Teaching teachers to teach science in an engaging way is the goal of a new curriculum at Montana State University Billings. As Yellowstone Public Radio’s Orlinda Worthington reports, it includes some out-of-this-world course material.
“I want students to explore and to build their own knowledge and then for me to facilitate on the back end any gaps in their knowledge.”
Dr. Elaine Westbrook is an Assistant Professor of Science Education at MSU Billings. She has rewritten a curriculum in integrated science to include activities that explore the possibility of extraterrestrial existence. She says the course is not so much about searching for aliens, but learning how to hook students with something they’re already interested in, then layering in science underneath.
“First semester has all the physical sciences of physics and chemistry embedded into the course.Part of the task of what we are doing in education is to create youth that can think and analyze and act and actually make a judgment call on the data that they are presented,” Westbrook said.
To help accomplish this goal, Dr. Westbrook is incorporating her work with NASA's SETI program - an institute that focuses on understanding life beyond Earth.
“It lays the foundation for thinking beyond our planet. What else is possible out there, and what would it look like? And, the purpose of teaching elementary education students is they're going to teach the next generation that can potentially answer those questions,” Westbrook said.
Two researchers from SETI are visiting Montana’s community and tribal colleges this month to help aid in the professional development of science teachers and support the teaching of astronomy.
In Billings, I’m OW
Dr. Westbrook and researchers from SETI and the NASA Community College Network will present a lecture free to the public on Wednesday,September 11, 3:00 p.m., in the MSUB Library, Room 148.
