1. These Important Science Teachers Need Our Support
Gay B. Stewart, Director, WVU Center for Excellence in STEM Education

2. Arguably, elementary teachers are among the most important science teachers. They encourage or discourage a love of science, touching all students. Unfortunately, many future elementary teachers do not have access to the type of college science classes that model the way they should teach these subjects, and often elementary preparation programs do not place a large emphasis on science methods. Excellent curricula exist to fulfill this need, particularly in physics, but they require a commitment of good faculty and potentially more resources than other physics courses for non-majors. How we effectively sought institutional support, at the department, dean and provost levels, at two institutions will be discussed. Time for questions and advice to those attempting to start such a program will be available.

3. A Grand challenge (100Kin10)
Grand Challenges: problems that are bigger than any one organization could tackle on its own, keeping us from reaching our goal of bringing 100,000 excellent STEM teachers to American classrooms by 2021.

4. Why is this a problem
Elementary teachers are the first science teacher students ever have, and everybody has them. As science becomes mandatory in elementary school, the knowledge, skills and abilities of these teachers can either place students on track for a life-long love of learning in science, or convince them that it is too hard for them.

5. Physics departments can play a role in fixing every identified root cause
Elementary teacher preparation programs lack a STEM focus
There are limited STEM content supports and PD opportunities for elementary teachers
Elementary teachers have anxiety about teaching STEM subjects

6. Find a weak spot to start
Need to prepare a post doc for the academic job market?
Have a physics faculty member looking to try something new?
Have a Dean from chemistry or biology?

7. Such a course can fulfill multiple roles in a department:
A good early teaching experience for HS physics
teachers
2. Good training for post doc.
3. A fill-in course for other disciplines
4. Serves future elementary teachers
Several courses requiring varying resources are available.
Which ideas you pitch depend on your department .

8. Improving hs teacher prep
Having a good class for elementary teachers
provides an excellent setting for pre-service high school teachers to practice, as LAs or TAs.
Revisit problematic content on longer time scale
Refine own understanding while coaching
Exemplary pedagogy

9. Supported to teach in a reformed fashion
Physics by Inquiry, provides resources for instructors.  Equipment lists and sample course materials such as a syllabus are available to the public.  A password is required to access all additional information.
Textbook students purchase model. Small classes.

10. Supported to teach in a reformed fashion
Next Gen PET (Physics in Everyday Thinking) provides a comprehensive web-based teacher guide. It is password-protected so that only instructors have access to the site, which includes answer keys for each activity, homework and test, general information about the course goals and pedagogy.  
Textbook students purchase model. Small or large class versions. Novice instructor with good intentions works.

11. Supported to teach in a reformed fashion
Powerful Ideas in Physical Science, construct your own course from the materials, so more expertise needed. Purchase one set: student and instructor materials (6 volumes), rights to copy and distribute student materials, and access to a discussion list of Powerful Ideas users.
No other textbook. Can sell the student materials in course packets to allow the department to recover the initial cost of the modules, provide a source of funds to purchase materials used in the course. More experienced.

12. Decreasing conceptual errors
Having a good class for elementary teachers provides, with little tweaking, a solid experience for other majors pursuing life science certification.
The content matches the SPA pretty closely: while they cover less, they “uncover” more.
Less likely to misunderstand potential energy!

13. Building relationships
Providing a good class for elementary teachers
can build bonds with the College or school of
Education.
Improve collaboration
Earn credibility
Potential for Education faculty research
Dean of Ed tells Dean of Science, willing to require

14. The Dean wasn’t so hard
Have a clear request for space needed, additional supplies if any, impact on teaching assignments. Try to make at least one of those easy. Dean of Education saying will require raises priority.
The course provides an excellent venue for summer professional development opportunities. Apply for a state grant to sweeten the deal.

15. Provost-building on trust
Know all the stuff you needed for the dean.
Such a course provides a solid venue for cross-college collaboration (see building relationships) and potential for excellent student outcomes (high satisfaction, good measures of learning, low DFW rates)
Research based, so you really can show student outcomes. Provost needs this.

16. The right thing to do Want more physics majors?
A physics department can, without great extra resources, provide future elementary teachers with a learning opportunity that addresses all three root causes. Then, if they do get a science methods class, they can be told “this is why they did that” not “this is what you should do”.
And, you are all set up to provide some PD! (A great way to recruit partner schools for your future teachers.)

17. Gay Stewart gay.stewart@mail.wvu.edu
Thank you!
questions?
Gay Stewart