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Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education
A Summer Academy Program For Prospective Teachers: Model Teaching Experiences, M. Neathery
A Summer Academy Program For Prospective Teachers: Model Teaching Experiences, M. Neathery
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
This article describes the project, A Summer Academy Program for Prospective Teachers: Model Teaching Experiences, of the Oklahoma Teacher Education Collaborative (O-TEC), one of the nation’s Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (CETP). To recruit highly qualified teachers in science and mathematics, O-TEC institutions promote a program of summer academies that provide prospective teachers with opportunities to become familiar with effective teaching methods. During the academy, high school juniors and seniors explore inquiry-based teaching strategies, exemplary curricula, science and math content, and state and national standards in math and science education-all under the tutelage of mentor teachers, a Master-Teacher-in- Residence, …
Addressing Prospective Elementary Teachers' Beliefs About The Nature Of Mathematics: A Case For Exploring Students' Conceptions Of Mathematics In A Math Education Course, K. Dorgan
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Our challenge in preparing Virginia’s K-8 teachers in mathematics is a complex one. Additional requirements, including more challenging math content courses or more innovative pedagogical courses, may provide part of the solution. It is the premise of this paper, however, that additional knowledge and skills are not enough. In order to prepare teachers who will engage in current best practice pedagogy, we must also address teachers’ attitudes and dispositions, their beliefs and conceptions of mathematics itself. This paper will attempt to justify this position. It will also describe strategies used in the Inquiry in Mathematics course in Mary Baldwin’s MAT …
Technology Integration In A Science And Mathematics Methods Course: Addressing Virginia's Computer/Technology Standards Of Learning, G. Meadows, M. Sheckels
Technology Integration In A Science And Mathematics Methods Course: Addressing Virginia's Computer/Technology Standards Of Learning, G. Meadows, M. Sheckels
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
The Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools [1] require a high level of knowledge in the use of computers and technology on the part of both students and educators. The Education Department at Mary Washington College has decided to prepare its students to meet this challenge by adopting a strategy of program wide integration of technology, bringing appropriate uses of technology into each education course. This strategy calls for the use of technology by both students and instructors. The course Instructional Skills in the Elementary Classroom, a science and mathematics planning course, served as a proving ground for this …
Title Page
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
No abstract provided.
Challenges For Science And Mathematics Faculty, S. T. Thornton
Challenges For Science And Mathematics Faculty, S. T. Thornton
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
The increased science and mathematics teacher licensure requirements for K-8 teachers are clearly necessary to prepare teachers to appropriately teach the new Virginia SOLs [1]; The expectations of a program equivalent to 12 hours of science and 12 hours of mathematics for the PreK-6 endorsement and the 21 hours each of math and science to teach middle school math and science must be chosen very carefully indeed if future teachers are to be prepared to teach the specific SOL content, as well as "practical applications and the use of appropriate technology“. Most Virginia colleges and universities are not currently offering …
Title Page, Editor's Note
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
No abstract provided.
Education School Challenges: The Increasing Demands On K-8 Teachers, A. J. Benson
Education School Challenges: The Increasing Demands On K-8 Teachers, A. J. Benson
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
The educational needs of future K-8 teachers in the areas of mathematics and science are greater as a result of the increased (and, I would add, appropriate) student expectations in the area of mathematics and science as enunciated in the SOL and the specific content areas as described in the new licensure requirements. The sophistication and understanding of science and mathematics that is needed at both the elementary school and middle school levels is indeed substantial. However, proficiency in science and mathematics is only one portion of the total needs of new teachers. How are we all, from the Colleges …
Contents
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
No abstract provided.
