Jim Ross: Experience and Publications

The Short Story


Jim CasualJim Ross has more than 40 years experience in high school science education, in both private and public school systems. Jim's teaching career began in 1976, but really got underway in 1979 at Nicholson Catholic College in Belleville, Ontario. For six years he was the Coordinator of Investigative Studies at NCC, where his portfolio included science, math, history, geography, and the social sciences.

With a few fruitful excursions, Jim was in continuous service as a teacher of high school chemistry and physics until his early retirement in 2007.

From 2001-2005, Jim taught the pedagogy courses in Chemistry, Physics and Intermediate Science at the Faculty of Education at the University of Western Ontario.

Between 2012-2015, he taught physics and chemistry at Fanshawe College.

Jim has served as president of the Ontario Association of Physics Teachers, and has been an active member of the Science Teachers' Association of Ontario.

During that time, Jim has followed the "teacher - researcher" model of curriculum development. Every one of his many innovations was based upon peer-reviewed educational research journals, plus the experience of gifted science teachers and informed collaborators. These innovations have been tested on students, and constantly refined. The result is the IntuitivScience series of Work-Texts.

 

 Publications:

 

2013 Table Manners for Beginners  A Civilized Introduction To The Ross Periodic Table (2nd Ed.)

 2013

Table Talk for the ExperiencedFurther Conversations About The Ross Periodic Table (2nd Ed.)

2010

Chemistry Interactions 11 (Edvantage Press, Sidney BC)

2004

Explaining Reproduction - Grade 9 Academic Science

 

Exploring Reproduction - Grade 9 Applied Science

 

Explaining Chemical Change - Grade 9 Academic Science

 

Exploring Chemical Change - Grade 9 Applied Science

 

Exploring Electricity - Grade 9 Applied Science

2003

Explaining The WeatherGrade 10 Academic Science

 

Explaining The Solar System Grade 9 Academic Science

 

Explaining Electricity Grade 9 Academic Science

 

Exploring Ecosystems Grade 9 Applied Science

2000

Grade Nine Academic ScienceLab Manual and Teachers Guide

 

Grade Nine Applied ScienceLab Manual and Teachers Guide

1999

Research, Practice and Teacher Internship J. Research Science Teaching 36(2).

1994

The Graininess of Everyday ThinkingM.Ed Thesis

1988

Grade Nine De-Streamed ScienceLab Manual and Teachers Guide

 

Detailed Curriculum Vitae

 

 

23 Years of Research, Publishing and Leadership in Science Education  

2009-11

Lead author, Chemistry Interactions 11  for Edvantage Press, Sidney, BC, Canada.

2007-09

 Co-author, ON Science 9 and ON Science 10, the Ontario academic science textbooks for McGraw-Hill-Ryerson.

2000-07

 Author, twenty-four titles Ross Lattner Educational.  Table Manners and Table Talk represent an inventive approach to chemistry learning.

2005-07

 President and Executive of Ontario Association of Physics Teachers. Helped organize physics teachers’ conference at the Perimeter Institute, in Waterloo, Ontario.

1989-2021 Annual speaker and workshop leader: Science Teachers= Association of Ontario (STAO); Ontario Association of Physics Teachers (OAPT)
1993-2007

Teacher – researcher. Developed pedagogical models of chemistry, electricity, kinematics and the scientific method, all founded upon studies of the epistemology of science and evidence within adolescent language. Designed related learning materials.

1999

 Guest Editorial in the Journal of Resarch in Science Teaching:  Research, Practice and Teacher Internship JRST 36(2).

1997

 Speaker, Fourth International Conference on Misconceptions in Science, Cornell University, June 13 – 15

1987

Founded, with Mike Lattner, Ross Lattner Educational Consultants, a small private publishing company.

 Education 

1996

M Ed., curriculum studies: University of Western Ontario
Thesis: The Graininess of Everyday Thinking, a study of the cognitive structure of students' thinking about heat and temperature.

1976

B Ed., Queen's University, Kingston Ontario. Chemistry and Physics

1975

Hon B Sc, U Waterloo.  Chemistry, with concentrations in organic and biochemistry; options in physics, math, and arts.1988

Professional Positions

2016

Temporary teacher of the International Baccalaureate senior chemistry, senior biology, and grade 10 science, Catholic Central High, London ON  

2013-16

Professor at Fanshawe College, London, Ontario. Pre-Health Sciences (physics and chemistry) for health care and nursing candidates.

1976-P Full time secondary school teacher of chemistry, physics, general science, mathematics, hydraulics, drafting, and co-op education, with occasional forays into history, geography, religion, social sciences and literature. And loved every minute!