In this article, the author describes how a partnership was established to bring science and education majors together with elementary school children in an after-school STEM program. This partnership allowed preservice teachers and science majors to have fun with science and to learn science informally, in a nonclassroom, low-stress…

As teachers consider ethics, they find that it may often look like a student issue. It may be discussions of plagiarism, social justice, honesty, bullying, privacy, child labor, free speech, inequity. However, even as teachers struggle with ways to model ethics or "teach" ethics, they find that their teaching practices may warrant reflection. One…

The linguistic diversity in schools is increasing throughout the United States and as state and federal accountability increases in the instruction of English language learners (ELLs), many teachers who never before were asked to work with ELLs are now required to contribute to the education of these students. In some states, all education majors,…

English 341: Advanced Composition for Teachers is a three-credit undergraduate course for pre-service educators at Francis Marion University, a mid-size public university located in northeast South Carolina. According to the university catalog, students enrolled in English 341 "explore connections among writing, teaching, and learning as they…

The film "Lorenzo's Oil" depicts the challenges faced by the parents of a child with adrenoleukodystrophy, a neurological disorder that, they were told, was certainly fatal. The film contains a significant amount of chemistry, including concepts of fatty acid metabolism, enzyme inhibition, and the purification of substances. The film also raises…

Concerns about the quality of math and science education in the elementary grades often focus on the shortage of well qualified teachers at that level, a shortage that reflects both a lack of interest among prospective teachers in teaching mathematics and science (Committee on Science, 2007), and the need for solid preparation in mathematics for…

The paper describes the development of an Integrated Curriculum Science and Technology subject offering as part of the Bachelor of Education (Teaching) degree for primary pre-service teachers at Massey University in New Zealand. The paper discusses some of the difficulties and concerns which arise when pursuing this type of endeavour. This paper…

In this paper I describe an in-class discussion activity aimed at helping elementary education majors in a physical science course think about issues surrounding the inclusion of "Intelligent Design" in public school science standards. I discuss the background instruction given, the content of the activity, and some results from its use in class.

An interdisciplinary team of science and education faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago and several Chicago-area community colleges developed and implemented a series of four integrated, inquiry-based science courses for preservice elementary school teachers. All four courses are based on guiding principles taken from the rich…

The course described in this article, "Multicultural Mathematics," aims to strengthen and expand students' understanding of fundamental mathematics--number systems, arithmetic, geometry, elementary number theory, and mathematical reasoning--through study of the mathematics of world cultures. In addition, the course is designed to explore the…

Science 101 was designed by a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional team, with leadership from the Departments of Biology and Teacher Education, and participation by faculty in the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, the College of Engineering, and master teachers from school districts in the state of Illinois. Their goal was to…

This article describes how teacher education is affected by evolving law, especially when the teacher is called upon to communicate evaluative comments about a trainee in the form of letters of reference, telephone recommendations, or submissions for placement files. (Author/PB)

"Science for Girls: Successful Classroom Strategies" looks at how girls learn, beginning with the time they are born through both the informal and formal education process. In the author's current role as professor of science education, Dr. Goetz has surveyed hundreds of female elementary education majors in their junior and senior year of…

Over 50 professors in the California State University (CSU) system provided testimonies concerning the ways they have introduced law-related education concepts, materials, and methods into their courses, especially those classes in which future teachers are present. Incorporation of law-related education (LRE) in the various stages of the teacher…

The Sun Coast Area Teacher Training (SCATT) Program at the University of South Florida is involved in an endeavor to attract and keep bright and talented teachers in the teaching profession. Its mission is to achieve academic excellence and to improve the quality of teacher candidates. SCATT was begun as a collaborative program of the University…