Integrating Mathematics and the Sciences in Teacher Education Programs

一个由13个机构的13人组成的小组正在改革我们自己的教师准备课程，使它们以学生为中心，以探究为基础，并与国家K-12科学标准保持一致。这个团队包括数学家、科学教育家和科学家，他们都为职前教师开发和教授课程。这三所大学（一所研究型大学、一所技术/社区学院和一所历史悠久的黑人大学）包括来自不同社会经济起点的学生。我们将小学教师职前课程相互结合，并与数学相结合。我们通过针对每个校园，课程和教师的需求的具体举措来实现我们的目标。学生们在几周的时间里设计并进行自己的调查研究的“大项目”（Big Projects）正变得能够自给自足，并被输出到其他课程和其他校园。有一对物理科学和生物课程在内容和教学方法上正在彻底整合，一门课程的讲师讲授另一门课程，并举行联合教职员会议。夏季夏令营和一些跨学科教学将促进三个校区数学和科学的融合。我们在一门课程中成功处理科学本质的研究将支持其他课程的课程开发。我们正在与一家商业出版商签订一份实验室手册的合同，我们正在与另一家出版商就完整的教科书包进行认真的谈判。我们还将通过研讨会和出版物向科学家、科学教育者和其他学科的大学教师传播我们的发现。

A committed group of thirteen people from thirteen institutions if reforming our own teacher preparation courses, making them student-centered, inquiry based, and aligned with the national K-12 science standards. The team includes mathematicians, science educators, and scientists, all developing and giving courses for pre-service teachers. The three institutions (a research university, a technical/community college, and a historically black university) include students from a variety of SES's (socio-economic starting points). We integrate the pre-service courses for elementary teachers with each other and with mathematics. We progress towards our goals through specific initiatives targeted to the needs of each campus, course, and faculty member. Big Projects, where students design and conduct their own investigations over a period of weeks, are becoming self-sustaining and are exported to other courses and other campuses. One pair of physical science and biology courses is being thoroughly integrated in content and pedagogy, with instructors in one course teaching in the other, and with joint staff meetings. A summer retreat and some cross-disciplinary teaching will facilitate integration of mathematics and science at all three campuses. Our research on the successful treatment of the Nature of Science in one of our courses will support curriculum development in other courses. A laboratory manual is under contract with a commercial publisher, and we are seriously negotiating with another for a full textbook package. We will also disseminate our findings through workshops and publications, addressed to scientists, science educators, and university faculty in other disciplines.