an article that I read in the Journal of College Mathematics, "What is this Writing Doing in a Mathematics Course?" I think teaching this mathematics course was pivotal into making me a better teacher.
Classes taught at BowieStateUniversity as an adjunct
PHSC111, Introductory Astronomy, traditionally, lecture, recitation, lab several times in the Connecticut Park Adult Education Center in Montgomery County, and once at the Shady Gove Center, in Montgomery County, and once in the planetarium at Montgomery College. I also taught this course via distance learning by using Blackboardon Bowie’s Web sight when the students watched videos on television, "Universe the Infinite Frontier," we did three Contemporary Laboratory Exercise in Astronomy lab projects.
Classes taught at SoutheasternUniversity in the District of Columbia as an adjunct
SOS107,Introduction to Science II, actually "Earth Science," or geology without a lab component (unless you count showing rocks from my own collection to students). Geology is the first science I ever practiced, as I began collecting rocks as a child.
Classes taught at LouisianaStateUniversity while a graduate student
Introductory Astronomy labs, a fellow graduate student and I repaired the Spitz planetarium at LSU, which had not been working, and started using it in instruction. After this the department put the planetarium on preventative maintenance, with Spitz, and it is still being used in astronomy laboratory instruction at LSU.
General Physics I labs for engineers who were not physics or chemical engineering majors.
General Physics II labs for engineers who were not physics or chemical engineering majors.
General Physics I labs for physics and chemical engineering majors.
General Physics II labs for physics and chemical engineering majors.
Short course in astronomy for gifted high school students during the summer.
Short course in astronomy for gifted elementary students during the summer.
Classes taught at StateUniversity of New York at Stony Brook while a graduate student
Self Paced Physics modules for Premedical students. This was an experimental course supervised by Arnold Swartz, then the editor for the "Physics Teacher." It was a superior method of instruction for students, but it used so much staff (graduate student) and faculty time that it was eventually abandoned because it was uneconomical. With the use of computers in instruction now the economics would be reversed (I think), but this was in 1974 when personal computers did not exist. Pricilla Law and others use methods somewhat like this now. It is very cooperative and involves no lecture, or virtually no lecture
Traditional labs for General Physics I, premed clientele.
Traditional labs for General Physics II, premed clientele.
Enclosed with this letter are links to the following:
- Eight page Curriculum Vitae;see the URL
- a shorter two page Curriculum Vitae used with an NSF proposal;see the URL
- a four page academic autobiography; see the URL
- a copy of the main planetarium Web page; see the URL
- a copy of the Web page describing the planetarium program “Ancient Sky Watchers of Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras, the Maya,” ; see the URL
- a copy of the Web page describing the planetarium program “Polarization Sundials,” ; see the URL
- a copy of the Web page describing the planetarium program “Space-Time Invariance and Quantum Gravity,” ; see the URL
- a one page summary titled “Current College Wide Planetarium Activities,” which I prepared at my dean’s request to go to the academic vice president; see the URL
- a copy of the Web page describing the interdisciplinary community discussion “Faith in Science”; see the URL
- a copy of the Web page describing the interdisciplinary community discussion “Navigating Uncertainties”; see the URL
- a copy of the Web page describing the Learning Communities linked course Astrophilosophy, AS101 and PL201, scheduled to be offered in the Fall of 2006, ; see the URL
- a copy of the Web page describing the Learning Communities linked course Astrobiology, AS101 and BI107, which could be offered in the Fall of 2007,if I find a biology faculty member interested in partnering with me as Dr. D’Souza didin Philosophy; see the URL
- a copy of “Star Dust,” the newsletter of the National Capital Astronomers, NCA; see the URL
Possible Research Projects for Undergraduates
- Beginning with a historical astrolabe, determine when the star map (rete) was most likely current, considering the spherical trigonometry, conformal projection, and astronomical precession. We would scan historical instruments at the AmericanHistoryMuseum of the Smithsonian, which has the third best collection of astrolabes on the planet. I have scanned one astrolabe owned by a private individual in MontgomeryCounty, and so I know the technique will work. Electronic scanned images of the astrolabes, which are nearly two dimensional, provide a better image than even a very good digital camera. See the images of the Wheeler astrolabe at
- Explore the physics and mechanics behind a Mayan atlatl.
