Science Curriculum in New York
Researching the US National Standards of Science Education and the New York State Science Standards gave our group valuable information about any science curriculum in New York State. We searched the Web and the New York State Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology booklet. Conducting an interview with both Ethanie Holl, kindergarten teacher, and Dr. LaChance, professor, were also very helpful.
To start with here is a list of principles that guided the National Science Education Standards (NSES).
#1 Science is for all students.
#2 Learning science is an active process.
#3 School science reflects the intellectual and cultural tradition
that characterize the practice of contemporary science.
#4 Improving science education is part of sysemic education reform.
Following is a list of the seven New York State Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology.
#1 Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, engineering design, as
appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
#2 Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate
technologies.
#3 Students will understand mathematics and become mathematically confident by
communicating and reasoning mathematically, by applying math in real-world settings,
and by solving problems through the integrated study of number systems, geometry,
algebra, data analysis, probability, and trigonometry.
#4 Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories
pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the
historical development of ideas in science.
#5 Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use and
evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.
#6 Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect math,
science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.
#7 Students will apply the knowlege and thinking skills of math, science, and technology
to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.
From our research on the Web and in the booklet, we found that the State standards were derived from the national standards. In other words the National Standards were set with the idea of state and local officials creating the curriculum, assessment programs, and staff development activities that are appropriate for that state/district. The National standards encourage policies that will bring coordination, consistency, and coherence to the improvement of science education.
Since 2010, there were 45 states that have adopted the same educational standards called Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The initiative is sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers and seeks to establish consistent education standards across the states. The Common Core Standards is initiative state-led effort that established a single set of clear educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English and Mathematical standards. These standards help to educate all of the students equally, they help children who move from state to state, as well as they help to prepare students for college and workplace. The common core standard helps to provide a clear understanding for teachers and parents of what is expected of the students to learn. It is designed to help educate our children for the future; it gives them the knowledge and skill they need to be prepared for post secondary education and employment. "The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world." (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers)
The Common Core State Standards has been adopted by many states in the United States already. This issue is gaining both positive and negative opinions within the education world and society. Some want to know why the standards were created and what the meaning behind these standards is. What is the reasoning for implementing these standards, and why is there so much controversy that follows. Why do these four words cause such controversy? The following will analyze and evaluate The Common Core State Standards in hopes to understand why education is being overtaken by them.
TESOL International Association. (2013b). Overview of the Common Core State Standards Initiatives for ELLs. Alexandria, VA: Author
agree that “physics is the manner in which we argue about the objective side of
Michael, S.et al. (2008). Prospects for improving K-12 science education from the federal level. Journal of Education 69(9): 677-683.
(Common Core State Standards Initiative) Many find flaws in the system such as Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post. Strauss points out in her article Eight Problems With Common Core Standards that the standards set by the Common Core should not be limited to school subjects, but should step outside the box and tie in real world scenarios. (Strauss) Strauss also says the lack of diversity in the curriculum puts students at a disadvantage because of the changing world around teachers should not be limited to teaching information provided by an initiative that makes students from all over the nation learn the same material. (Strauss) Strauss is especially skeptical of the Common Core’s preparation for standardized test as she says, “The Common Core Standards are a set-up for national standardized tests, tests that can’t evaluate complex thought, can’t avoid cultural bias, can’t measure non-verbal learning, can’t predict anything of consequence.” (Strauss) Strauss explains how the Common Core destroys any form of originality by stating; “The word “standards” gets an approving nod from the public (and from most educators) because it means “performance that meets a standard.” However, the word also means “like everybody else,” and standardizing minds is what the Standards
The Common Core State Standards are simply learning goals that are outlined for the students. This outline is a way to show the students what they should be able to do at the end of each grade. These learning goals are supposed to “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them” (Top Ten Things to Know, 2015). These certain standards are also supposed to be designed to be “robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in the near future” (Top Ten Things to Know, 2015). Common Core State Standards were actually being introduced while I was attending
The first step in discovering what hides behind the curtain of Common Core is judging its foundations. It its most primitive form, the ideology of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) began as the Elementary and Second Education Act in 1965, which minimally increased the amount of financial support from the federal government which would be allowed in the public school system. The next major step for this government-endorsed education arrived more controversially in 2002, and was renamed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The NCLB raised concerns from individuals of all sides of the political spectrum, as the act enabled even greater federal intervention in the developing of policies in local education establishments. Additionally, the NCLB mandated nationwide testing, that, while states were allowed to develop their own tests so long as they aligned with the NCLB standards, had to be reported in order to determine if any
Newtonianism has been an influence on many. You see my name has been used to describe many different viewpoints. My name has had such an influential effect that it has become a religion. Newtonianism sees me as a paradigm of rational belief and my work was a model for understanding and looking at the universe in the terms of laws. It was put in many social and cultural areas in the eighteenth century. My work was an inspiration for many others. As my work did inspire others to look into the world of science and the mysteries of the universe, it also had some bad effects when it came to religion. Voltaire, a philosopher, was mainly responsible for popularizing Newtonian ideas across Europe. Christians saw Newtonian ideas as a threat to them
“World class academic standards are helping ensure that every single student is held to the same high expectations- and given the solid educational foundation-they need to succeed in both school and career” (Rust, 2013). These are the words of Ed Rust, chairman and CEO of a major corporation, State Farm Mutual, when speaking about the Common Core State Standards. “The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA)” (About, n.d.). The Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, is reforming education in that it outlines common goals and understandings for students all across the nation. Educational standards aren’t a new idea; state standards were first in the early 1990’s, but each state was different. This meant that one states definition of proficient could be completely different from another’s. Nationally, students in the same grade were learning different skills and finishing each grade with vastly different abilities. Implementation of the CCSS is the reform education needed and will prepare students for 21st century learning and lifelong career skills across the nation.
This class has opened my mind to the incredible impact that STEM Education can have on our society. I do not work in an institution that has a STEM program. I work at a preschool; this makes my practice of any type of STEM program extremely limited. However, it is a private school. All my students come from households where one or both of their parents are professionals. These professionals want their children to be academically prepared for school. This means we must academically, mentally, and emotionally prepare them for their future schooling. I teach my students how to be a functioning participant in a classroom while exploring mathematics, science, art, history, literature and pre-writing. Puzzles, counting, shapes, measuring, etc. are on the daily agenda. Science is a huge part of our curriculum. Science in the
...ors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers . Implementing the Common Core State Standards . Common Core State Standards Initiative. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Council of Chief State School Officers and National Governors Association. (2010). Common Core States Standards. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/
How did your lesson plan and instruction change since the beginning of ELED 4311? How have you ensured that you have met your students’ science learning needs?
The National Science Education Standards have set the standards for teaching science. Under Program standard B the standards discuss the best ways children learn science. Program standard B states ì the program of study in the science should be developmentally appropriate, interesting and relevant to students lives: emphasize student understanding through inquiry,, and be connected with other school subjects.î This sums up what teachers need to be doing un their classrooms to teach science. The traditional textbook only and work sheet teaching of science is clearly not recommended with inquiry and hands on experiences. Standard B shows representations of methods to use not only in the teaching of science but other subject areas.