Go directly to links on this page: Description   Students   Instructional Focus   Goals & Objectives
Assignments   Exams   Typical Class   Calendar   Final Note

General Context. The purpose of the Précis is to introduce you to the general structure of E328, and to present the general context in which the teaching and learning take place. With this perspective in mind, it is hoped you will gain a sense of the overall connectedness of the course assignments, student samples, and sample lesson plan found in this course portfolio.

Course Description.  E328, Science in the Elementary School, is an integral part of the first cluster of professional education courses take by elementary education majors at Indiana University. Grouped with E343, Mathematics in the Elementary School, and M201, an early field experience, E328 focuses on the development of science teaching competencies such as teaching for conceptual change, planning inquiry-based activities, using questions to facilitate discussions, and assessing learning. The course is designed to help students develop the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions so that they can implement developmentally-appropriate, inquiry-based science lessons in their future K-6 classrooms. There are typically six to ten sections offered each semester, and I currently teach two sections per semester. In addition to this course, I previously taught the companion E343 mathematics methods course and the M201 early field experience component. Two years ago, I piloted the integration of all three components by simultaneously teaching the science and mathematics methods courses to a group of 44 early childhood majors in a large classroom with tables instead of lab stations. Although this portfolio focuses specifically on E328, the other two courses are integral to my thinking about how this course should be structured and taught, and I refer to them throughout this portfolio.

The Students. E328 students are typically a mixture of sophomores and juniors, with some seniors. They are overwhelmingly female. Because of lab size, no more than 24 students are enrolled in each section. Pre-requisites for this course include Q200, a basic introduction to scientific methods, data collection, and analysis. Students are also expected to take an introductory science course in geology, biology, chemistry, or physics, and often do so concurrently. Depending upon the semester, students have virtually no science background or some background. One challenge of this course is the intertwining of science teaching methods with basic science concepts in ten to twelve different sciences. And as this is most students’ first field experience semester, they have little or no teaching background or classroom experience, and tend to have numerous misconceptions about teaching and what it means to be a teacher.

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Instructional Focus.  This section of E328 is subtitled An Active Learning Approach because I expect students to inquire into the nature of science teaching and to become active participants in their own learning. After the first few weeks of the semester, the entire class is typically spent in active involvement with hands-on, inquiry-based activities. Throughout the semester I focus on:

Hands-on/minds-on learning. Activities and assignments are designed to help students develop personal definitions of teachers and teaching. I ask students to think about past and present teaching/learning experiences, and to uncover beliefs (i.e., misconceptions) that may hinder their learning about what it means to be a teacher.

Reflections on and observations of how science is learned. I ask students to think about how science is learned and about their learning styles. Additionally, through the M201 field experience, they have an opportunity to develop an understanding of how children construct their understanding (and misunderstandings) of science by directly observing and working with K-6 students. Reading assignments, class activities, and projects are designed to focus students’ attention on how science is learned, with an emphasis on inquiry-based, developmentally appropriate practice. Students share their thoughts and feelings about teaching and learning through group discussions and written reflections.

Collaborative work with others. As the nations of the world become interdependent, collaborative learning and teaching are crucial “habits of mind.” Students are given an opportunity to learn this skill through group projects and participation in TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) activities.

Goals & Objectives. The goal of this course is to increase students’ knowledge of and confidence in teaching developmentally-appropriate, inquiry-based, K-6 science in a manner consistent with the National Science Education Standards. Students who complete this course (and the field experience) are expected to:

• recognize that science is an active process, and that the learning of science is something K-6 children DO, not something that is done to them
• understand and use a variety of developmentally-appropriate, inquiry-based science teaching strategies
• be able to design a classroom environment where K-6 children describe objects and events, ask questions, construct explanations, test their hypotheses against scientific knowledge, and communicate their ideas to others
• correct K-6 children’s science misunderstandings by finding, adapting and/or designing developmentally appropriate, inquiry-based lessons that develop students’ abilities to use a variety of science process skills
• use technology based tools to develop K-6 children’s understanding of basic science concepts & process skills

Assignments. Assignments are designed to help students synthesis theory and practice by promoting critical thinking and self-reflection. Although I do not use a textbook, there is a course reader with more than 50 journal articles that focus on research findings and/or effective practices. I have written reading prompts for each article, and students work in TEAMs to share information and insights gleamed from the readings, often through a jigsaw or round robin. Readings serve as the basis for class discussions and hands-on/minds-on experiences, and are reviewed and updated each semester.

In addition to an emphasis on professional reading, I encourage quality work through a series of formal (M201 Mini-Unit Assignment) and informal assignments (Teaching Elephant). At the beginning of the semester, I accept only “draft” work and grade assignments on a full credit/no credit basis—if assignments are submitted on time students receive full credit. I provide feedback on these assignments as if they were major projects or answers to test questions (Science for All?). By the third informal assignment I typically see a marked improvement in students’ engagement with ideas and clarity of writing. This strategy also allows me to identify students who need writing assistance early in the semester, and I then work individually with these students. In addition, I am willing to review drafts of papers and projects, and provide feedback that students can incorporate into final products.

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Exams. The midterm and the final exams are also designed to promote thinking and self-reflection. In fact, students may print out the Midterm Study Guide or Final Exam at any time during the semester from the course web site. I think of the midterm exam as an educative experience that does double duty as an assessment tool (Midterm Exam, & graded sample). The final exam is in the form of a self evaluative narrative based on students’ M201 teaching experiences. When I teach the M201 portion of this cluster, I require students to journal and/or write notes about their teaching experiences. When I do not teach M201, I work with my students’ M201 instructors who require them to complete a reflection after they teach.

Typical Class. As I introduce important teaching concepts, I try to model the concept being taught. For example, the lesson on engaging students in their own learning is paired with discrepant events. The lesson on making connections connects the force and energy activities the students have completed to energy in foods—students burn foods and then sing a song to connect food groups to forms of energy (see page 2). A typical class might also include a lecturette (see pages 1 & 10), a mnemonic device (see page 11) or jingle to promote retention, and a student-centered discussion (see pages 2 & 9). During each class I focus on what Bianchini [Oct. 1998, Science and Children, pg. 40-43] refers to as a “big idea,” both a science big idea and a science teaching big idea. For example, during the class with the teaching big idea of How can you tell if science is going on?, the science big idea was What is buoyancy?, and class activities focused on buoyancy. Students were given two sets of lesson plans and asked to conduct the investigations. After completing the investigations, students used information from their readings to analyze the lesson plans and decide whether or not science was going on (see student samples) . By connecting the theory students read in journal articles with in-class activities AND through analysis of the investigations, students were able to make the connection between theory and practice, while also learning what kinds of investigations to include in their M201 lesson plans. AND by embedding basic teaching skills like lesson planning within the context of both teaching theory and science content, students not only obtain a “tool kit” of useful science lesson ideas, they also learn to be thoughtful, reflective practitioners.

Course Calendar. A course calendar with a complete schedule for Fall 2002 is available as a link.

A Final Note.  My goal is to help my students become the best K-6 teacher they can be. However, I realize that I cannot do that by myself. I encourage students to let me know when they don’t understand something or if they have questions. Students keep a class Learning Log, which I read as soon as class is over. This allows me to carry on personal dialogues with individual students, and alerts me to problems and concerns. If three or more students ask the same question, I either address the issue during the next class, or send a class e-mail with a response to the question. The Logs also help me see when students are struggling with an idea so that I can plan an activity to create the necessary disequilibrium to bring about a deeper understanding of the concept. In addition, I assess students’ understanding of important teaching concepts with end-of-class guided prompts (see Minute Paper, page 4), and every three weeks, I ask for anonymous feedback on my teaching. In everything I do, I try to model professional behavior and effective teaching practices. I practice what I teach, and encourage students to do the same.