Re: Advice on teacher education?

[Arlyn DeBruyckere <arlynd@HUTCH.K12.MN.US>]

kyle forinash wrote:

> SNIP   Now I'm all in favor of more content but there are three
> questions that I have with this: 1) this scenario leaves only 9 hrs
> for ALL OTHER science and math courses (biology, geology, computers,
> math beyond algebra). Shouldn't a middle school teacher have a
> broader science background?;

IMO, yes but do you have the time?  One of the biggest problems in US
science education is that it is "a mile wide and an inch deep".  How can
the teacher go "deeper" if they don't have a "deeper" background?


> 2) it seems to me that a good 100 level
> Hewitt based course is really the highest level a middle school
> teacher should be teaching at. Should we teach teachers the same
> stuff they themselves will be teaching or should we teach them at a
> higher level than they will actually need?

I seem to remember studies that students who took calculus were better
able to do algebra than similar students who only took college algebra
even 10 or more years later.  People who have to "learn extra" often
don't remember the "extra" but they are much better at the "basics".


> 3) We have good evidence
> that the current requirements (the first semester of physics only)
> drives students away from a physical science concentration. Are these
> additional requirements going to further deplete the available
> teachers in this area?

IMO, Yes.  Why take a "tough" physics class when you can get a job for
the same pay taking a less difficult route?  What is the alternative?
Pretending that we have well trained teachers?  Give them the false
security that they know it because the "certificate" says so?


> These opportunities to affect the future generation of teachers only
> occurs once in a while and I want to do it well. Any advice on this
> would be appreciated.
>
> kyle
> -----------------------------------------------------
>    kyle forinash   812-941-2390
>    kforinas@ius.edu
>    Natural Science Division
>    Indiana University Southeast
>    New Albany, IN    47150
>    http://Physics.ius.edu/
> -----------------------------------------------------

--
Arlyn DeBruyckere
Hutchinson High School