Teaching

My teaching interests are in the related fields of secondary science methods, content (disciplinary knowledge as well as insights into the nature and history of science), assessment, and educational research. I believe that best learning occurs when teachers and students form a community of learners in which contributions from all members are valued and when a myriad of motivating learning opportunities abound. I am committed to implementing that culture of learning in my classrooms to act as a role model for prospective teachers. My goal is to contribute to the professional development of effective science teachers who would in turn help school students to achieve scientific.

Courses:

EDUC 5315: Nature of Science and Science Education
This course is designed for prospective and practicing secondary science teachers. The purpose of the course is to provide teachers with the opportunity to establish a personal system of beliefs about societal influences on science and by science, practices within the scientific community, how truth is established in science, and the meaning of objectivity in science. An important goal for this course is to establish a perspective that distinguishes between ideals, actual practices, and the role of the human in determining scientific truth. Another central focus is on making decisions about the purpose of science education in 6-12 instruction. Teachers are expected to establish a system of beliefs that will allow them to answer questions such as, “Why should my students learn physical, life, or earth science?”; “How do I balance preparation for students who will become scientists with preparation for students as critical citizens?”; “How do I provide my students with an understanding of science as a human endeavor in which all types of people participate?”; “How can I use science to help students understand the concept of risk assessment?” Several different perspectives on science and science education are discussed, including sociological perspectives, traditional and inquiry perspectives, multicultural perspectives, and feminist perspectives. It is expected that teachers will draw on the research literature, discussions, and classroom activities to establish, modify, and support a strong set of beliefs that have personal meaning and that will influence their science instruction.

EDUC 4382/5385: Methods and Materials in Secondary School Science
The overarching goal of all student work in this course is professional development as a science teacher, with particular attention to being prepared to begin student teaching shortly. Specific objectives of the course are to:

• Develop a sound rationale for the professional work of science teaching.
• Learn how to locate and use materials and resources.
• Develop facility with various teaching strategies and assessment techniques.
• Gain an understanding of students’ cognitive processes and how to facilitate science learning for diverse populations of students such as special need students and English learners.
• Acquire information on various topics such as safety and testing.
• Develop professional initiative and collaboration skills.