Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats

IScS: Integrated Science Semester

Thursday, May 15 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM Morial Convention Center, 229

Lighting the Fire for Science

Harry Ungar (Chemistry) Dianne Sigman (Psychology)

Presented by:

Nicole Crane (Biology)Dawn Hart (Biology & Chemistry)Carlos Figueroa & Denise Gurer (Physics)

Contributors:

All faculty are from Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, CA

Our students in science lab with gray-haired teacher.

The Underprepared Students of IScS

Remedial MathRemedial EnglishRemedial Science ?

The students that IScS serves•Underprepared•Poor self image•Unsuccessful in high school•Poor life choices

Affective Domain (Non-Cognitive)

• Feelings, Emotions

• Mindsets, Beliefs

• Perseverance, Self-Discipline, Delayed Gratification

• Behaviors, Habits

• Social Skills

• Learning Strategies

3 Tiers of our Affective Approach

• Awareness (Being Awake, Having a Purpose, Finding Self)

• Collaborate (Leadership Skills, Peer-Support)

• Effective (Self-Discipline, Self-Efficacy, Ability to Struggle)

Root Problems

1. Life problems become overwhelming

2. Their life is more attractive than college life

3. Giving up because of affective issues, mostly centered around fear, anxiety, and a suspicion that the they are not “college material”

Increasing student success

• Take students who know how to survive and persist and help them:– Translate their unique strengths and qualities into

attitudes and behaviors that are necessary for success– Build skills and habits that promote peer bonding and

networking for 24/7 support, from within the classroom curriculum

– Recognize and thrive within a college’s culture• Students become more effective people, not just more

effective students

The Affective and Cognitive Domains

Affective DomainWe educate the whole student by including both domains.

IScS Program Structure

Foundation Course First two weeks, 64 hrsAffective Domain

Weekly faculty meetings

Chemistry

Physics

Research Project

Writing for Science

Team Self Management

Affective DomainBiology

We track student performance and behavior and discuss coordination of the courses. When students problems are evident early interventions are used.

Photosynthesis Module

The 3 sciences are integrated within each module, rather than teaching one science branch after the other. There are six modules per semester.

Integration of the Sciences

Photosynthesis Module

Photosynthesis can best understood and appreciated when the three disciplines are integrated. Faculty are not restricted to one subject and they bring concepts into the lecture when it is appropriate to explore the relationships between the subjects.

Chlorophyll a

The biological process of transforming the sun’s light into sugar is intimately connected to the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum and the shape and properties of the glucose, chlorophyll and water molecules. Physics, chemistry and biology!

We use hands-on activities, labs, short lectures, discussions, and field trips that support diverse learning styles. Students are kept active and engaged.

• The lecture and laboratory portions of the course are thoroughly integrated into a system called “studio teaching”.

• The lab exercises may last from 15 to 50 minutes and are then followed by discussion of the results measured or observed by the class.

• Their results are then related to a scientific theory or law, showing students real-life applications to the science they are learning.

EarthquakeGet up and move.

Three levels of Integration • Integration of the affective & cognitive

domains

• Integration of three sciences and the research course

• Integration of teaching methods

• Lab• Lecture• Small group activities • Internet searches