About Bill Calhoun

I am a physics teacher at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School in Taunton MA. In 2018 I was the Lead Teacher for B-P's team of physics teachers, and responsible for writing a curriculum that would align with the new Massachusetts science framework, a variation on the Next Generation Science Standards. You can view a summary of that curriculum here.

In 2021 I received a Graduate Certificate in Physics Teaching from Montana State University in Bozemon. MSU is home to an excellent collection of six graduate-level science education programs, plus a Masters degree program. The Graduate Certificate courses are online and mostly asynchronous. MSU hosts the National Teachers Enhancement Network, a partner with the NSTA.

Prior to that, in 2017, I received a Masters degree in Information and Learning Technologies at the University of Colorado Denver. I have always enjoyed designing (and redesigning) curriculum and instructional materials for my students, and I have a reputation for being good at it. Eventually I discovered the physics simulations created by the team at PhET (link here), hosted by the University of Colorado Boulder. I was amazed at how beautiful, useful, and effective the simulations were.

I was so amazed that I decided to pursue my Masters degree at UC.

This site serves as a repository of work I did at UC Denver, presented in a digital portfolio. I also write here about instructional design and e-learning, and provide links to readings, videos, Twitter, and other blogs, websites, and projects.

You can visit my teaching blog here where I write about teaching, and about a framework I am developing for understanding and describing teaching.


Resume ►

William H Calhoun
wcalhoun@bptech.org
wm.h.calhoun@gmail.com
https://billcalhounteacher.blogspot.com/
https://teachingframework.blogspot.com/


Current Experience ►

Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical SchoolSep 2012 - Present
Physics Instructor
Taunton MA
  • Teaching 11th & 12th grade Applied and Advanced Physics (2012 - present).
  • Physics Curriculum Lead Teacher (2013-2014, 2018-2019).


Spirit of Knowledge Charter SchoolSep 2010 – Jun 2012
Science Department Head, Physics Instructor
Worcester MA
  • Science Department Head, Taught 9th & 10th grade Physics and 8th grade Physical Science (2011-2012).
  • Taught 9th grade Physics and 7th & 8th grade Physical Science (2010-2011).



Education ►

Montana State University Bozeman
Graduate Certificate in Physics Teaching, 2021

University of Colorado Denver
Master of Arts in Information and Learning Technologies, 2017
eLearning Design and Implementation track.

Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
Bachelor of Arts in Physics, 1976
Certificate of Teacher Preparation - Physics

Massachusetts Educator Certifications
Physics, Grades 8-12
Instructional Technologies, all grades



Other Experience/Education ►

The Beacon Charter High School for the Arts
Music Teacher
Woonsocket RI
  • Taught after-school Introductory Music Theory class.
The Music School of the RI Philharmonic
Music Teacher
E Providence RI
  • Creator and teacher of The Physics of Music-Making, a workshop offered to elementary and high school classes.
William H Calhoun, Piano Technician
Proprietor
Woonsocket RI
  • Self-employed as a professional piano technician working throughout Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut.
School One
Science Department Head, Science Teacher
Providence RI
  • Science Department Head & Teacher, responsible for all science classes for all high-school grades.
The Pomfret School
Physics Teacher
Pomfret CT
  • Taught Physics, Astronomy, Physical Science, and Math.
The Museum of Science
Volunteer
Boston MA
  • Volunteer for the Education Department for two summers.


The New England Conservatory
Boston, Massachusetts
Certificate in Piano Technology, 1986