--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: jane.jackson@asu.edu (Jane Jackson)
Jane Jackson asked that I forward this to the phys-L network.
If you wish to respond, please e-mail her address below.
Herb
As John Clement and Herb Gottlieb pointed out, there are good
reasons to consider professional development of middle school teachers in
science to be of primary importance. But how is this to occur?
The "peer teaching principle", espoused by the National Science
Education Standards (NSES), holds that professionals are best taught by
peers who are exceptionally well-versed in the objectives, methods and
problems of the profession.
But what "peers" can teach middle school teachers science?
David Hestenes addressed this question in a proposal that he & I
wrote last spring:
"... there is a great need for teachers with strong scientific
and
pedagogical backgrounds to train these [middle school] teachers. Most
middle school teachers are not qualified to do this, for they do not have
sufficient depth of understanding of science content. Many of them have
only elementary certification.
Our Modeling Instruction program addresses this problem by
reaching
into the ranks of high school teachers.
The bottom-up approach to science education reform, focusing on
primary and middle school teachers, overlooks the power of a top-down
approach beginning with high school science and math. Both approaches are
needed, and the top-down approach may be essential to success of the
bottom-up for the following reason. Although professional development is
essential to reform at all grade levels, many efforts founder for lack of
qualified leaders: experienced teachers with strong scientific and
pedagogical backgrounds. Physics teachers with the pedagogical training
supplied by Modeling Workshops are well prepared and eager to help other
science teachers at lower grade levels. Many of them are already in
demand
in Arizona for this purpose. Thus a strong professional development
program
for physics teachers will serve as a source of excellent inservice
leaders
for middle school science reform."
Jane Jackson, Co-Director, Modeling Instruction Program
Box 871504, Dept.of Physics & Astronomy,ASU,Tempe,AZ 85287
480-965-8438/fax:965-7331 <http://modeling.la.asu.edu>