Science Instruction & Applied Technology

Expanding the Boundaries of STEM Teaching and Learning for All

CI 175, Spring 2020

Course

CI 175, Section 04

Instructor

Myunghwan Shin, PhD

Units

3

Office

ED 453

Class Time

Tuesday, 7–9:50 p.m.

Email

mshin@csufresno.edu

Telephone

559-278-0336

Location

ED 153

Office Hours

Tuesday, 4–7 p.m., or by appointment

Course Overview

This course is designed to prepare teacher candidates to engage all students in science and, more broadly, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Teacher candidates will learn contemporary pedagogies, tools, and resources that support K–8 students in learning the core ideas and practices highlighted in STEM education standards. Students will also learn to take informed action as agents of change and make a difference in their everyday lives and local and global communities.

By recognizing and leveraging students’ funds of knowledge, cultural practices, and multiple identities, teacher candidates will learn how to teach STEM for all students, including students of color, women, immigrants, students with disabilities, LGBT students, and other populations historically underrepresented in STEM fields and formal education systems.

Through contemporary theories of learning and teaching and research-based practices in STEM, teacher candidates will construct their own answers to three key questions during the semester:

1. What does STEM teaching look like for and with all students?
2. How is STEM taught in an integrated way?
3. What core ideas and practices in the STEM disciplines should K–8 students know and be able to apply?

Course Materials

Selected readings replace a textbook in this course. All readings and additional materials will be available through Google Classroom. The readings reflect current research and support an understanding of STEM education and its implications for teaching. Understanding of the assigned readings should be reflected in course assignments and discussions.

• Czerniak, C. M., & Johnson, C. C. (2007). Interdisciplinary science teaching. In N. G. Lederman & S. K. Abell (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Science Education (Vol. 2, pp. 395–411). Routledge.
• Wilson, S. M., & Peterson, P. L. (2006). Theories of Learning and Teaching: What Do They Mean for Educators? National Education Association Research Department.
• Calabrese-Barton, A., & Tan, E. (2009). Funds of knowledge and discourses and hybrid space. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46(1), 50–73.
• Paris, D. (2012). Culturally sustaining pedagogy: A needed change in stance, terminology, and practice. Educational Researcher, 41(3), 93–97.
• Calabrese-Barton, A., & Tan, E. (2010). We be burnin’! Agency, identity, and science learning. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 19(2), 187–229.
• CAST: About Universal Design for Learning
• California Next Generation Science Standards
• California Common Core State Standards
• International Society for Technology in Education Standards

Course Requirements and Assignments

Teacher candidate groups will primarily participate in collaborative inquiries, or research projects, in which they investigate problems or challenges in STEM education in the Central Valley and develop possible solutions for engaging all students in STEM. Through these inquiries, teacher candidates will construct their own answers to the three key course questions. Rubrics, tools, and resources associated with each key assignment will be provided in class. TPEs: 1.5, 3.1, 3.2, and 6.1.

1. Identify Problems: Research Proposals—Group, 100 points

   Teacher candidates will write a research proposal that describes their research questions, rationale, and research schedule. Teacher candidates will clearly define what change they want to make and why it is important for students.

2. Investigate: Digital Portfolios—100 points

   Teacher candidates will create a digital portfolio that demonstrates the progress of their projects or inquiries. Using a cloud-based ePortfolio platform, teacher candidates will upload materials including, but not limited to:

   • Raw data collected
   • Findings from data analysis
   • Photo documentation
   • Reflections and notes

3. Take Action: STEM Educational Artifacts—Group, 100 points

   Teacher candidates will create a STEM educational artifact representing their answers to the research questions posed by their groups. Options will be discussed and reevaluated in class with peers and the instructor. Possible STEM educational artifacts include:

   • Redesigned STEM textbook chapters
   • Coauthored storybooks
   • STEM education performances or demonstrations, such as dance, theater, or cooking
   • Public-service announcement videos or movies
   • Redesigned tools or resources, such as makerspaces, STEM education carts, or mini-gardens
   • Action plans for community collaborations and partnerships
   • STEM community handbooks or resource guides

4. Share: Final Presentation—Group, 100 points

   Teacher candidates will share their final STEM artifacts with the instructor and their colleagues at the end of the semester. Each group will give a 10–15-minute presentation.

