Integrated Science for Middle School Teachers

Rod Nave, Georgia State University

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Motivation for Course Sequence

  • Most Graduates had only Biology

  • Graduates expected to teach material from all disciplines

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Curriculum Decisions

  • Offer 5 disciplines of science: Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Geology, Biology

  • Link to Georgia QCC/NSES

  • Model effective pedagogy

  • Make applicable to everyday life

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The Integrated Science Sequence

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The Learning Environment

  • Curriculum theme-website

  • Communication-website

  • Assessments: hands on, tests, concept maps, portfolio

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Benefits

  1. Profs feeling responsibility for students' learning

  2. Profs seeing students as prospective teachers - dispositions addressed early

  3. Integrated concepts of science - always surprise profs and students

  4. Profs as learners of other content

  5. Science is doing, inquiry - science as habit of mind, scientific inquiry

  6. Openness of learning environment - inquiry in class, demos ask for prediction

  7. Alternative assessments - portfolios have told us many things about students

  8. Planning together, reflecting together - "Did they get it? How do we know?. If not "What should we change next time?"

  9. Constant comparison to QCC/NSES - looking at MS texts - evaluation of what they need to know and what we should teach.

  10. Profs videotaping classes - looking at students, looking for learning.

  11. House Theme - grounding of the content, connections to life, portfolio connections.

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Challenges

  1. Group planning, resolving

  2. Breaking out of mold - see each other teach, watch yourself teach on video

  3. Always taught this way or in this order - resolving

  4. Grading - different methods of assessment

  5. Multiple "parents" - who does student identify with?

  6. Students not in sequence

  7. Textbook? - no resolution

  8. Time credit for faculty

  9. Portfolio elements - appropriate content, level, presentation

  10. Plagiarism by students

  11. Writing ability of students

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Sustainability

  • How to sustain an expensive idea

  • Curriculum changes

  • Instructor in charge - department investment

  • Coordinator in Science Education



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