Science Credential Program Goals

The Science Education faculty has identified a list of outcomes to guide our actions in the courses you take from our department. When you leave the science credential program you should demonstrate beginner level competency in each of the following areas.

1. Be well educated in science

• critical consumers of scientific information
• have science confidence outside your discipline
• be able to read and understand science as reported in popular press (e.g., NY Times)

2. Demonstrate effective communication skills
3. Be aware of lab/demonstration skills for teaching (including safety issues)

• Preparing lab materials
• Lab management skills
• Classroom management specifically for a hands-on science class

4. Articulate and support goals for your own teaching; have a rationale for teaching science
5. Demonstrate knowledge of how people learn AND how to apply that information
6. Demonstrate rudimentary abilities to plan for instruction (short & long term)

• Assessment
• Standards
• Knowing the learner

7. Be aware of specific teaching strategies (detailed list elsewhere)
8. Demonstrate content depth and confidence sufficient to explain ideas multiple ways (requires knowledge of learning styles)
9. Critically reflect on & analyze your teaching skills
10. Demonstrate you can do a scientific investigation - skills in the doing of science
11. Understand the nature of science

• History of science
• Historical understandings as it relates to misconceptions

12. Practice specific teaching skills
13. Understand day-to-day life of K-12 teachers
14. Technology usage at the CTC Level 1 standards
15. Demonstrate behaviors of lifelong learners - continued professional development

• Finding resources (materials and human)
• Workshops & inservice opportunities
• Professional organizations
• Professional journals

Different courses in the program emphasize specific goals. Over the course of your credential program you will be expected to collect evidence of your attainment of these goals. Before completing student teaching you must demonstrate that you've met each of these goals.

The College of Education has a theme & mission which is supported by these program specific goals.

The theme and mission should guide what you do and learn in all your single subject education courses.

Theme: Teaching for life-long learning, professional growth & social responsibility.
Mission: Our mission is to foster a learning and teaching community committed to educational excellence. Our community

• promotes intellectual, personal and interpersonal growth for all students;
• prepares socially responsible leaders for a rapidly changing, technologically-rich world;
  values diversity and prepares students for a diverse world;
• serves and collaborates with other educators and the community;
• promotes school improvement for all students; and
• engages in research, scholarly activity, an ongoing evaluation.

Last update: 12/18/06