5. Reflect: Reflection Notes—100 points

   Teacher candidates will write about what they learned from the collaborative inquiries and how they might redesign their collaborative inquiries or STEM educational artifacts to respond to their students’ needs.

6. Peer Evaluation—100 points

   Each teacher candidate’s contribution to the collaborative inquiries will be evaluated by team members. Each team member will provide feedback on peer contributions using the rubric provided by the instructor.

7. Attendance and Class Participation—100 points

   Teacher candidates are expected to attend and participate in all class activities. Ten points will be deducted for each missed class, and five points will be deducted for arriving late. A student who misses more than five classes will not pass the course.

   Additional assignments may be completed to make up deductions resulting from excused or unplanned absences, such as a short-term serious medical condition or a death or serious illness in the immediate family. Students should contact the instructor to discuss any additional assignments.

Grading Policy

Grading Scale

Late Assignments

Twenty percent will be deducted from assignments submitted after the deadline. If an assignment cannot be submitted when it is due, notify the instructor in writing and state when it will be submitted. All assignments must be completed by May 12.

Course Goals and Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes are aligned with the Teaching Performance Expectations within the California Standards for the Teaching Profession approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Course Schedule

Final-presentation preparation and faculty-consultation days: May 7–8.

Final Assignments

2. Digital portfolio
3. STEM artifact
4. Final presentation
5. Reflection note
6. Peer evaluation

Schedule notice: This syllabus and schedule are subject to change. Students who are absent are responsible for checking announcements made during the missed class.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodations for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities in Henry Madden Library, Room 1202, at 278-2811.

Honor Code

“Members of the Fresno State academic community adhere to principles of academic integrity and mutual respect while engaged in university work and related activities.” Students should:

1. Understand or seek clarification about expectations for academic integrity in this course, including expectations concerning cheating, plagiarism, and inappropriate collaboration.
2. Neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on examinations or other coursework used by the instructor as the basis of grading.
3. Take responsibility for monitoring academic dishonesty in any form and reporting it to the instructor or another appropriate official for action.

Cheating and Plagiarism

Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one’s grade or obtaining course credit. Such acts also include assisting another student in doing so. Although these acts typically occur in relation to examinations, the term “cheating” includes any action intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means.

Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating consisting of the misuse of the published or unpublished work of others by misrepresenting that intellectual property as one’s own work. Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a zero or F on an assignment, through an F for the course, to expulsion from the university. For more information, refer to the legal notices on cheating and plagiarism in the Class Schedule or the policies and regulations in the University Catalog.

Disruptive Classroom Behavior

“The classroom is a special environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop an understanding of the community in which they live. Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class.”

Make-Up Policy for Planned and Unplanned Absences

For an unplanned absence, papers, tests, and homework assignments due during the absence may be made up only if the student contacts the instructor as soon as practicable and develops a plan with the instructor.

For authorized absences resulting from university-sponsored activities, students should submit their work on or before the due date or as arranged with the instructor. This requirement includes papers, tests, and homework assignments. See the grading policy for additional information.

When a student is absent for an extended period, a viable make-up plan may not be feasible. Other options, such as dropping the class for a serious and compelling reason or withdrawing from the university, may be appropriate.

Computers

“At California State University, Fresno, computers and communication links to remote resources are recognized as integral to the education and research experience. Every student is required to have a computer or other personal access to a workstation with the recommended software. In the curriculum and class assignments, students are presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the communication links necessary to access the university’s information resources.”

Copyright Policy

Copyright laws and fair-use policies protect the rights of those who produced the course materials. The materials in this course are provided for private study, scholarship, or research. Other uses may require permission from the copyright holder. Users are responsible for adhering to United States copyright law under Title 17 of the United States Code. For more information, visit Fresno State’s Copyright Information page.

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