SEC 406: Theory and Practice in Teaching
Secondary Science
SEC 506: Advanced Theory and Practice
Teaching Secondary Science
Syllabus: Fall, 2011
Thursday: 5:00 – 7:45
223 Education Building
Vital
Information
Instructor: Dr. Dennis S. Kubasko, Jr. Office: 173 Friday Annex
Email: kubaskod@uncw.edu Office Phone: 962-3367
Office Hours:
·
Tuesday: 10:00 – 12:00; 173 Friday Annex
·
Wednesday: 1:00 – 3:00; 173 Friday Annex
·
Thursday: 3:00 – 5:00, 173 Friday Annex
·
Always available by
appointment!
Course Web Site: http://people.uncw.edu/kubaskod/
Class Location: 223
Education Building
The location of
classes will change from week to week. Refer to the quarterly calendar.
·
Classes
on campus at UNCW will meet in 223
Education Building
·
Many
classes will take place at school-based locations.
o
Ashley
High School, Hoggard High School, Laney High School,
and/or New Hanover High School
·
Some
classes will take place at informal science settings in the community.
o
Carolina
Beach State Park, NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, and/or Arlie Gardens
Course Description
“Emphasis on theory,
curriculum development, inquiry, critical thinking, classroom management,
instructional strategies and selection of appropriate instructional materials. Successful planning and teaching practices
with adaptations to diverse needs of students will be discussed.” - UNCW course
catalogue
Required
Texts, Online Subscriptions, Materials and
A. Required Texts (both texts can be found online)
1. National Science Education Standards (The National Research Council)
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4962#toc
·
This
text is required for this class.
2. Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of
Science)
http://www.project2061.org/tools/benchol/bolframe.htm
·
This
text is required for this class.
B. Recommended Text
·
Science
Instruction in the Middle and Secondary Schools: Developing Fundamental
Knowledge and Skills, 7/E; Eugene L. ChiappettaThomas R. KoballaPublisher: Allyn & Bacon;
Copyright: 2010;
Format: Paper; 312 pp, (Published: 03/26/2009); ISBN-10: 013715304X, ISBN-13: 9780137153046
o
The
seventh edition of Science Instruction in the Middle and Secondary
Schools: Developing Fundamental Knowledge and Skills for Teaching
continues to provide the initial scaffolding needed by novice teachers to
understand and enact the basics of science teaching and learning. The six
introductory chapters focus on the basic functions of science teaching–purpose,
planning, assessing, teaching, and managing. The remaining chapters
center on the foundational areas of science education with many vignettes and
examples of effective classroom practices. Stop and Reflect
exercises throughout give students a moment to think and reflect on the chapter
content.
C. Online Subscriptions
·
Subscription
to TaskStream (https://www.taskstream.com/pub/): A
web-based toolset enabling educators to design lessons and units, map and track
standards, create rubrics, develop electronic portfolios and web pages, and
compile and distribute shared curriculum resource collections.
o
Purchase an
account with TaskStream (http://www.taskstream.com/pub/Enroll/Default.asp).
o
$42 for one year.
D. Materials
1. At least a 2 GB USB Flash or Thumb Drive (Check
Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sam’s Club, COSTCO, Target, Amazon.com)
2. Class and field experiences: Field notebook
and/or journal
E. Journals
1. The Science Teacher
·
The
National Science Teachers Association publishes this journal for science
educators. Their mission is to promote excellence and innovation in science
teaching and learning. I’ve found the organization to be the “flagship”
community for science practitioners and this journal is specifically designed
to serve as a forum for secondary science educators to exchange ideas and
teaching methods.
F. Online Sources:
1. North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction (NCDPI)
·
Students
will use this web page to “serve as a curriculum terminal from which you can travel
to specific goals and objectives based on discipline and grade level. This
service provides a convenient way for teachers, administrators, and parents to
verify the instructional objectives of the Standard Course of Study at a given
grade and subject area.”
·
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/
2. North Carolina Professional Teaching
Standards
·
“Every public school student will graduate from high
school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared
for life in the 21st Century.”
