Integrated Science and Mathematics ISM 211213

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Integrated Science and Mathematics (ISM 211/213)

• A New Course for Elementary Education Majors at
  Central Connecticut State University Developed
  Through a Grant From FIPSE (U.S. Dept. Ed.)
• http//www.biology.ccsu.edu/jarrett/FIPSE/
• jarrettj_at_ccsu.edu

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Central Connecticut State University

• Urban university located in New Britain, CT.
• Approximately 12,000 students (6,900 full-time
  undergraduate students). Approximately 2,000
  live on campus.
• Offer bachelors and masters level degrees as well
  as certificate programs and post-baccalaureate
  teacher certification.

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Central Connecticut State University

• 150 year history with origins as a normal school.
• Continues to have a strong teacher preparation
  program which brings together faculty from
  schools and departments across campus.

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Observation

• Across the country, elementary education majors
  are not acquiring the tools needed to become
  effective teachers of science and mathematics.
• National and state Standards documents provide
  very specific recommendations for science and
  mathematics content at the elementary level.

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Contributing Factors

• Course requirements in science and mathematics
  for elementary education majors are minimal.
• Mathematics and the sciences are taught in
  isolation or with minimal integration.

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Develop an integrated science, mathematics, and
technology course to improve training of future
elementary educators.
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• Faculty from the School of Arts and Sciences and
  the School of Education developed a grant
  proposal and received funding from FIPSE to
  support the development of this course.

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Project Goal

• Develop a 10 credit, team-taught course spanning
  two semesters, which will
• a) provide a more appropriate science and
  mathematics background and,
• b) enable students to make the connections
  between mathematics and the sciences.

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• If successful, the new course would replace 4
  courses currently taken by Elementary Education
  students.
• Elementary Earth Science (3cr).
• Probability and Geometry (3cr).
• Concepts in Biology (3cr).
• Intro. to Educational Technology (1cr).

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Course Objectives

• Students will acquire a significant body of
  knowledge in mathematics and the sciences.
• Students will identify the connections among the
  sciences and between mathematics and science.
• Students will become skilled in experimental
  design,
• interpretation of data and implementation of math
  and science activities.
• - Students will become competent in the use of
  technology to learn and teach science and
  mathematics.

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Course Design

• The course was developed by a Planning Team
  consisting of eight CCSU faculty from the
  departments of biology, mathematics, educational
  leadership, chemistry, and physics/earth science.
  
• An Advisory Team consisting of eight additional
  CCSU faculty and eight K-12 educators from area
  school districts played an active role in guiding
  the development of this course.

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First Academic YearFall Semester 1998

• Planning team met to review standards documents.
• Planning team identified topics in their
  individual subject areas which are aligned with
  the standards and which should be included in the
  course.
• Planning team and advisory team met to discuss
  standards documents and topics chosen by the
  planning team and to identify subjects and
  activities suitable for integration.

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WHAT WE WANT TO DO TODAY
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First Academic Year Semester Break 1999

• Planning team members met during the first three
  weeks of January.
• Explored various resources for existing
  activities and methodologies for use in our
  course.
• Modified and developed methodologies and course
  activities.
• Agreed on topics which could best be integrated
  and topics best taught separately.
• Presented and discussed methodologies and
  activities.

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First Academic YearSpring Semester 1999

• Advisory team met in late February 1999 to review
  and discuss the tentative course syllabus and
  specific activities.
• Project director submitted a formal course
  proposal to the university. (Well revisit this
  later in the talk?).

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First Academic YearSpring Semester 1999

• Project director revised scope of the course in
  order to have it approved for the fall semester.
  The one-semester, 6 credit course was approved by
  all departments and institutionalized.
• Planning team revised activities and continued to
  explore and develop activities and methodologies.
• Project director and planning team members visit
  classes and distribute information leaflet to
  inform university community about the new course.
  

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First Academic YearSummer 1999

• Planning team members met daily during the first
  5 week summer session at CCSU.
• Finalized instructional units for presentation.
• Presented instructional units to the Planning
  Team.

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First Academic YearSummer 1999

• Discussed and revised units and associated
  written material (activity manual).
• Identified methods for assessing student learning
  in the new course and the traditional math and
  biology courses.
• Handed in written material for activity manual
  and copies of all supporting material relevant to
  instructional units.

