STEM Education Minor and Graduate Certificate Programs
North Branch Graduate Program
By Yewon Sung
By Yewon Sung
A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Education minor and a graduate certificate program will be offered in Spring semester 2017 for the first time. These programs are the result of an increasing number of inquiries from STEMfocused elementary schools in the area regarding courses and professional development opportunities for teachers interested in becoming leaders in STEM Education at the P-6 level.
For approximately 15 years, Saint Cloud State University has offered a graduate cohort program of courses leading to a Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction to teachers in the North Branch and surrounding districts. A major advantage of this program to those enrolled is that they do not need to commute to SCSU, an approximately three hour round trip commute, to complete the program. Teachers can finish all courses and defense of their culminating master’s project in North Branch. The course schedule is intensive, most courses are eight weeks in length and students complete two courses each semester and two additional courses each summer. Dona Yetter, the North Branch coordinator, recruits students to each new cohort and works closely with SCSU faculty to schedule and arrange each course in the program. In addition, she helps each student develop and follow their study plan, assists with transferring credits, facilitates the needs of the faculty for each course, keeps students well informed of the expectations for each course, and handles a multitude of other details to ensure that the program runs smoothly.
The two programs provides in-depth content knowledge and pedagogy through the integration of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology into all elementary education, special education and early childhood classes. The minor program is designed for any undergraduate student who is majoring in elementary education, special education, or child and family studies. The graduate program is designed for licensed teachers in P-6 schools. Teachers completing either of these programs will be highly qualified in the integration of STEM into the school curriculum and become certified Project Lead the Way LAUNCH teachers. The LAUNCH program is designed to create P-6 and special education teachers who are leaders in teaching STEM content using an integrated approach. Information about the Project Lead the Way LAUNCH program can be found at this link. Applications are now being accepted for both programs with classes beginning in Spring 2017. Students that begin this spring will be able to complete their program in late 2018 or early 2019. Both the minor and the graduate certificate consist of six courses. Students can complete the programs in three to six semesters, taking one or two courses each semester during the academic year and one to two courses in the summer. The courses are offered in a hybrid format, with a combination of campus and online meetings during the semester. The number of on campus meetings depends on the course. The online component to the courses may be either asynchronous or synchronous depending on the content and activities covered in the course each week. All of the courses will include interdisciplinary approaches and are focused on active learning. The courses include activities and instructional techniques that highlight the use of iPads, SMART Boards, manipulatives, and other technologies. The classes are: SPED 413/513* Mathematics Instruction for Students with Special Needs or SPED 445/545* Social and Natural Sciences for Special Educators *only one SPED course is required for the program STEM 425/525 Engineering and Technology for the P-6 Classroom STEM 431/531 Physics for the P-6 Classroom STEM 442/542 Teaching and Learning Life, Earth, and Space Science for the P-6 Classroom STEM 451/551 Reasoning and Proof for the P-6 Classroom STEM 452/552 Data and Chance for the P-6 Classroom The leading faculty of the program, Dr. Melissa Hanzsek-Brill, said “The STEM Education faculty are excited to work with and develop P-6 and special education teachers to assist them in developing more extensive training in science, mathematics, engineering and technology content at the elementary level. Students [enrolled in these programs] will develop a deeper understanding of how to create interdisciplinary lessons that are hands-on and engaging for students.”
4
St. Cloud State University / School of Education
For the first several years of the program all of the education core and elective courses were provided in the traditional face to face manner with SCSU Teacher Development department faculty traveling to North Branch for each class session. Since 2012 North Branch students have had the option of including a graduate certificate in Technology Integration as part of their master’s program. This certificate program is offered through the Information Media department. These courses are offered through distance technology using the course management software Desire2Learn (D2L) and Adobe Connect for delivery of instruction. The most recent cohort began in 2016 summer with an enrollement of 15 students. They completed introductory Education and Information Media courses during the summer month then began their third and fourth courses in the program fall semester. The students will complete all courses and requirements and officially earn a Master of Science degree in May, 2018.