Taking Ownership: Science as Constructive Inquiry (SCI) - An Interdisciplinary, Urban, Multicultural Curriculum Development Program

纽约城市大学布鲁克林学院正在为城市职前小学教师开发、加强和传播一套密集而又支持性的科学准备课程。在过去的五年中，来自物理系、化学系、地质系和生物系的学院教员与科学教育系教员合作，设计并试行了一套以建构主义为导向的科学和科学教育课程。这个拟议项目的目的是巩固这个初步计划的成功，建立在教学发现的基础上，加强和传播对国家科学基础设施的可能的重大贡献。在三年项目的早期，课程重点是：(1)定量思维正在通过科学课程发展为一个系统的链条；这包括使用以实验室为基础的科学教学作为数学教学的一种方式，并使用数学作为一种允许主动学习扩展到实验室和人类尺度之外的方式。本项目涉及科学与科学教育课程。PI正在与同事们合作，共同修订初等教育专业的数学序列。(2)由于建构主义模式下的教学对大多数教师来说是一个重大的转变，项目负责人正在努力提高整个科学课程教学的一致性。(3)理学院正在为实验室工作的设置制定一种修订后的模式，以允许学生活动的灵活性和自发性。在资助期的后期，项目负责人将准备一本关于他们设计建构主义课程的经验的书，包括对教学、科学、哲学和政治问题的讨论。除了课程插图，这本书将展示如何与传统背景的教师可以鼓励，激励，并教导发展教学风格适合探究性学习。

Brooklyn College of the City University of New York is developing, enhancing, and disseminating an intensive, yet supportive, science preparation sequence for urban preservice elementary teachers. For the past five years college faculty from the four science departments - Physics, Chemistry, Geology, and Biology - have collaborated with the science education faculty to design and pilot a constructivist-oriented set of science and science education courses. It is the purpose of this proposed project to consolidate the successes of this preliminary program, to build upon pedagogic discoveries, and to strengthen and disseminate a possible major contribution to the nation's infrastructure in science. In the early part of the three year project, curriculum is highlighted: (1) Quantitative thinking is being developed as a systemic strand through science courses; this involves the use of lab-based science instruction as a way of teaching mathematics, and using mathematics as a way of allowing active learning to extend beyond the bounds of lab and human scales. This project addresses the science and science education courses. The PI's are cooperating with colleagues concurrently working on revision of the mathematics sequence for elementary education majors. (2) Since teaching in the constructivist mode involves a major shift for most faculty, the PI's are working to enhance consistency in teaching throughout the science courses. (3) The science faculty are developing a revised model for set-up of laboratory work, to allow for flexibility and spontaneity in student activities. In the latter part of the grant period, the PI's will prepare a book about their experiences in devising a constructivist curriculum, including discussion of pedagogical, scientific, philosophical, and political issues. In addition to curricular illustrations, the book will demonstrate how faculty with traditional backgrounds can be encouraged, motivated, and taught to develop teaching style s appropriate to inquiry-based learning.