Virginia Commonwealth University's Program For K-6 And 6-8 Teachers: The Interdisciplinary B.S. In Science, R. W. Farley
Virginia Commonwealth University's Program For K-6 And 6-8 Teachers: The Interdisciplinary B.S. In Science, R. W. Farley
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has very recently revised its requirements for the K-6 Certification to include a total of 21 hours in mathematics and science as well as a three credit hour methods course in mathematics and science. This requirement includes a physical science and a biological science course, each with a laboratory component, a contemporary mathematics course with extensive student projects, collaborative work and applications, a statistics course and interdisciplinary science and mathematics course. We believe that as students complete these requirements they will meet the new State K-6 licensure requirements in all areas, with the exception of geometry. …
Liberal Studies At Longwood College: Preparing Teachers For Virginia's Future, J. D. Smith
Liberal Studies At Longwood College: Preparing Teachers For Virginia's Future, J. D. Smith
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
The Liberal Studies Major provides future teachers studying at Longwood College with an excellent opportunity to prepare for all aspects of teaching in elementary school classrooms. In the area of mathematics and science, the Liberal Studies Major contains a total of 24 hours of mathematics and science, and prepares future K-6 classroom teachers to teach all components of the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) in these disciplines. Longwood College is currently studying how requirements can be modified within the Liberal Studies Program to make it possible for students to complete the discipline specific course work that will be necessary for …
Higher Education's Greatest Current Opportunity And Responsibility, R. F. Watson
Higher Education's Greatest Current Opportunity And Responsibility, R. F. Watson
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Preparing the next generation of teachers at all levels from kindergarten through college is higher education’s greatest current opportunity. Getting it right may be our greatest challenge. The face of science and technology is by definition changing constantly. Today, many feel that the most important work in science is going on increasingly at and across the interfaces of the traditional discipline. To serve our society well, education in the sciences, mathematics, engineering, and technology must change accordingly. In my view, curricula at all levels (K-16) too often continue to reflect only the narrow traditional disciplinary approaches that science has taken …
A New Interdisciplinary Mathematics And Science Course, P. E. Mcneil
A New Interdisciplinary Mathematics And Science Course, P. E. Mcneil
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
As Norfolk State University has been considering how to adequately prepare students to teach the challenging new mathematics and science called for the Virginia Standards of Learning [1], we have reached the conclusion that the student programs need to provide interdisciplinary experiences linking mathematics and science. We reached the conclusion for two reasons. First, even with the larger number of courses called for in the new licensure regulations, there are not enough course hours available to teach all of the different mathematics and science topics that future teachers need to have studied. Second, elementary and middle school students do not …
Scientists And The Science Educators: Collaborating To Develop Conceptual Change Teaching Strategies, G. E. Glasson
Scientists And The Science Educators: Collaborating To Develop Conceptual Change Teaching Strategies, G. E. Glasson
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Research in science education has identified conceptual change teaching strategies that may enhance pre-service teachers’ understanding of scientific concepts and processes. These strategies, supported by constructivist learning theory in the social and cognitive sciences, include the use of discrepant events to engage students’ prior knowledge, the learning cycle, and collaborative learning. Science educators have used these strategies to challenge alternative conceptions of pre-service K-8 teachers in methods courses in an effort to facilitate learning scientific concepts. Pre-service K-8 teachers, motivated to explore scientific phenomena and clarify their own understandings, gain confidence in their ability to learn science and are better …
A Preliminary Analysis Of The Supply And Demand For Middle School Mathematics And Science Teachers In Virginia, J. A. Sigler
A Preliminary Analysis Of The Supply And Demand For Middle School Mathematics And Science Teachers In Virginia, J. A. Sigler
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Virginia Colleges and Universities have a major challenge to produce educated elementary and middle school students. The magnitude of this challenge can be measured by studying the number of current teachers in each grade in Virginia and the anticipated retirements and departures from the profession for other reasons. The new licensure requirements have their biggest impact for the preparation of middle school teachers since middle school teachers will no longer be able to receive general middle school certification.
Teaching And Learning Seminar For Science And Mathematics Faculty, D. R. Sterling
Teaching And Learning Seminar For Science And Mathematics Faculty, D. R. Sterling
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
A yearlong seminar for science and mathematics faculty to investigate teaching and learning is in its second year at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. This article describes the seminar and preliminary findings from the first year.
Third International Mathematics And Science Study (Timss) And The Nature Of College Courses, D. R. Sterling
Third International Mathematics And Science Study (Timss) And The Nature Of College Courses, D. R. Sterling
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
The TIMSS report leads to some strong conclusions concerning the effectiveness of various approaches for teaching mathematics and science in grades K-8. This presentation will focus on a description of the findings of TlMSS concerning effective teaching. Although the TIMSS study and its findings relate directly to teaching prior to college, the findings do have a lot to say about effective teaching at the college level. At the very least, they describe the type of teaching and learning that future teachers must experience if they are to bring about this type of learning in their own courses.
