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Anyway, I would maintain that we are supposed to be doing this, and wethrough
generally say we have been doing this for quite some time. Science is
supposed to be part of the curriculum from kindergarten all the way
high school. Students are supposed to see some physics each year witheach
successive year building on the former. One problem is that the earlyon
science teachers (not really science teachers) have concentrated too hard
reading, writing, and arithmetic.
They teach very little science anddon't
totally neglect physics. They know almost zero physics themselves; they
never took a physics course... period. So students have never had a true
spiral approach to physics even though the curriculum says they should.
I know elementary school teachers who are supposed to be teaching science,
but actually admit they just leave it out. They do this because they
know science. But they rationalize their actions by saying, "my studentsthat
are having trouble reading and writing so I have to spend more time on
because it is more important." I also know teachers who say they are
teaching some science, but it amounts to collecting insects and leaves and
recording the temperature each day.
We are trying to change this, but it is taking time and considerableeffort.
In Ohio the new licensing procedure requires that science teachers ingrades
4 through 9 must have had a science concentration in college. At Blufftonto
College our teacher-education students headed for grades 4-9 science have
take a year of physics, a year of biology, one semester of chemistry, onepass
semester of astronomy, and one semester of earth science. The have to
these courses with a C or higher. Each course has lab. When thesestudents
become teachers they should be capable of teaching the curriculumproperly.
I would extend this right down to 1st grade. Actually, what I would suggest