Volume 5: Issue 2 [2020]
Connecting Preservice Teachers and Scientists Through Notebooks
- Categories: Elementary Education, Integrated STEM, and Preservice Teacher Preparation
- Tags: Notebooks, preservice teachers, Science and Engineering Practices, and scientists
- Publication: Issue 2 and Volume 5
The use of science notebooks in an elementary methods course can encourage preservice teachers’ engagement in collaborative work and participation in science through writing (Morrison, 2008). In this paper we describe how we, a teacher educator and a scientist, collaborated to focus on how scientists use notebooks in their work, and how this compares and contrasts to how notebooks can be used in both a preservice elementary methods course and in the elementary classroom. We describe our facilitation of notebooks with preservice teachers and how we emphasize professional scientists’ use of notebooks. Additionally, we offer recommendations based on our experiences in our collaboration and facilitation of notebook use with preservice teachers. Our intention is to provide recommendations that can be applied in a variety of university contexts, such as emphasizing the Science and Engineering Practices and the Nature of Science, including discussion about the work of professional engineers, and making connections to literacy.
Service Learning for Science: A Transformative Field Experience for Preservice Elementary Teachers
- Categories: Elementary Education, Environmental Science, and Preservice Teacher Preparation
- Tags: community engagement, elementary science methods, and service learning
- Publication: Issue 2 and Volume 5
Preservice teachers are often faced with tension between theory about effective science education and practice. Service learning is one method for helping bridge the disconnect in meaningful ways that are mutually beneficial for both preservice teachers and community partners. With the recent adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in most states, and the upcoming accountability testing for science, some elementary schools are beginning to shift toward more science instruction that supports students’ developing understanding of science concepts, as well as the practices in which scientists engage. This transition time provides an excellent opportunity to purposefully partner universities with elementary schools in an effort to support science education (for preservice teachers, inservice teachers, and elementary school students). We have redesigned our science methods course to integrate service learning to provide our preservice teachers with authentic experiences for teaching the effective pedagogical strategies and theories learned in the course. This paper describes the service learning component of our science methods course, which includes a unique field experience. It also illustrates evidence of the positive impact this service learning approach has had on our preservice teachers and community partners, and lessons learned through the process.
Introducing Preservice Science Teachers to Computer Science Concepts and Instruction Using Pseudocode
- Categories: Engineering, High School, Middle School, Preservice Teacher Preparation, and Technology
- Tags: computer science, computer thinking, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), pseudocode, and technology
- Publication: Issue 2 and Volume 5
Preservice science teachers are often asked to teach STEM content. While coding is one of the more popular aspects of the technology portion of STEM, many preservice science teachers are not prepared to authentically engage students in this content due to their lack of experience with coding. In an effort to remedy this situation, this article outlines an activity we developed to introduce preservice science teachers to computer science concepts such as pseudocode, looping, algorithms, conditional statements, problem decomposition, and debugging. The activity and discussion also support preservice teachers in developing pedagogical acumen for engaging K-12 students with computer science concepts. Examples of preservice science teachers’ work illustrate their engagement and struggles with the ideas and anecdotes provide insight into how the preservice science teachers practiced teaching computer science concepts with 6th grade science students. Explicit connections to the Next Generation Science Standards are made to illustrate how computer science lessons within a STEM course might be used to meet Engineering, Technology, and Application of Science standards within the NGSS.
A Framework for Science Exploration: Examining Successes and Challenges for Preservice Teachers
- Categories: Biological Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Earth/Space Science, Elementary Education, Engineering, Environmental Science, Integrated STEM, Middle School, Physical Sciences, Physics, and Preservice Teacher Preparation
- Tags: framework, methodology, science, and teacher preparation
- Publication: Issue 2 and Volume 5
Undergraduate preservice teachers examined the Science Texts Analysis Model during a university course. The Science Texts Analysis Model is designed to support teachers as they help students prepare to engage with the arguments in science texts. The preservice teachers received instruction during class time on campus before employing the model when teaching science to elementary and middle school students in Baltimore city. This article describes how the preservice teachers applied their knowledge of the Science Texts Analysis Model within this real world context. Preservice teachers’ reactions to the methodology are examined in order to provide recommendations for future college courses.