Hands-On Physical Science Course At Radford University, T. Tanaka
Hands-On Physical Science Course At Radford University, T. Tanaka
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Most students in our introductory physical science course are elementary education majors. We are faced with several obstacles in teaching basic science to these students. For example, they lack interest in science, logical thinking, and necessary data gathering and analysis skills, among others. Many of those obstacles could be traced back to the science courses they had taken in the past. Those courses put more emphasis on memorizing scientific facts than understanding natural phenomena or experiencing scientific methods. As a result, the students tend to have a negative attitude toward science in general. In order to reverse this attitude, We …
An Investigative Approach To Teaching Mathematics: Excitement And Concerns Of K-8 Preservice Teachers, J. L. M. Wilkins
An Investigative Approach To Teaching Mathematics: Excitement And Concerns Of K-8 Preservice Teachers, J. L. M. Wilkins
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Following from the recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, an Investigative Approach (IA) to teaching mathematics encourages students to explore real-world problems through hands-on activities instead of focusing on rote memorization of facts, formulas, and procedures. This paper discusses thirty-two K-8 preservice teachers‘ responses to questions regarding excitements and concerns about using this method of teaching. Although most preservice teachers are excited about the prospects of using this approach in their future classrooms, some exhibit hesitations related to concerns about time constraints and their own math abilities. A mathematics methods course presently being taught that is centered …
Community College Perspectives On Teacher Preparation In Virginia, D. L. Neely-Fisher
Community College Perspectives On Teacher Preparation In Virginia, D. L. Neely-Fisher
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
The need for future teachers who are well versed in mathematics and science will not be provided by Virginia’s four-year institutions alone. A large portion of those students who complete their K-8 teacher preparation programs at Virginia’s four-year institutions have studied a significant portion, if not all, of their mathematics and science at community colleges. Therefore, if future teachers are to have completed appropriate mathematics and science courses these must be provided by the community colleges. In addition, community colleges can play a critical role in attracting people with a high potential for becoming excellent teachers. Two-year colleges are located …
Preparing Preservice Teachers For The Experimental Design And Data Analysis Sol's, J. E. Wright Jr.
Preparing Preservice Teachers For The Experimental Design And Data Analysis Sol's, J. E. Wright Jr.
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Many elementary teachers find teaching the science Standards of Learning (SOL) difficult [1, 2]. Some are even threatened by them. Of particular concern are the SOLs related to experimental design, handling data, and the scientific method. A possible reason for this discomfort is because many of these elementary teachers have had limited-to-no exposure to experimentation. As one of the activities included under a recent National Science Foundation Science Teachers Enhancement Project (STEP) grant awarded to Hampton University in conjunction with Virginia Union University and St. Paul's College, we included a teacher science fair competition. A special workbook/text was developed for …
Journal Of Mathematics And Science: Collaborative Explorations
Journal Of Mathematics And Science: Collaborative Explorations
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
No abstract provided.
Creating The Need To Know, A. L. Buikema Jr.
Creating The Need To Know, A. L. Buikema Jr.
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Context-based teaching provides a strategy that gives the responsibility of learning back to the student. This approach is being used at Virginia Tech in a number of settings, including an introductory Biology class with 325 students.
Impact Of A New Introductory Mathematical Modeling Course On Student Confidence In Mathematical Ability And Skills, P. Dean, D. Hydorn, S. Sumner
Impact Of A New Introductory Mathematical Modeling Course On Student Confidence In Mathematical Ability And Skills, P. Dean, D. Hydorn, S. Sumner
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Interdisciplinary mathematics and science courses are increasing in popularity. Faculty teaching these courses are given the opportunity to show how mathematics plays an important role in science and how it can be used to improve our understanding of mathematics and science. This paper discusses a new course in mathematical modeling that focuses on environmental issues. Course content and format are presented, as well as the results of a study on the changes in students’ perceptions of their mathematical abilities as a result of taking this new course.
