2010 Medal Winners | francais

The 2010 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Prairies and Northwest Territories)

is awarded to

Barry Edgar

winner citation

The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) is pleased to announce that the 2010 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Prairies and Northwest Territories) is awarded to Barry Edgar, Strathcona High School (Edmonton, AB), in recognition of for his passionate, childlike excitement about communicating physics to students and his breadth of knowledge about the relevance of physics and its impact on society. His many accomplishments include the development of the Physics curriculum in the Advanced Placement program, producing distance education modules, appearing on educational television to teach science, writer of science textbooks, his leadership in the Fluid Power Challenge and Edmonton Science Olympics, his invited presentations at the Alberta Teacher's Association conferences, his mentoring of beginning physics teachers, and his ability to mesmerize students about physics. He is able to coordinate several different classroom learning styles simultaneously, letting as many as 120 students per day choose their own personal style of learning and then ensuring that they accomplish the goals within their chosen style. That so many students return to his school to let him know how he inspired them is a fitting testimony to one of Canada's outstanding physics teachers. announcement

Barry Edgar has been teaching within Edmonton Public School district for over thirty six years. He is currently teaching physics at Strathcona High School in Edmonton, AB. He is an exceptional teacher of physics not only because of his knowledge and expertise of the physical field, but because he can make the curriculum come alive with fascinating stories and sensational hands-on labs. Students are captivated the entire class by his incredible teaching style. It is no wonder that he has been recipient of numerous teaching awards throughout his career including the ATA Science Council outstanding science teacher award, APEGGA Teacher Award,and finalist for the Alberta "Excellence In Teaching" . His classroom work isn't the only thing that sets him apart from others. It is his extra-curricular work he has taken on throughout this illustrious career. This includes working with the Edmonton Science Olympics for thirty years (chaired the committee for the last twelve), and organizing and executing the yearly "Fluid Power Challenge Program" with APEGGA. If he looks familiar to you, it is maybe because you recognize him as the "know it all" teacher on ACCESS "Homework Hotline show" in which he did for thirteen years. He has also been a publisher for various textbooks and is a yearly contributer to exam writing for physics diplomas. His contributions to physics teaching in Alberta is endless. He has affected and influenced countless students who have been lucky enough to be in his class or be part of the numerous clubs he is a part of. Numerous students that have taken his class have seen the magic of physics and have pursued jobs or education in the physics field. He is a man of modesty, selflessness, integrity, who is all about helping others. There is never an alterior motive in his actions; everything he does is to serve others. His limitless enthusiasm for life and physics rubs off on everyone he comes in contact with. His colleagues learn how to be better teachers and better human beings. nominator citation

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