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UTeach

Professional Development Courses

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UTS 110 - Step 1

Early exposure to classroom environment (can be as early as a student’s first semester)

Assigned to a mentor teacher in local elementary school

Students design inquiry-based lessons Students then give three lessons to their mentor

teacher’s class Students receive feedback from course instructor

and mentor teacher and revise lesson

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UTS 101 - Step 2

Similar to Step 1, only paired with a middle school mentor teacher and classroom

Step 1 and Step 2 courses give students the opportunity to explore a teaching career early in their college track

Step 1 and Step 2 may be combined for students entering the program later in their college career

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EDC 365C - Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and ScienceCourse Objectives

Develop tool kit of approaches to knowing and learning in science and mathematics.

Explore tensions between general characterization of knowing and specifics of understanding ideas in mathematics and science

Explore connections between assessment tools and theories of knowing.

Explore uses of technology in approaches to learning.

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EDC 365C – Classroom InteractionsCourse Goals Explore and analyze classroom interactions as they

relate to mathematics, science, or computer science instruction

Field Experience Minimum of 16 hours observing and teaching in a high

school mathematics or science classroom Design of sequence of lessons to be taught Follow-up analysis of interactions with students

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EDC 365E - Project Based Instruction Project based instruction promotes teamwork

among groups of students to formulate questions, make predictions, design investigations, collect and analyze data, make products and share ideas.

The course provides a theoretical background for how learning takes places

Students in this course develop their own project based instruction lesson plan

Enrolled students implement their lesson in a high school classroom

Some instructors have students write grant proposals for their lesson plan

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EDC 650S - Student TeachingUTS 170 – Student Teaching Seminar Because UTeach students have field

experience prior to the apprentice teaching, they are expected to assume a teaching role in the classroom quickly

Students spend a minimum of four hours every day on the assigned campus

Students teach two class periods autonomously for at least 12 weeks

Seminar course to support the apprentice teaching experience

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HIS 329U – Perspectives on Science and MathematicsCourse Goals

Explore ways in which investigators have explained the workings of the natural world since the 17th century

Enable students to incorporate broader historical context into mathematics and science pedagogy

Improve writing skills

Improve research and information analysis skills

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BIO 337, CH 368, PHY 341Research Methods Students design and carry out 4 independent research

investigations. Loosely structured assignments give students a feel for

research as it is done by scientists and mathematicians. Course emphasizes:

Design of experiments Use of statistics in a research setting Use of mathematics to summarize and model scientific

findings Critical analysis of scientific conclusions Researching and writing scientific papers

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M315C – Functions and ModelingCourse Objectives

Increase understanding of functions and related mathematics from algebra through calculus

Make connections between college-level mathematics and secondary school mathematics

Practice reflective and collaborative learning Learn appropriate use of technology in mathematics

classroom

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M326K Foundations of Number SystemsNumber systems and operations are discussed with

emphasis on

Depth of understanding of concepts that are “obvious” or automatic

Understanding principles behind arithmetic operations and algorithms

Mathematical reasoning Mathematical communication – correct use of

mathematical language and symbols

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SCI 360: An Advanced Perspective on Secondary Mathematics Examines concepts such as real and complex numbers,

functions, polynomials, congruences, distance, similarity, area, volume, and trigonometry both from high school and from an advanced perspective

Makes connections between concepts taught in high school and more abstract analogues encountered in undergraduate mathematics courses such as abstract algebra, number theory, topology, and analysis

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M360M- Mathematics as Problem SolvingThrough the process of working progressively more

challenging problems throughout the semester, the students

Develop a repertoire of heuristics for problems solving Develop an understanding of problem solving as a cyclic rather than

linear process Gain confidence when faced with problems whose solutions are not

obvious Learn to look for multiple solutions to a problem Practice using questioning strategies to guide classmates who are

struggling with a problem