COURSES TAUGHT: Curriculum & Instruction in Science The purpose of this course is to examine general aspects of secondary school science curriculum and instruction, including the philosophy, goals and objectives of science education. This course will provide you with theoretical opportunities to reflect upon and discuss the ways in which science classrooms are social, political and cultural spaces and encourage you to critically consider the possibilities that can emerge in “rethinking scientific literacy.”  In additional, the course will provide you with the necessary practical tools to plan science units and lessons that meet National Science Education Standards and Missouri State Standards while remaining true to the promotion of scientific literacy for all children. To achieve these goals, during this semester, you will be asked to read a variety of articles and/or chapters, reflect and discuss this literature, participate in actual science learning activities as well as to practice instructional strategies with your peers.  In this way, the course should provide you with multiple resources and insights into how you might interact in your future secondary science classroom.  The Science and Politics of Testing Why do tests permeate American Society? Tests have been integral to the decision-making process in many venues of American culture – e.g., immigration opportunities, voting rights, college admissions, workforce considerations, special education placement, educational reform, and graduation requirements. The credibility of these decisions depends upon the claim that a particular test is a scientific instrument and relevant to the decision-making process.  This claim is worthy of study. The purpose of the course is twofold. The first purpose is to examine the concepts, techniques, and data behind high stake testing and the resulting disparate impact on children of varied demographic characteristics. The second purpose is to explore how testing practices influence the culture of schools, legal cases and public discourse about merit. In this course, you will also have the opportunity to be exposed to an alternative model for thinking about assessment – the use of videography as a tool for recognizing aspects of achievement, collection of evidence, and methods of analysis for interpretive processes.  I will provide video footage from urban settings, in secondary science classrooms and/or alternative learning environments and with culturally and economically marginalized groups of children. Learning Sciences Practicum in Math/Science/Technology This course provides an intellectual space for the examination of multiple methodological and theoretical frameworks that can be used to understand the role that research and implementation play in improving science education. Additional topics addressed include science content knowledge, national and local science education standards, inquiry-based teaching, achievement and assessment strategies, professional development and the sociocultural issues embedded within science teaching and learning. The course is geared toward doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and staff working with the Center of Inquiry in Science Teaching and Learning, a National Science Foundation CLT grant, with a goal of improving dialog amongst multiple individuals from varying backgrounds and expanding human resource quality and diversification in the area of science education. Video Microanalysis: Methods and Tools The purpose of this course is to explore video microanalysis as a methodological tool for studying and valuing unconscious aspects of culturally diverse settings. Utilizing sociocultural theoretical lens, this type of analysis will reveal fleeting actions, subtle movements, peripheral events, and non-verbal communication that are not easily identified in real time viewing. Specifically we may look at facial expressions, direction of gaze, hand movements, body position, and use of material resources as micro techniques to expand our capacity to explore alternative interpretations of social interactions. Power and Conflict in Mathematics and Science Education The purpose of this course is to examine the research literature in mathematics and science education focused on the interactions of policy, classroom practice, and community on student advancement. A central focus of the course will be on issues of agency, culture, classroom dynamics, and local structures that influence students´ learning of science and mathematics. The readings will be drawn from the sociology of education, sociocultural studies, philosophy of science, policy studies and other relevant literature. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Education. The Teaching-Learning Process in Elementary School Focus on four broad areas: self-awareness and human relations; generic teaching and behavioral management strategies; analysis of instruction; and social and political issues affecting the classroom. Topics include: teacher-pupil relationships, evaluation of pupil progress, curriculum development, instructional technology, and school organization.