Griffith Jones, Ph.D.
T. Griffith Jones, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Griff Jones is a clinical associate professor of science education in the College of Education. With two decades of experience teaching all science subjects to K-12 students, college students, teachers, school administrators, and teacher-educators throughout the U.S., Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, Dr. Jones specializes in designing effective inquiry-based, interdisciplinary science programs. He has authored several highly successful and nationally-disseminated inquiry-based science textbooks, curriculum guides, onlinecourse materials, and science lab teaching materials.
As a K-12 classroom teacher and science department chair from 1987-2007, Dr. Jones developed successful elementary science and honor physics programs for a diverse range of learners. In addition, through his work with the science education program at the University of Florida’s College of Education he developed effective science methods courses and numerous academic linkages between K-12 and post-secondary education. As the Coordinator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute – Undergraduate Cross-Disciplinary Laboratory at the University of Florida, Dr. Jones helped develop a new curriculum and laboratory design that together constitute a fundamentally new model for undergraduate natural sciences instruction.
His most well known collaboration has been with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization, IIHS.org). As part of his work with this organization, Dr. Jones developed two educational films and inquiry-based teaching materials focusing on the practical, and potentially life-saving, application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in car crashes. These award-winning films are used by thousands of teachers throughout the U.S. and impact millions of high school science students each year.
Dr. Jones has received state and national-level recognition for his efforts as a K-adult science educator, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching awarded by the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences, and The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in 1998.
Dr. Jones is currently the Director and Principal Investigator of the Florida STEM TIPS Initiative, a Florida Department of Education and UF project to support, empower, and connect STEM teachers and instructional coaches as they work together to boost student achievement.
Dr. Griff Jones on the Web:
Interviewing 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan:
A. What are some of the safety features of an Indy race car?
B. What does it feels like to drive a race car and experience high Gs?
NSTA’s podcast Lab Out Load® interviewing Dr. Jones about his work with the IIHS
A Science that Saves Lives– Read the NSTA January 2013 article from The Science Teacher
Research Interests and Publications
Recent Presentations:
- NSTA National Science Conference on Science Education, Nashville, April 2016
- UF Transportation Institute Conference on Enhancing Driving: An Interdisciplinary Approach, invited speaker, Gainesville, FL, Nov. 2015
- NSTA National Conference on Science Education, Chicago, March 2015
Download Presentation Materials:
- Revised Lesson: Penny for Your Thoughts on Inertia
- Revised Lesson: Momentum Bashing Part 1
- NSTA journal article: “Crash Science – A Science That Saves Lives” Cronin Jones, L. & Jones, G., 2013
- NEW Lesson: Distracted Driving Dangers (draft)
- NEW Lesson: Momentum Bashing Part 2 (draft)
- NEW Lesson: Ball of Energy (draft)
- NHTSA TV PSA 5 seconds
- NHTSA TV PSA Stairs
- 1959 Bel-Aire crash with 2009 Malibu
- Egg Drop classroom movie
- Paper Car Crash classroom movie (YouTube)
- Paper Car Crash supplies
- Free viewing of special classroom editions of IIHS videos on YouTube:
- Video #1: Understanding Car Crashes – It’s Basic Physics
- Video #2: Understanding Car Crashes – When Physics Meets Biology
- Teacher’s Activity Guide Video #1 by Dr. Jones for Understanding Car Crashes – It’s Basic Physics (PDF format, 37 pages) Download Here- teachers_guidePhysics
- Teacher’s Activity Guide Video #2 by Dr. Jones for Understanding Car Crashes – When Physics Meets Biology (PDF format, 35 pages) Download Here- teachers_guideBioPhysics
- Car Crashes Web Exploration_Jones2013
- Car Crash Parent letter_Zerr2013
- Crash Math Forces_Zerr2013