Course goals
The goal of this course is to examine the questions:
- What is effective science teaching?
- What is effective science education?
- How does science education impact society?
In particular, on a majority of our Monday classes, this course will consider these questions in the practical
context of teaching mathematics and science to high-schoolers at PHS.
To prepare for this experience, Wednesdays will be reserved for seminars in which we discuss
readings that address various topics in education:
effective teaching strategies,
lesson planning,
social issues relating to education, etc.
As a student of this class, you will:
- Propose, plan, and lead such a seminar.
- Create and teach a unit of science education at PHS.
- Observe techniques used in PHS classrooms and classes at the Claremont Colleges.
- Keep a journal reflecting upon your experiences in this class.
- Write final papers in which you integrate these experiences.
One of the most exciting opportunities in this class is the opportunity to share with
PHS students some of the excitement about science that pervades HMC.
An ideal outcome of this opportunity is to have an impact on these students, encouraging
them to pursue science/mathematics beyond high school, in particular, at competitive
four-year colleges and universities, including Harvey Mudd!
Ideas for What to Look for When Observing Classes
Resources
Here are some ideas to start you thinking about (1) the curriculum
you might want to present to the Pomona High School students and (2) the
education topic you might want to investigate for the seminar meeting:
PHS projects.
Because one of the goals of our outreach is to convey
the excitement and inherent engagement of science, mathematics, and engineering,
the projects taught at Pomona High School should reflect the enthusiasm of the
presenters and strive to create equal enthusiasm in the students.
While the focus of this class is effective
secondary teaching in the sciences and mathematics, there is substantial leeway
in choosing an education-related topic to guide a seminar discussion.
For example, here are some topics that were presented in the past:
- What is intelligence?
- Gender in the classroom.
- Affirmative action.
- Vouchers.
- Technology in the classroom.
- Home-schooling.
- Issues in standardized testing.
- Grade inflation.
Here are some links to general sources of educational papers and information
online:
