LA-SMARTER STEM Education Conference Overview

1. Teacher Preparation PI ConferenceNSF CETP, STEMTP, ATE ProgramsMarch 14-15, 2004Washington, DC

2. Connecting Advanced Topics to School Classrooms Robert N. Ronau Joe Petrosko Andy Kemp Joe Steffen

3. Introduction LA_SMARTER Louisville Area Science and Mathematics Alliance for Recruitment in Teacher Education

4. LA_SMARTER Components Teacher Education • Course Development • Professional Development Teams Teacher Recruitment Alternative Teacher Certification

5. LA_SMARTER Structure Project Oversight • PI • Executive Committee • Project Manager Component Oversight • 1-2 Co-PIs • Advisory Panel

6. LA_SMARTER Structure 2 Course Development Teams • A&S Faculty member (1) • Math/Sci Educator (1) • Math/Sci Classroom Teacher (1-2)

7. Criteria for Course Success • Course’s effect on prospective teachers’ content knowledge • Prospective teachers’ satisfaction • Prospective teachers’ PRAXIS Performance • Prospective teachers’ Teaching effectiveness

8. Courses • Experimental Botany For Teachers • Chemistry Education for Secondary Teachers • Statistics and Probability for Middle Grades Teachers • Geometry for Teachers • Introduction to Higher Mathematics • Cellular Biology for Teachers

9. Overview Mathematics Course Geometry for Mathematics Teachers Bob Ronau: College of Ed. & Human Dev. Science Courses Andy Kemp: College of Ed. and Human Dev.

10. Overview (Page 2) Science Courses Joe Steffen: Biology Department: A&S Evaluation Joe Petrosko: College of Ed. and Human Dev.

11. Course Development: Mathematics Geometry for Teachers • Goals • Clientele • 30 students • Middle and High School Teachers • Inservice and Preservice Teachers • Tuesday evenings, 4:30-7:30 School Site

12. Mathematics Course Challenges • Connecting Advanced Mathematics to Classroom content • Mismatch of Expectations (Math course vs Pedagogy course) • Applicability to Classroom use • Enhancement of teacher content knowledge • Level of emphasis on Proof

13. Mathematics Course Challenges 2 • Ability Gap in Mathematics for Students • Ability and Training of A&S faculty to teach in a diverse ability classroom • Number of A&S Faculty willing to focus on teaching this clientele (Rewards, etc.)

14. Mathematics Course Successes • Number of students electing to take the course • Number of students with positive attitudes towards the course • Learning of students in the course • Learning of faculty associated with the course • Opportunity to revise course based on experience

15. Mathematics Course Successes 2 • Team work exhibited by the group • Better understanding of teachers’ content knowledge • Course developed for future use

16. SCIENCE EDUCATION COURSES SCIENCE EDUCATION COURSES Experimental Botany for Teachers Cell Biology for Teachers Chemistry Education for Secondary Teachers

17. The Problem: Undergraduate science courses emphasize the content of science, not science as a process. Teacher candidates do not develop deep understanding of the nature of science, nor do they experience many inquiry-oriented activities. Science teachers are asked to help students develop an understanding of the nature of science, especially by means of inquiry-oriented activities. Consequently, pre-service science teachers are often ignorant about the nature of science, and they are not well-prepared to teach science by means of inquiry.

18. LA-SMARTER SCIENCE COURSE GOALS • to increase teachers’ abilities to teach science, especially using inquiry-oriented strategies • to help teachers understand learners as active constructors of their own knowledge to increase teachers’ knowledge of science and the nature of science • to educate teachers about the possibilities in using experimental models in their own classrooms • to help science teachers incorporate educational technologies into their teaching • to improve teachers’ attitudes and dispositions towards teaching science by means of hands-on, inquiry strategies

19. Guide participants understanding of the nature of science and inquiry by: 1. Conducting real experiments by: a. making their own hypotheses b. gathering and analyzing their own data c. forming their own conclusions d. use data from (b) to propose the “next experiment” 2. Explicit discussions about the nature of science, as well as the differences between “real” science and school science

20. Experimental Botany for Teachers University of Louisville BIOL 573 Spring 2003 Instructors • Dr. Arnold Karpoff, Biology Dept. • Dr. Karen Lind, Dept. of Teaching & Learning • Sherry Fox, KY Sci. Teachers Association

21. “Experimental Botany” Course Format • Spring Semester Course—2.5 hrs, TuTh • Students built “light boxes” and sowed Wisconsin Fast Plant (WFP) seeds. All students planted three varieties of WFP—“wild,” “rosette,” and “elongated internode (or EIN)” types. • Later in the semester students conducted investigations with C-Fern (Ceratopteris richardii)

22. Course Format (continued) Following the first 2 days, the first hour of class was mainly devoted to making observations and recording data on the growth and habits of the WFP and/or C-Ferns.

23. Course Format continued The remaining time was used in several ways: 1. Setting up or conducting long-term experiments, e.g., • Effects of _____ on seed germination • Effects of fertilizer on WFP growth • Effects of plant hormones on WFP 2. Participating in short-term activities, e.g., • Gravitropic responses • Measuring photosynthetic rate in spinach • Examinations of plant anatomy 3. Lectures on plant anatomy and physiology 4. Discussions about the nature of science 5. Discussions about teaching life sciences 6. Special topics and guest speakers

24. Students were required to … Work together Conduct experiments

25. Statistically analyze data

26. Write 3 formal lab reportsand 4 or 5 standards-based lesson plans Lab report on growth of wild type +/+ and rosette r/r  Wisconsin Fast Plants Richard Routt Biology 571 March 24, 2003 Biology 571 Lesson Plan Name: Melanie Hurst Length: 50 minutes Grade Level(s): 9th grade Subject: Biology/Botany Topic(s) the seed Goals: Students will understand the differences between monocot and …

27. Make a PowerPoint presentation about their experiments C-Ferns PresentationBiology 571 By: Amanda Higdon

28. Participation Rewards At the end of the course, students were given … • The growth chambers they had built and used in the course • a starter kit of supplies • a CD that included all class lab reports and lesson plans as well as a sample of PowerPoint botany presentations

29. Course Implementation: Science INTER-UNIT CHALLENGES • Lack of alignment of policies and procedures • Turf wars • Different visions

30. Course Implementation: Science INTER-UNIT SUCCESSES • Other collaborative grants • Other collaborative projects • Early start BA/BS/MAT program

31. Course Implementation: Science DEPARTMENTAL CHALLENGES • Priorities • Resources • Need

32. Course Implementation: Science DEPARTMENTAL SUCCESSES • Increased faculty interest • New avenues for faculty activity • Community connection • New undergraduate track

33. Evaluation • Overall Design • Courses • Cell Biology for Teachers • Experimental Botany for Teachers

34. Cell Biology for Teachers--Fall 2003

35. Cell Biology for Teachers--Fall 2003

36. Cell Biology for Teachers Fall 2003

37. Experimental Botany for Teachers Spring 2003

38. Experimental Botany for Teachers Spring 2003

39. Experimental Botany for Teachers Spring 2003

41. QUESTIONS? ?

42. Contact Information Bob Ronau: bob@louisville.edu Web Page: http://leader.education.louisville.edu/edtl/ronau/LA_SMARTER/