CONT961: Teaching General Science Grades 11 and 12
Establishing a sense of community in a learning environment supports emotional well-being, encourages collaboration, promotes inclusivity, and prepares your students to participate actively in today's evolving world. Understanding basic science principles enables your students to critically evaluate information and make informed decisions that impact environmental, technological, ethical, and economic advancements. In this course, you will examine multiple strategies to develop and nourish a collaborative and inclusive learning community for your students and colleagues. Instruction and assessment strategies based on cognitive psychology and neuroscience concepts that integrate the use of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) (such as predictive language models), and social media will be explored. Universal design for learning (UDL) principles will be incorporated in your planning of class activities. You will create a portfolio of resources and lessons that engage your students by connecting the big ideas from the curriculum to their daily life experiences, nurturing them to be life-long learners.
Learning Outcomes
What You Will Learn and Do
In this course, you’ll have the opportunity to
- explore the BC Science curriculum and make connections between the big ideas, content, and competencies
- discuss and share practical strategies for establishing a learning community promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- integrate First Peoples' Principles of Learning into instructional learning design
- design activities that promote critical thinking and problem solving based on cognitive psychology and neuroscience research
- explore multiple teaching and assessment strategies that align with UDL principles
- incorporate the use of technology, AI, and social media in pedagogy
- collaborate with the learning community and share a thoroughly planned unit that supports the instruction of one big idea from the curriculum
Assessments
Module 1
Establishing an EDI Learning Community
Module 2
Exploring Grades 11 and 12 Science Curriculum
Progress Update 1
Module 3
Learning About the Science of Learning
Module 4
Designing Meaningful Assessments
Formative Assessment
Module 5
Exploring Teaching Strategies
Progress Update 2
Module 6
Engaging Learners Through Effective Communication
Module 7
Synthesizing Your Learning
Summative Assessment