President, IHPST (2003-2005)
Conference Chair, The 7th International History and Philosophy of Science Teaching Conference (IHPST), Winnipeg, MB. July 30-Aug.3, 2003
International History, Philosophy and Science Teaching Conference
Our research spans the spectrum from early years science to the college and university levels. At the international level, we have developed a close relationship with the programs offered in science education at the Deutsches Museum (DM) in Munich, Germany. The primary contact there is Dr. Juergen Teichmann, Professor of the History of Science and Director of Programs. In addition, we have ongoing contact with researchers in seven countries: Germany, Hungary, Australia, Switzerland, Unites States, and Argentina. We believe that what is needed is an international effort guided by historians, scientists, educators, and teachers, that will respond to the challenge of writing materials and finding pedagogically sound ways of incorporating the history of science in science education.
Our group has received a $45,000 grant in 1999 and a $50,000 grant in 2002 from SSHRC. These grants are for our research seminars and the running of a major international conference in history and philosophy of science and education. We have organized four small (30 participants) international seminars, three at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany (1997, 98, 99) and one at the University of Winnipeg, in 2001. (See our website).
In the last conference of the IHPST group in Calgary (July, 2007):
- My play "An evening with Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton" was performed (see PDF in the History of Science and Drama section.)
- Gave a paper (with Juergen Teichmann) about Fraunhofer and the early history of spectroscopy. This paper will be published in the forthcoming proceedings and will go on line. See ucalgary.ca
The History of Science in Science Education Research Group
The History of Science in Science Education Research Group has been together since 1997. We have mounted four International Seminars for the History of Science and Science Education. In 2006 we had two conferences, both in Germany. For detail about the conferences, see: sci-ed.org.
We were also involved in the organization of the "Sixth International Conference for the History of Science in Science Education" in July of 2006 in Oldenburg, Germany. See: uni-oldenburg.de
July 2006: Oldenburg, Germany: Conference: "Constructing Scientific Understanding through Contextual Teaching".
July 2006: Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany: Conference on "Story and Science Teaching".
July 2004, Hungary: "Units of Historical Presentation".
July 2001, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg: "History of Science in the Science Classroom"
July, 2000, DM, "Uses of History in Science Education".
July/August 1998, Second conference: DM, Munich. Topic: "History of Science and the teaching of Science".
July/August 1997, First International Conference on the History of Science and Education: Deutsches Museum (DM), in Munich. Topic: "History of Electricity".
Other Conferences
Our group hosted the 7th IHPST conference in July of 2003. See our website.
Two of us (Stinner and Metz) were involved in the conception and the mounting of the conference mentioned below. This conference was held on Lake Como in June of 2003. Juergen Teichmann of the DM, Falk Riess, and Arthur Stinner are the editors. From the itinerant lecturers of the 18th century to popularizing physics in the 21 st century exploring the relationship between learning and entertainment. See: uni-oldenburg.de