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Overview of Wesleyan's Math-Science Partnership
In the summer of 2009, Wesleyan College hosted 3rd and 7th
grade teachers from the Bibb County Public School System for two weeks of
continuing professional development in the context of the Math Science
Partnership (MSP) grant; additional follow up sessions were conducted with both
cohorts during the 2009-2010 school year. Five Wesleyan professors from the
Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Education designed courses to enhance
teacher content knowledge and classroom practice through hands-on, inquiry-based
instruction. Coursework was designed to improve teacher content understanding
through accessible instruction which combined deep knowledge of subject matter
with practical strategies for teaching content. Extensive experimentation was
used throughout the two weeks of instruction, to encourage collaborative
learning and to broaden teacher experience via application of the scientific
method in both life and physical science strands. Cross-disciplinary activities
were used to demonstrate that integration of knowledge is essential to maximize
learning. For instance, significant emphasis was placed on reading strategies to
incorporate science into literacy curricula and to intentionally integrate
mathematics strands into life and physical science experiments. Using these
strategies it was postulated that teacher content knowledge would demonstrably
improve, by both objective and subjective assessment measurements.
In the summer of 2010, additional Wesleyan faculty will be joining the MSP;
these faculty members will broaden the content subject areas provided to
participants, in keeping with both requests from teacher participants and with
the demonstrated need for improved content knowledge, particularly in math,
revealed in initial surveys of Bibb County teachers prior to the grant
inception. The courses proposed in this second year of the grant will span a 2
week period in the summer of 2010 covering a total of 10 days (5 days per week,
6 hours per day), reflecting the participants’ desires for shorter days and
non-consecutive sessions.
3rd grade participants will be team-taught by science and math faculty, with
balanced literacy content (directed toward integrating math literature into the
classroom) provided by education faculty. The 3rd grade courses will address the
Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) frameworks for 3rd grade math and science,
focusing on geometry, fractions and decimals, changes of matter,
electromagnetism, basic chemistry, orienteering, food chains, human ecology,
classification, Georgia habitats and cell structure and function; courses will
also incorporate the “habits of the mind” necessary for 3rd graders, especially
an understanding of the scientific process. Participants will use the College’s
arboretum and computing facilities in the context of some classes and will
engage subject matter in field trips to Bond Swamp, Rose Hill Cemetery and the
Museum of Arts and Sciences.
The 7th grade life science course will be team-taught, with faculty members
addressing GPS frameworks in the chemistry of life, genetics, human development,
evolution, Georgia habitats, ecology, cellular respiration, classification, data
analysis and integration of math and science through algebra and number
operations, while also addressing the “habits of mind” necessary for 7th
graders. These “habits of mind” include an advanced understanding of the
scientific process, making statements about science, and constructing
appropriate questions for science fairs. Seventh grade teacher participants will
also use the College’s arboretum and computing facilities, in addition to
benefiting from the field trips to Bond Swamp, Rose Hill Cemetery and the Museum
of Arts and Sciences. Based on our anecdotal experience in 2009, engaging both
cohorts of teachers supports a more collaborative learning environment, promotes
vertical pedagogy discussions and reinforces the development of the learning
community. Thus, the Bond Swamp, Rose Hill Cemetery and Museum of Arts and
Sciences off-campus activities will be used for both support of content
knowledge and for promotion of cohort collaboration.
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