HR: 0830h
AN: ED31D-1186    [PDF]
TI: You Can't Always Get What You Want, But You Can Create What You Need: The Promise of DLESE for Pre-service Teacher Education
AU: * Low, R
EM: rlow@cce.umn.edu
AF: University of Minnesota, 107 Armory Hall 15 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 United States
AB: DLESE provides a practical and valuable alternative to conventional introductory Earth Science textbooks for college instructors teaching pre-service teachers. A review of commonly used introductory Earth science textbooks reveals a course of study that highlights topics not addressed in the K-8 National Science Education Standards, and misses others that are stressed in K-8 curriculum. Using DLESE objects, we created an on-line digital course supplement that replaces the traditional textbook and introduces a pre-service Earth science curriculum aligned to National and MN State Science Standards. There are some distinct advantages to a textbook-less approach: out-of-class study includes a variety of learning objects including scientific visualizations, diagrams, primary text sources, and video-clips, accommodating all learning styles. In addition, familiarity with the on-line environment facilitates the engagement of students in the application of real data to discover scientific concepts. One of the unexpected benefits of the DLESE-based curriculum is the increased motivation observed among members of the pre-service teacher cohort. The practical relevance of the curriculum is especially important to elementary teachers, many of whom are uncertain about their knowledge and ability to teach science. By the end of the course, the students know they have been exposed to every topic they are expected to teach. Importantly, they will also be skilled in the use of DLESE for their own lesson planning, curriculum development and ongoing personal professional development.
DE: 6605 Education
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting