Potsdam College, a regional state teacher preparation institution, proposes to develop a model program to prepare middle school teachers in both science and mathematics. The program will consist of 36 semester hours in science, 21 in mathematics, and 24 in professional education with a two-semester teaching internship. The programs goals are to provide teachers with breadth and depth of understanding of science and mathematics; an understanding of the interrelationships among scientific and mathematical disciplines; and an appreciation of the relevance of science and mathematics to society and to the lives and concerns of middle school students. Teams of scientists, mathematicians, educators and master middle school teachers will design the new curriculum. The science courses, progressing in sophistication and conceptual depth, will integrate the fundamental concepts of biology, physics, chemistry and geology. Students leaving the program after two years will receive credit for the introductory year in each science area. The mathematics minor, coordinated with the science major, consists of four modified courses and three new ones. The new courses will focus on applying mathematics and the integration of topics from the previous courses. The computer will be part of all courses; PASCAL will be introduced in the last mathematics course. The existing professional education courses will be adapted to the needs of middle school teachers and the two methods courses will be co-taught by college faculty and a master middle school teacher. During the professional or final year of the program, students will teach two classes during the first semester in classrooms of the master teachers and carry a full teaching load the second semester. The program will be carefully evaluated and its effectiveness widely shared.