·
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/profdev/standards/teachingstandards.pdf
3. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH
CAROLINA WILMINGTON, WATSON SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
·
Intern Performance Scale North Carolina Professional
Teaching Standard
·
http://www.uncw.edu/ed/professionalexperience/internship.html
4. International Society for Technology
Education (ISTE)
·
The National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education (NCATE) is the official body for accrediting teacher
preparation programs. The International Society for Technology in Education
(ISTE) is the professional education organization responsible for recommending
guidelines for accreditation to NCATE for programs in educational computing and
technology teacher preparation.
·
National
Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S)
·
National
Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T)
Participation, Attendance, Academic
Honor, & Other Information
1. Attendance
is required by all students. After the
second absence and upon each additional absence, the final grade will be
reduced by one letter grade. For
instance, a student having missed three classes can only attain a grade of C
upon successful completion of all course work.
· 1 absence = no grade deduction
(Grade of A, still possible)
· 2 absences = one letter grade
deduction (Grade of “B”, at best)
· 3 absences = two letter grade
deduction (Grade of “C”, at best)
· 4 absences = three letter grade
deduction (Grade of “D”, at best)
· More than 4 absences = please
drop the class (Grade of “F”)
In the case of an absence, it is the student’s
responsibility to find out what work was missed, and to make work up on his or
her own time. I recommend finding a “study buddy” that would be willing to
share with you all vital information.
2. Students are not to be late for class. Class time will begin promptly - 5:00 PM;
ending by 7:45 (on most days).
3. Participate in class activities. Students are expected to be in class and participating
in all discussions, activities, field visits, and assignments. Many students are bringing with them a
variety of different perspectives from a variety of different contexts and ALL
are valuable. It is vital for the
learning of everyone to include each student’s perspective in class.
4. Complete all assignments as detailed in the requirements
section. Any assignment
submitted after the due date may result in a major (30%) grade deduction unless
there is a documented emergency. It is the students’ responsibility to make
sure all assignments are submitted on time! NO assignments will be accepted
later than one week after the due date unless there is a documented emergency.
Being absent from class the day an assignment is due is NO excuse for not
turning in the assignment. If there is an illness or emergency, be sure to contact
the instructor prior to missing class and arrange to have any assignment
submitted prior to the missed class.
5. Adhere strictly to the UNCW Honor Code (See Student
Handbook, Code of Student Life)
http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/odos/documents/0910CodeofStudentLife_FINAL.pdf
Course Purpose
The purpose of the course is to prepare pre-service interns and lateral
entry teachers for North Carolina Secondary Science Licensure and future
employment in a high school context. Those contexts can include public,
private, parochial, and charter school settings but are not necessarily limited
to solely those. The course is designed to emphasis the 5 North Carolina
Professional Teaching Standards. The 21st
Century Standards and the Department of Public Instruction Standard Course of
Study in Science are designed to serve the intern as a guide for appropriate
instructional practice. For example,
student interns will be expected to transform static data sets into authentic
learning experiences for secondary students.
Student interns will be expected to incorporate a variety of
technological competencies into their professional practice. Students will be required to make
presentations that are both informative and motivational. Student interns will demonstrate an
understanding of the local, state, and national reform movements and synthesize
this understanding into accredited practice.
The course will culminate with a completed unit plan that will be
presented to their peers for review.
Conceptual Framework
This course is designed to
focus on key components of the Watson School of Education conceptual framework: The
WSE develops highly competent professionals to serve in educational leadership
roles. All educators must use data for decisions, reflect upon their
practice, exemplify their commitment to professional standards, implement
appropriate communication strategies, and strive to meet the needs of all
learners. Assignments in this course will assist you in preparing you to
be a competent professional and a leader.
Goals and
Objectives
A. Students will extend their knowledge of science content and processes
·
to demonstrate a
breadth and a depth in understanding of their discipline.
·
by aligning their
knowledge and comprehension of their discipline of interest with both the NCDPI
course of study and the national themes and standards addressed in reform
minded documents.
·
by incorporating
authentic inquiry-based experiences grounded in students’ understanding of the
nature of the scientific endeavor.
B. Students will develop increased pedagogical
skills that support their science content instruction
·
through the
employment of successful traditional methodologies such as direct instruction,
discovery learning, and cooperative learning.
·
using effective
laboratory-based, hands-on instruction.
·
with
reform-minded, inquiry-based methods.
·
by effectively
utilizing multiple assessment strategies that are both formative and summative
in nature.
C. Students will develop skills that support reflective practice
·
by engaging in
peer discourse and personal revision of effective lesson planning strategies.
·
through the
accommodation and modification of curricular approaches for diverse and
exceptional learners.
·
through seeking
out professional literature, colleagues, and other resources to support his/her
own development as a learner and a teacher.
D. Students will be able to generate and access successful collaborative endeavors
·
through the
location and utilization of on-site school-based resources.
·
by engaging in
technology-based endeavors to extend student experiences.
·
through the
application of authentic, community-based informal science education settings.
Assessments (300 Total Points)
A. Participation Grade (100 points): Twenty Five percent (25%) of your grade will
be based on this first criterion. Students are expected to be in class and
participating in the discussion. Many
students are bringing with them a variety of different perspectives and all are
valuable. It is vital for the learning
of all to include those in perspectives in class. Questions of the day will allow for all to
share in a non-threatening setting.
Service Hours need to be completed by the end of the semester.
|
Service contributions (Documented 5 Hours of Volunteer Work with Informal Science settings) |
75 points |
|
Online responses Ten “Questions of the Day” - Refer to TaskStream |
25 points |
B. Activities (200 points): Fifty percent (50%) of your grade will be
based on this second module. Collaboration, peer review, and product
presentation will influence these grades. Individuals will be asked to
collaborate with a peer to complete two assignments. Peers will be asked to constructively
critique other’s products for review and editing. Time will be provided in
class to organize, research, and, maybe, complete some of this work. Note that
each of these activities can or may be included in your unit at the end of the
semester. Preliminary Assignments
(can be subject to change) include:
|
1. How did we get here? Science from a historical
perspective (NOS)! o Student Motivation |
Individual In-Class |
50 points |
|
2. Using Informal Learning
Settings for Problem Based Learning (PBL) o Interdisciplinary Project –
Cape Fear River |
Group Take Home |
50 points |
|
3. Math-Science
Partnership o Traditional vs. Inquiry
Investigations |
Group Take Home |
50 points |
|
4. Comprehensive Content
Manuscript o Paper and Laboratory |
Individual In-Class |
50 points |
C. Project (100 points): Twenty Five percent (25%) of your grade will
be based on this third module. The objective of these components is to assist
you in the planning and presentation of your unit plan at the end of the
semester. To complete the unit plan,
visit TaskStream for the details.
|
Final Portfolio and Two Week Unit Plan |
Individual Take Home |
100 points |
D. Final Exam:
·
Tuesday, December 13th
2011: 5:00 PM – 7:45 PM
http://www.uncw.edu/reg/exams-fall11.htm
University
The
Watson
School of Education Mission Statement
The primary mission of the Donald R.
Watson School of Education at the
The UNCW Statement on
Diversity in the University Community
As
an institution of higher learning, the University of North Carolina Wilmington
represents a rich diversity of human beings among its faculty, staff, and
students and is committed to maintaining a campus environment that values that
diversity. Accordingly, the university supports policies, curricula, and
co-curricular activities that encourage understanding of and appreciation for
all members of its community and will not tolerate any harassment or disrespect
for persons because of race, gender, age, color, national origin, ethnicity,
creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital
status, or relationship to other university constituents. Students with
Disabilities information and resources available at http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/disability/
Zero Tolerance Policy
UNCW
practices a zero tolerance policy for violence and harassment of any
kind. For emergencies contact UNCW CARE at 962-2273; Campus Police at
962-3184; or Wilmington Police at 911. For University or community
resources visit: http://www.uncw.edu/safe-relate/campusResources.htm.
Violence prevention information and resources available at http://www.uncw.edu/safe%2Drelate/.
We will focus several class discussions on the importance of reducing violence
and increasing tolerance in schools and at UNCW.
