Interdisciplinary Science Workshop

Project TEACH & Interdisciplinary Science Teacher Education Alliance of Colleges and High Schools Keith Clay, Co-Director

For further information… Keith Clay: Interdisciplinary Science: Project TEACH: This presentation:

Project TEACH The Full Cycle of Teacher Preparation 1. High School 2. Community College 3. University College of Education 4. K12 Beginning Teacher Mentoring

Teacher Education Is there a shortage?  In the next 10 years, America needs to hire 2.8 million new teachers. (DOE, 2002)  Washington had 3000 vacancies for elementary and 5000 vacancies for secondary in (OSPI)  But recent grads of elementary teacher education programs have had trouble finding jobs. (Seattle Times, Daily Olympian)

Teacher Education The Need in Washington  Rural schools report shortages in all areas  Top 5 teaching shortages forecast ‘02 – ‘07  Special Education 72%  Mathematics 51%  Science – Chemistry 44%  Science – Physics 38%  Science – Biology 38%  Washington now has a MS Math & Science endorsement with no programs in place  Districts are recruiting elementary & middle school math/science specialists

Project TEACH “Strategy 3”  Mathematics for elementary teachers course sequence  3-qtr., Interdisciplinary Science course sequence  Courses model interactive teaching and active learning To strengthen math and science for elementary schools.

Project TEACH Math Curriculum  Three quarter sequence covers foundations of:  Arithmetic  Geometry  Probability and statistics  Content class taught through interactive methods  Students are introduced to WA State’s Essential Academic Learning Requirements  Linked to mentored field experiences with exemplary elementary teachers

Project TEACH Interdisciplinary Science  Inquiry-based with little lecture  Projects introduce education students to national standards and/or EALRs  Three-quarter sequence for elementary education and other liberal arts majors  Interdisciplinary approach includes biology, geology, physics, and chemistry

Interdisciplinary Science: The Student Challenge  Attract future elementary teachers to a new yearlong science course  Integrate biology, chemistry, geology, and physics into an inquiry lab setting  Make it cohesive, cumulative, and interesting  Make it challenging, not intimidating

Interdisciplinary Science: The Student Challenge  MYTH: Elementary ed majors won’t take more science courses than absolutely necessary.  REALITY: Almost all of our elementary ed students stick around for two quarters and many are staying for three.  We have 55 IDS students now, of which 45 claim a primary interest in elementary ed.

Interdisciplinary Science: The Curriculum Challenge  Inquiry-based and Hands-on: Less than 20% of time in lecture Students are often self-guided  Coherent & Cumulative: GRCC uses a “Climate” theme Links to the “real world”

Interdisciplinary Science: The Curriculum Challenge  Get your science faculty together  Make a list of “key topics”  Be prepared to throw the list away  Your students will show you what they need to learn

Interdisciplinary Science: The Curriculum Challenge  Length, Area, Volume: is this science?  Heat radiation, Vapor pressure, Plate tectonics, Photosynthesis: are these? Can your students learn about the second group of subjects without the first?

Interdisciplinary Science: The Curriculum Challenge So be creative…  Rainfall – What’s an inch of rain? If an inch of rain falls on the rain gauge at the right, how deep will the water be?

Interdisciplinary Science: The Curriculum Challenge Hydrology – what’s the discharge of a river? And be more creative…

Interdisciplinary Science: The Curriculum Challenge Textbooks?  We write our own  Physics by Inquiry, McDermott and PEG  Geology Lab manuals (loaned to students)  Biology text to be determined

Interdisciplinary Science: The Instruction Challenge Who’s gonna teach it?  Team teach if you can  Teach it the way that your students will teach  Hang on to your faculty  Build consensus among administrators, instructors and non-participating faculty

Interdisciplinary Science: The Instruction Challenge What if we just lecture?  Arizona State U (Wyckoff, Hestenes): There is a direct correlation between learning and a lack of lectures  Montana State U (Francis, Adams): Students in inquiry-based classes are better problem solvers and retain more factual knowledge one year after the class.

Interdisciplinary Science: The Instruction Challenge What if we just lecture? “I was a volunteer at a public school. I took IDS because I needed a science credit. When I saw people teaching science the way I wanted someone to teach my kids, the way I wanted to teach, I decided to become a teacher and changed my major. Now I’m thinking of becoming a middle school science teacher.” Lori Epperson IDS alumna

Interdisciplinary Science: The Instruction Challenge Teaching by Inquiry is a lot of work! (for the students and for the teachers) The payoff for these students is huge. Some instructors just don’t get it. Cherish the ones that do.

Interdisciplinary Science: The Results  Students show improved scores on general science tests.  Students score significantly higher on the Science Attitude Inventory (Moore and Foy, Miami University) Lori Epperson Presenting about Project TEACH At a national AACC/NSF convention

Interdisciplinary Science: The Results  IDS students helped create an elementary education degree with a minor in science  IDS and GRCC math alums now lead the charge for the middle school math and science endorsement. Debbie Hanninen Helped to lobby CWU to create the elementary ed/science option

Project TEACH Associate Pre-Professional Degree in Elementary Education English ENGL 110 – College Writing ENGL 111 – Writing in the Humanities ENGL 180 – Children’s Literature Humanities/Fine Arts SPCH 100 – Basic Speech Communication 10 credits from ART, MUSIC, DRAMA or DANCE Social Science PSYCH 100 – General Psychology or PSYCH 210 – Developmental Psychology ANTHR 202 – Cultural Anthropology or AMES 100 – American Ethnic & Minority Studies 10 credits from courses with prefixes of: HIST, GEOG, POLI SCI or ECON Fitness/Wellness PE – Fitness Course HL ED 190 – First Aid and Personal Safety Science IDS 101 – Interdisciplinary Science I IDS 102 – Interdisciplinary Science II IDS 103 – Interdisciplinary Science III Mathematics MATH 170 – Foundations of Elementary Math I (Number Theory) MATH 171 – Foundations of Elementary Math II (Geometry) MATH 172 – Foundations of Elementary Math III (Prob. & Stats) Professional Core/Practicum EDUC 170 – Introduction to Education EDUC – Tutoring in the Elementary Schools EDUC 110 – Child Development EDUC 197 – Introduction to Special Education EDUC 270 – Teacher Portfolio Review

CWU at GRCC  Six quarters - Fall, 2002 to Winter, 2004  Classes taught at GRCC and local schools  credits per quarter  Run through Continuing Education - CWU  Elementary education major, science education minor, and K-8 certificate  CWU faculty advisor travels from main campus

CWU at GRCC 3 rd and 4 th Year Program Specifics

Bibliography  IDS Website:  Physics by Inquiry: PEG at UW (and check out the workshop)PEG at UWworkshop  Explorations in Physics, Laws, et al Explorations in Physics  Atlas (etc.) of Science Literacy: Proj2061Proj2061  National Science Standards and Inquiry National Science Standards Inquiry  Asking the Right Questions, Browne and Keeley Asking the Right Questions