SED 554-555

Course Description

SED 554S and 555S are seminars that compliment the science student teaching experience. These seminars are designed in accordance with the Michael D. Eisner College of Education Conceptual Framework and the principles of Computer Supported Collaborative Science  to provide opportunities to engage in and reflect upon best practices in science teaching and learning and prepare for the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT).

Teacher candidates learn to engage students in the those practices and habits of mind described in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), such as asking questions and defining problems, developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking, constructing explanations and designing solutions, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.  These seminars focus on instructional methods and curriculum in teaching physics, chemistry, biology, earth & space science and health in secondary schools. Teacher candidates learn how to  develop, adapt, evaluate, and use strategies and materials for teaching science, appropriate both to the special needs of the learners and the special characteristics of the various science disciplines.  In addition, these seminars foster the development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) so that they are prepared to use relevant technologies to engage and enhance student learning.