Discussion Question: What is the outcome of a STEM endorsement?

[Karoline Jarr]

 

One of the suggested questions to discuss, as presented at our last meeting, addressed recommendations and specific coursework.  I understand the drive to dive straight into coursework recommendations, but I also see a posiblity for first step before we start making coursework recommendations. I'm offereing up this question/ suggestion because I tend to think in terms of final outcomes/ objecives/ goals and then work backwords from there.  

 

What claims will the state be able to make about a teacher with a 5-12 STEM endorsement (what competencies will they have) and then what evidence (coursework, experience, or combination of the two) do we need to support the claims that we are making about the teacher with the STEM endorsement? 

[scott.greenhalgh]

Karoline,
I agree that identifying the outcomes of a STEM endorsement are an essential first step. I would state that a STEM endorsement would certify that a teacher can teach trans-disciplinary and integrative STEM courses, map critical junctures of science, technology, engineering, and math in curricula, and effectively coordinate and collaborate with teachers in a variety of STEM disciplines. Those qualities would differentiate an integrative STEM endorsement from existing endorsements in math, technology, and the sciences. To be able to teach and coordinate integrative STEM curriculum, the teacher or coach would have to have experience with content, practices and pedogogy from the various STEM disciplines, curriculum mapping skills, and experience in integrative STEM.
Scott Greenhalgh