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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 210 164 SE 035 841 AUTHOR Boggess, Gary V. - TITLE Integrated Science=Mathematics Education Project (ISMEP). Set of Modules. INSTITUTION_ Murray State Univ., Ky. MONS AGENCY National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 81 ..GRANT NSF-SER-76-14851 NOTE 726p.: Not available in paper bopy due to marginal legibility of original document. N, .EDES PRICE Kroll Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDES. DESCRIPTORS Course Content: Course Descriptions: Elementary. School Mathematics: *Elementary School Science: Higher Education: Inservice Teacher Educaticn: *Mathematics Curriculum: Mathematics' Education; *Preservice Teacher Education: *Science Course Isprovemant_Projectst Science Education: *Teacher Education Curriculum 1BSTPAcT The Integrated Scietc -Mathem tics Education Project (IMP) is an NSF-funded, interdisciplin r science /mathematics edmcation proems for preservice elementary school teachers which fosters an increase in scientific and mathematical literacy, improved attitudes toward science and mathematics, and enhancement of intellectual development on the part of classroom teachers and public -school pupils. /SMEP courses: blend scientific, mathematical, and educational components while providing classrOom, labcratory, and practicu experiences relevant to elementary school programs. Although-an overview of the project, organizational flow chart, checklists, brochure's, and an evaluation report are included, the major portion of the document is devoted to the odules_used in the program. Individual's modules containobje'ctives, instructilicnal references and materials, procedures, and assessment critetia. 'Sources used in the modules include activities from the "Science Course Improvement Study" and "Science A Process Approach," and other elementary science and mathematics curriculum projects. (Author/DS) *********************************************************************** .41 Reproductions supplied by !DRS are.the best that can be made * . * . * , from the original document,. 41**00****************************************************************** DEPARTMENT OP EOUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) This document his been reproduced as received from the penal or organization Nary IN. Boggess originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in the docu TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES mart do not necessantv represent official NIE INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." position or policy INTEGRATED SCIENCEMATHEMATICS EDUCATION PROJECT (ISMEP) Set of Modules Principal Investigator/Project Director Gary W. Boggess 1981 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section No. BUDGET AND FISCAL REPORT OVERVIEW OF GRANT--A Narrative II FLOW CHART--The Organization III PERT CHARTS--A checklist IV SUMMER INSTITUTES V MSU CURRICULUM AND ISMEP MODULES VI DR. RENVER'S REPORT VII ta. IP SECTION I =- BUDGET AND FISCAL REPORT- MISSING FROM DOCUMENT PRIOR TO ITS BEING SHIPPED TO EDRS FOR FILMING. BEST COPY AVAILABLE. c 4 11 AN OVERVIEW OF NSF-SER 76-14851 AND ITS IMPACT ON MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY Prior to submission of the ISMEP to the National Science Foundation, a writing team from Murray State University visited innovative programs for elementary teachers including those housed at St. Teresa College, Winona State, TheUtiiversityof Indiana, Purdue University, and Austin Peay State University. ;Each had desirable traits but none .ddressed the broader-spectrum of pre - service elementary education that we envisioned. _Since our goal was to improve both competency and attitude in and toward science/mathematics teaching, it'seemed logical (although formidable) to incorporate the science, mathematics, and methodological components with the ISMEP package. Such was our plan and so we have done. Perhaps the real value of the ISMEP to the A broader educational community is its standing as proof that the three can delightfully function as a single entity. Professionals from the three dis- ciplines support the program and believe in its educational value. In fact, one, cannot detect whether the professor of biology is teaching content or methodology and if the traditional education professor is not really a "pro" number theory. The meshing of content and learning strategy is exemplary. Such a freely integrated program cannot be developed within traditional ad-- ministrative frameworks. The success of MSU's ISMEP lies in the fact that involved faculty have developed and administered the project. All teaching faculty have been directly involved in ditectional/programmatic decisions as well as in the day-to-day planning and execution of the ISMEP. With the recent "institutionalization" of the ISMEP there arose a strong need to untie the integrated package set up for the four-semester sequence. This need was generated by.students'in our regular teacher education program ff lacking credits in specific courses of science, mathematics, or education. Our staff found the ISMEP so well integrated that it taxed our very best professors_ to sort out the-parts and then computerize them for easy access according to conventional course outlines. Again, the uniqueness of the ISMEP was appreciated. Murray State University furnished excellent facilities for project de- velopment. Since the ISMEP has been "institutionalized" we have rapidly outgrown the facilities--but that's another story. A twenty-four station laboratory with gas, water, electricity, etc. was designated for the ISMEP. This laboratory v.is in a building separate from professional education, science, and mathematics. Territorial impera- tives have been minimized throughout. The isolation of the laboratory strong- ly supports the individualized, self- paced, modularized nature of the ISMEP. A 26' x 40' departmental library was made available to the ISMEP due to campus centralization of library holdings. The library, an office area, and an adjacent classroom were designated for ISMEP usage. The Science Mathematics Education-Resource Center is at the heart of ISMEP. Popular alphabet series are included for use in the ISMEP as well as copies made available for loan to area teachers. Reading areas with books, periodicals, and study guides are available. Videotaping of peer- taught mods, viewing of internally and externally produced tapes, and per- formance of most non-laboratory based mods are done within the Resource Center. Mod evaluations are also held within partially-isolated areas of the center. Our problem now is how to accommodate a six-fold increase in student population. A large assembly hall and several smaller classrooms within the same building.are available to the ISMEP. Murray State leader- ship has certainly met or exceeded the pledge to provide adequate facilities for the project. ISMEP founders aimed at evaluation in three areas; 1), significant I-- changes in students' abilities as they relate to scien4e'lild mathematics (i.e. content), 2) students' attitude toward science and mathematics, and 3) some indication of intellectual development.MSU's Dr. Bill Price pro- vided initial direction for the evaluation process. Later, Dr. Jack D. Rose, Superintendent of Calloway County Schools, assisted with project eval-- uation. Dr. Jack Renner and team from the University of Oklahoma were the external evaluators. Their report is attached. Some problems were inherent A in the evaluation. First, it was difficult to attain "clear" control/ experimehtal groups as the ISMEP comprises a large portion of pre-servlce education courses. Some students majoring in special education were in- cluded along with the regular elementary education majors. A lack of simi- larity between experimental/control, although slight, may have altered our original experimental design. However, the most significant deterrent was the lack of proven instruments available to determine accurate measures of the desired parameters. In summary, the reader is advised to consider "perceived" accomplishments of the ISMEP in addition to Dr. Renner's ev.lua- tion report. There is strong sentiment among project directors, staff, past students, area teachers, regional _public school administrators, and MST! administrators that the project goals are being realized.However, -A documentation is admittedly scarce.Again, all agree that graduates of the ISMEP tend to function far more capably in classroom science and mathematics instruction--as well as overall performance--than counterparts from the traditionally-strong Murray State program. Pardon the old adage but the ptoof of the pudding still seems to be in the eating thereof. Additional data are being collected as we continue to attempt to quantify student progress. The ISMEP hosted some sixty area inservice teachers during Su 78 and Su 79. Institute participants completed compressed and only slightly modi- fied versions of the pre-service semester offerings. Although quite intense, participant feedback was positive - -in fact, glowing. In addition to comple- ting some twenty individualized mods, these teachers attended mini-workshops conducted by specialists and then generated volumes of material for imme- diate use in their own classroom through a "make and take" module. Descrip- tions and feedback of the summer institutes are attached. A goal of NSF's Project Spread has been realized via the ISMEP. ISMEP staff have visited school systems throughout MSU's service region. Inservice day presentations, talks to educational/social/business