ELE 3290 --- Science in the Elementary School

Course Description:

Prerequisites:
Six hours of science; Block I courses; concurrent enrollment in Block II.

Purpose of the Course:
To involve students in the process of learning about the nature of science; a sample of its content and the methods used to acquire the content. With knowledge of such processes, and an understanding of student abilities, pre- service teachers will design lessons compatible with various grade levels.

Outcomes specific to this course:

Incorporate contemporary science education philosophies and techniques in the planning of lessons.
Engage in active debate about an S-T-S issue.
Interview children with various Piagetian tasks and write a paper reflecting how your findings relate to teaching science.
Explain how discrepant events relates to brain functioning, Piagetian theory of learning and the the Learning Cycle.
Analyze a series of lessons into their components of the Learning Cycle.
Evaluate curriculum materials for their use of contemporary science education practices.
Derive activity-based lesson plans from 20 professional journals articles.

Course Goal:
This course will help students overcome negative feelings about the place of science in their classroom curriculum. Positive strategies for lesson planning and implementation will be stressed.

Course Requirements:
Students will earn ~ 40% of their grade by reading and critiquing journal articles; interviewing children on a series of problems; and acquiring science resource materials. The remaining part of the grade will be determined through class quizzes and tests. Attending all classes is mandatory and a 10 point deduction will be made for each absence if the make-up assignment is not completed.

92+% = A -- 82+%= B -- 75+% = C -- 65% and lower = F

Course Texts:
1988: Carin / Sund: Teaching Modern Science --- 1991: Williams: More Mudpuppies arid Magnets

Topic I: Preparing to Teach by Learning:
It is impossible to be a interesting teacher unless you are interested in learning. Teachers often teach the way they have learned. This concepts will be the major theme of the course as you experience a diversity of methods that will appeal to a variety of many learning/teaching /content styles as you become involved with science content and process. Several lesson planning strategies will be modeled and analyzed. While no one is "better" than the other some are more appropriate for the age and cognitive level of the student; and context of the subject matter being presented.
Readings in this section of the course will deal with the nature of science and the seeds of curiosity needed to investigate natural phenomena.

Topic II: Preparing to Teach by Examining Theory:
The concepts of autonomy, heteronomy and constructivism are the true thrust of Piagetian thoughts; not developmental stages. These ideas are also at the heart of the way teachers design their classroom; develop their lessons and express their philosophy of teaching.
Readings in this section of the course will reflect several diverse ideas on the nature of learning.

Topic Ill: Preparing to Teach by Accumulating Resources:
Teachers cite the lack of teaching materials as a major reason for not teaching science. Students will learn how to examine diverse curriculum materials -- both traditional commercial publications, and those available at low/no cost. Students will find a variety of print; multi-media and human resources via traditional research methods, and by use of the Internet.

Topic IV: Teaching by the Book
How do "state guidelines" and "state tests" determine what and how teachers teach? Students will ply their lesson writing skills with state / national guidelines in mind. How do these conservative "rules and regs" help and hinder the teacher's efforts to individualize her instruction and seek way to traditionally evaluate and creatively use alternative assessment techniques?

ncate knowledge-based guidelines

THEME:

EDUCATORS AS CREATORS OF EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS; INTEGRATING STUDENTS, SUBJECTS, STRATEGIES AND SOCIETIES.

LEARNING MODELS:

These models appear throughout the course and are reflected in
+ the day-to-day classroom interactions, and
+ the nature of all assignments.

Information-Processing Model

This model emphasizes ways to make sense of the world by acquiring and organizing data, sensing problems and generating solutions to them.
The model focuses on input, processing, and output.

As content is taught, the teacher directs students' attention to the methods and materials used to present data and tries to get students to focus on what they are doing to make sense of the data

Personal Systems Model

This model emphasizes that learning occurs when individuals assimilate and accommodate new experiences into already existing cognitive structure.

The model pays attention to the individual perspective so that students can better take responsibility for their own learning.

Knowledge Based Sources: Assignments #9 & #11 have nine articles related to Piaget.

8 / 21m / 95 - 1 / 12f / 96