Standards of Effective Practice in EDU 246
Updated: June 5, 2012
The following Minnesota Board of Teaching Standards of Effective Practice are addressed in this course at the levels of Knowledge and Understanding of the standard and Practice in Applying the standard.
Standard 1: Subject Matter.
A teacher must understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines taught and be able to create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students. The teacher must:
| A. understand major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of knowing that are central to the disciplines taught; |
The focus of EDU 246 is on the central concepts of life and physical science. Through course readings, lectures, classroom investigations and discussions students come to know the "major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of knowing that are central to the disciplines." Readings include Wildflowers of Minnesota by Stan Tekiel; Minnesota Trees by David M. Ratke; Birds of Minnesota by Stan Tekiela, What to Eat by Marion Nestle and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. (K & A) |
| B. understand how students' conceptual frameworks and misconceptions for an area of knowledge can influence the students' learning; |
Rebecca Skloot's book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks outlines a number of misconceptions about the Nature of Science in the pursuit of understanding of cell biology, growth and reproduction and genetics. In our reading discussion and student papers teacher candidates analyze how misconceptions about the nature of science are influential in student learning. (K & A) |
| C. connect disciplinary knowledge to other subject areas and to everyday life; | Evidence for the connection of disciplinary knowledge to everyday life is found in our readings, journal reflections, classroom discussions and exams and quizzes for Marion Nestle's book What to Eat and Rebecca Skloot's book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Wildflowers of Minnesota by Stan Tekiel, Minnesota Trees by David M. Ratke and Birds of Minnesota by Stan Tekiela, especially in the science content of health/ nutrition, regional natural history and the nature of science. (K & A) |
| D. understand that subject matter knowledge is not a fixed body of facts but is complex and ever developing; | Evidence for an understanding that science subject matter is not a fixed body of knowledge but is complex and ever developing is found in the reading, journal writing and classroom discussions around Rebecca Skloot's book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack. At the heart of this book is the Nature of Science. (K & A) |
| E. use multiple representations and explanations of subject matter concepts to capture key ideas and link them to students' prior understandings; | The evidence for this indicator is found in the student driven experimental design. In order to conduct an experiment, students must have a fundamental understanding of the key ideas (both short and more complex) which build from their own initial understandings. (K & A) |
| F. use varied viewpoints, theories, ways of knowing, and methods of inquiry in teaching subject matter concepts; | Rebecca Skloot's book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks outlines varied perspectives in the pursuit of understanding of cell biology, genetics, and the nature of science. (K & A) |
| G. evaluate teaching resources and curriculum materials for comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness for presenting particular ideas and concepts; | In EDU 246 we use The Monarchs in the Classroom curriculum during our study of insect ecology. Students will evaluate the "comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness for presenting particular ideas and concepts" via their science notebooks.( K & A) |
| H. engage students in generating knowledge and testing hypotheses according to the methods of inquiry and standards of evidence used in the discipline; | In EDU 246 students complete both short and more comprehensive experimental investigations where they test hypotheses, collect data, analysis their data and use that evidence to make conclusions. (K & A) |