T122 Fostering the Next Generation: Support for Pre-College Teachers and Students by Professional Societies, Institutions, and Federal Agencies

Monday, 5 November 2012
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
210AB

AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO EARTH SCIENCE TEACHER PREPARATION: UNITING SCIENCE, INFORMAL SCIENCE EDUCATION, AND SCHOOLS TO RAISE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Paper number: T122-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 1:50 PM – 2:10 PM

Authors

Abstract

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), in collaboration with five high-needs and highly diverse secondary schools, is developing and implementing a new teacher education program to prepare Earth and space science majors to become teachers to improve Earth Science achievement and interest in STEM careers among students from traditionally underrepresented populations, including English language learners, special education students, and racial minority groups. The pilot program, which is part of NY state’s Race to the Top initiative, will prepare a total of 50 candidates in two cohorts (2012 and 2013) to earn a New York State Board of Regents-awarded Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with a specialization in Earth Science for grades 7-12. The program focuses on Earth Science both because it is one of the greatest areas of science teacher shortages in urban areas and because AMNH has the ability to leverage the required scientific and educational resources in Earth Science and allied disciplines, including paleontology and astrophysics.

The intensive 15-month curriculum for MAT candidates comprises one summer of teaching within the Museum’s youth programs, two five-month residencies in our partner schools, one summer of science practicum experience, and concurrent graduate-level courses in Earth and space sciences, pedagogy, foundations in education, and adolescent psychology. The program was co-designed and developed by educators and Earth and space scientists; and program faculty includes curators and post-doctoral fellows specializing in geology, astrophysics, and paleontology, and doctoral-level Education faculty who work side by side across disciplines to develop and co-teach courses.

With the first cohort of teaching candidates having entered the program in June of 2012, the MAT program is still in the early stages. Consistent with the broad nature of the discipline, current teacher candidates have a wide variety of scientific expertise which resulted from recruiting applicants with backgrounds in the geological sciences, space sciences, physical oceanography and meteorology. Candidates come from diverse geographic localities and range from recent graduates to career changers. We will share the first-year results from our ongoing program evaluation.