COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. design and demonstrate interactive math games, word problems, and hands-on science experiments that require all children, including children with gifts, disabilities and/or developmental delays, to think and talk about, as well as use math and science concepts (synthesis and application);
2. develop criteria for analyzing the value of arithmetic and science objectives and standards (e.g., VA, NCTM, NSES), curriculum and prescribed teaching methods and make appropriate adaptations and accommodations as necessary to meet the individual needs of your learners. (synthesis, analysis);
3. analyze the value of promoting classroom autonomy in the intellectual, emotional, social, and moral development of young children (analysis);
4. develop teaching strategies and design classroom environments for maintaining and encouraging the interest of young children in figuring out math and science problems for themselves (synthesis);
5. identify examples of how logico-mathematical thinking and the scientific method are naturally integrated across the elementary curriculum and describe ways of encouraging this (comprehension);
6. develop and apply criteria for evaluating the evidence of progress children show as they move through multiple levels of thinking about math and science (application, synthesis and evaluation);
7. establish positive, collaborative relationships with families by developing ways to share evidence of progress with the parents of the children you teach (application, synthesis).