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Second Academic YearFall 1999

• Course was taught by Dr.s Craine and Jarrett in
  late afternoon to allow for participation of K-12
  co-teachers.
• 6 students enrolled in the course.
• Dean of Arts and Sciences allowed course to run.

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Second Academic YearWinter 1999/2000

• Advisory team met to review the results of the
  first semester and agreed that, although
  participation of K-12 co-teachers will be
  impacted, the course must be scheduled at a time
  that best accommodates student schedules.

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Second Academic YearSpring 2000

• Course taught by Dr.s Craine and Jarrett for a
  2nd semester with 17 students enrolled.
• Biology and mathematics departments agreed to
  reduce the number of sections of the mathematics
  and biology courses traditionally taken by
  Elementary Ed. students for the fall 2000
  semester.
• Two sections of the course scheduled for the fall
  2000 semester.

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Second Academic YearSummer 2000

• Dr.s Craine and Jarrett conduct a training
  workshop with two faculty (one biologist and one
  mathematician) to prepare for the 2000/2001
  academic year.
• Data from spring semester were analyzed and
  revealed no significant differences in student
  performance in math and science among students in
  the new course and those in the traditional
  courses.

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Third Academic YearFall 2000

• One of the two sections of the course is
  cancelled due to low enrollment (2 students).
  The other section runs with 15 students and is
  taught for the third time by Dr. Jarrett
  (Biology) and for the first time by Dr. Gould
  (Mathematics).
• Discovered that low enrollment in new course is
  due primarily to few students having the
  mathematics course required as a prerequisite for
  the mathematics component of the new course.

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Third Academic YearFall 2000

• Planning and Advisory teams will meet in late
  December/early January to
• discuss experiences of faculty teaching the
  course during the Spring and Fall 2000.
• Examine data comparing exam performance of
  students in the new course with traditional
  mathematics and biology courses.

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Things to Consider

• 1) Identify all who will be impacted by your
  project.
• a) Schools-administrative support.
• b) Students-appropriate content.
• c) Departments-faculty load, lab space, high
  demand courses.
• d) Faculty-load, commitment to project, course
  evaluations.
• e) Programs-program requirements, certification
  requirements.

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Things to Consider
2) Be objective and acknowledge problems,
mistakes, and weaknesses in the project as it
develops. 3) Be prepared to readjust your project
in light of experiences. 4) Remember the ultimate
goal of the project. 5) Dont underestimate your
students.
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Planning Team Marsha Bednarski Assistant
Professor, Dept. of Physics and Earth
Sciences   Timothy Craine Writing
Team Associate Professor, Dept. of
Mathematics   Kathy Gavin Writing
Team Assistant Professor, Dept. of
Mathematics   Jeremiah N. Jarrett - Project
Director, Writing Team Assistant Professor,
Dept. of Biological Sciences   Nanjundiah
Sadanand Writing Team Professor, Dept. of
Physics and Earth Sciences   Mary Salerno
Writing Team Instructor, Dept. of Biological
Sciences   Barry Sponder Assistant Professor,
Dept. of Educational Leadership  
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Consultants Adrienne W. Kozlowski Writing Team
Retired Professor of Chemistry, CCSU Charles
Bruckerhoff Project Evaluator Curriculum
Research Evaluation 237 Singleton Road,
Chaplin, CT 06235
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Special Thanks to Members of Our Advisory
Team CCSU Faculty Thomas Burkholder, Phillip
Halloran, Carol Jones, Marty Kapper, Kris Larsen,
Paulette Lemma, Charles Waiveris, and Margaret
Ferrara K-12 Educators James Backus, Patti Hahn,
Robert Segal, Charlene Tate-Nichols, Donna Brown,
John Mangini, David Lopath, and Michael Landry
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What Do We Do in ISM?

• - Activities (Laboratory) Based Course
• - Students Constantly Work in Groups
• - Three Long-Term Group Projects
• Both Team-Teachers Attend and Participate in
  Each Class

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Examples of What We Do in ISM 211/213

• Properties of Water

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Examples of Daily Activities

• What Is a Chemical Reaction?

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Examples of Daily Activities

• Enzyme Structure and Function

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Examples of Daily Activities

• Microscopes and Cells

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Examples of Long Term Group Projects

• Growth and Life Cycle of Plants

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Examples of Long Term Group Projects

• Human Organ Systems
• See Samples of Student Presentations