- Explore Mayan calendars, an example of this project with honors modules in AS101HM with Thomas Schnieder, who has now transferred to the Astronomy program at the University of Hawaii. This student made a PowerPoint paper/presentation and gave an oral talk at the honors colloquium in front of all Honors Module,HM, students at the college. His oral talk was better than his PowerPoint presentation shows. Report see
- Explore the Expanding and Accelerating Universe,an example of this project with HM in AS101HM with Simere Sium, who is still a Montgomery College Student for one more semester. This student made a PowerPoint paper/presentation and gave an oral talk at the honors colloquium in front of all HM students. See
- Lesson plans in astronomy or physics for schoolteachers in grades K-12.
Students must make a PowerPoint paper/presentation and given an oral talk at the honors colloquium in front of all HM students at the college. I have done this in honors modules in AS101HM with pre-service student teacher Ariel Nachtigal on “Teaching Kids about HESSI and Waves with Rocketry” (report at (he actually used this in last summer’s job, which helps pay for his college classes; he works at a private school) and with Ben Sellers, a 5th grade teacher who now teaches High School in Prince Georges county, on “Astronomy in the Elementary Classroom: Two-day lesson on the relationship between the Earth’s moon and eclipses.” See
References who know about my teaching:
- Dr. Susan Thonton, former chairman, and chemistry professor
MontgomeryCollege
7600 Takoma Avenue
Takoma Park, MD20912
301-650-1413 office
301-279-9085 home
- Dr. Anthony D’Souza, philosophy professor, who am working with on Astrophilosophy, AS101 and PL201, in a “Learning Community.” This course is due to be team taught in the Fall of 2006 at MontgomeryCollege; we have spent a year working on it. He has brought all of his classes into the planetarium since 2003 for the “5W’s of the Universe,” URL:
I have spent time in his classes last summer 2005 and in the fall of 2005. We are also walking partners for mutual health and intellectual stimulation.
MontgomeryCollege
7600 Takoma Avenue
Takoma Park, MD20912
301-650-1395 office
301-587-4998 home
anthony.d’
- Dr. Nancy Grace Roman; several summers we taught together, “Astronomy Across the Science Curriculum: A Workshop for Science Teachers.”She is a retired NASA bureaucrat and was the program scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope.
4620 North Park Avenue, Apt. 306W
Bethesda, MD20915
301-656-6092 home
- C.J. Ross, Executive Administrator, for AFSCME Council 67, I have taught Member Educator classes for union Stewards multiple times with C.J. She knows about my teaching ability.
1410 Bush Street Suite A
Baltimore, MD21230
410-837-7278 extension 165
410-752-1848 FAX
410-917-7216 mobile
800-727-3332
5.Dr. Sharon Hauge, chair person in the mathematics department, who has observed me when I taught mathematics courses.
MontgomeryCollege
7600 Takoma Avenue
Takoma Park, MD20912
301-650-1395 office
Other Astrophysical References:
- Dr. Joel Tohline, Professor, and my Ph.D. dissertation advisor.
Physics and Astronomy Department
LouisianaStateUniversity
Baton Rouge, LA70803-4001
225-578-6851 office
225-578-5855 FAX office
225-766-6937 home
225-933-0927 mobile
2. Dr. Alan Boss, staff member at the oldest nonprofit research organization in the country; I worked for him as a post docand helped make his hydrocode second-order in space and time.
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Department of Terrestrial Magnetism
5241 Broad Branch Road
Washington, DC NW 20015-1305
(202) 478-8858 office
(202) 478-7972 FAX
Sincerely,
Dr. Harold Alden Williams