On The Job Mathematics, G. Rublein
On The Job Mathematics, G. Rublein
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
What kind of course work is appropriate for a general education mathematics requirement? In most instances, students see a presentation of one or more mathematical topics followed by some applications. Sometimes these applications are characterized as ‘real world’ even though no person would ever be paid to work the problems that students are given. We will describe an approach to this issue that requires students to replicate mathematical work that is done by people who want to keep their jobs. Only a small minority can make money doing mathematics for entertainment. Hence, we omit for this category everyone employed in …
Informal Geometry In The Preparation Of Teachers: A New Mathematics Course At The University Of Virginia, L. D. Pitt
Informal Geometry In The Preparation Of Teachers: A New Mathematics Course At The University Of Virginia, L. D. Pitt
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Students require a rich variety of hands-on geometric experiences before they progress to more formal traditional geometric instruction. This fact has often been ignored in the mathematics preparation of today’s teachers. At the University of Virginia a new general education geometry course, The Shape of Space, is being developed that focuses on obtaining deep understandings of elementary geometry through physical and visual activities.
A Model For Faculty Collaboration In Preparing Virginia's K-8 Teachers, B. F. Risacher
A Model For Faculty Collaboration In Preparing Virginia's K-8 Teachers, B. F. Risacher
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
The overall goals of the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) [1] are for students to become good problem solvers and communicators about mathematics, to reason logically and to make connections within mathematics and to other disciplines such as in solving science problems. Unfortunately, the beliefs about teaching of many preservice teachers are not consistent with these goals. Furthermore, the college mathematics courses experienced by preservice teachers are generally in contrast to these goals. This study outlines a collaborative effort of three colleges to encourage faculty to adopt a more student-investigative style of instruction A planning team offered a semester of …
Experimental Design At The Intersection Of Mathematics, Science, And Technology In Grades K-6, R N. Giese, M. M. Mason
Experimental Design At The Intersection Of Mathematics, Science, And Technology In Grades K-6, R N. Giese, M. M. Mason
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Interdisciplinary courses, highlighting as they do the area(s) the disciplines have in common, often give the misperception of a single body of knowledge and/or way of knowing. However, discipline based courses often leave the equally mistaken notion that the disciplines have nothing in common. The task of the methods courses described in this paper is to reach an appropriate balance so that our pre-service elementary (K-6) teachers have a realistic perception of the independence and interdependence of mathematics and science. At the College of William and Mary each cohort of pre-service elementary teachers enrolls in mathematics and science methods courses …
Curriculum Restructuring At Lynchburg College: Effects Of Realignment To State-Mandated Competencies And Implications For K-6 Math And Science Teacher Preparation, W. Mckenzie, C. Messerschmidt
Curriculum Restructuring At Lynchburg College: Effects Of Realignment To State-Mandated Competencies And Implications For K-6 Math And Science Teacher Preparation, W. Mckenzie, C. Messerschmidt
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Because Lynchburg College offers a four-year program to attain teacher licensure, current restructuring efforts have been aimed at targeting the professional studies requirements across a program of courses that are efficiently integrated. Math and science methods courses will be combined into a workshop course. A new general studies program has been approved which requires eight hours of lab sciences and three hours of math. A General Science course has been approved which will be geared towards pre-service teachers. The professional core requires an additional eight hours of lab sciences, totaling 16 hours in science, and six hours of math, geared …
Wonders Of Technology-Teaching Physics To Non-Scientists, V. A. Niculescu, P. Martin
Wonders Of Technology-Teaching Physics To Non-Scientists, V. A. Niculescu, P. Martin
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
Wonders of Technology is a conceptual physics course developed for non—science majors. The approach taken here in the introduction of the physical concepts is to depict their role in today’s technology, specifically the technology familiar to the students, and also to emphasize the connection between technology, art, and culture from the historical perspective. Why this approach? The traditional method of teaching physics is perceived by many students as "user-unfriendly" — they think physics is difficult, abstract, and, in fact, of little or no relevance to everyday life. The course Wonders of Technology alleviates this perception by placing the students on …
Edis 788 Mathematics/Science/Education Field Project As A Capstone Experience In Five Year Ba/Mt Teacher Education Program, S. P. Plaskon
Edis 788 Mathematics/Science/Education Field Project As A Capstone Experience In Five Year Ba/Mt Teacher Education Program, S. P. Plaskon
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
As a culminating experience, students in the Elementary Education Program Area at the University of Virginia are expected to engage in a field project/thesis experience in the final semester of their program of study. This session will provide an overview of the Field Project/Thesis Experience as it currently exists and will discuss possible variations to encourage more math and science collaborations.