Biology Section 5 Collaboration/partnerships

a. Early field experiences

Candidates are required to complete three field experience courses, FETE 201, 302, and 402. Specifically, FETE 302 provides opportunities to reflect on teaching and assessment practices, to try out individual and group lessons and assignments, and to reflectively interpret current classroom practices as they relate to assessment and curriculum classes. FETE 402 provides opportunities to teach in a diverse classroom setting, to apply teaching strategies introduced and demonstrated in their methods class (BIOL 403), and to plan and implement instruction based on student needs. In FETE 302 and 402, candidates must develop materials in their major field and present them to K-12 students, in conjunction with their CURR 305 and Reading 311 classes. In BIOL 403, candidates design and teach biology lessons to students at West Middle School and Ypsilanti High School (Ypsilanti Public Schools, Ypsilanti, MI).

b. Collaboration/partnerships with K-12 schools

Candidates enrolled in BIOL 403: Methods for Secondary Teaching design and teach biology lessons for West Middle School and Ypsilanti High School students. The EMU Biology Department initiated this partnership to foster candidates having successful field experiences before moving on to their semester of student teaching. The candidates, Ypsilanti teachers and EMU faculty all benefit from this partnership. The Ypsilanti Public School teachers remark positively about their interaction with the candidates. They enjoy getting new ideas for hands-on and inquiry activities and observing updated methodologies for teaching science. The BIOL 403 faculty member benefits by observing diverse classroom management styles, analyzing the extent of student learning, and by engaging in substantive conversations with the teacher about current school and district policies, textbook and science resources, and current trends in family involvement in the local educational system.

Academic Service-Learning projects are also incorporated into BIOL 403 to assist students in meeting course and program objectives in context with community needs. Students enrolled in Fall semesters create biology concept learning and inquiry centers for K-12 students and present them to children and parents who attend EMU’s Family Day. Students enrolled in Winter semesters are Events Sponsors for the Washtenaw Science Olympiad. These students create the event activity or exam, monitor the middle and high school students participating in the event, and determine the rank order for participating schools from highest to lowest. This activity not only supports the Science Olympiad program for Washtenaw School Districts, it fosters an interest for our candidates in becoming Science Olympiad coaches after they graduate. Winter semester students also participate as judges for the Estabrook Elementary Science Fair (Ypsilanti Public School District). This experience helps students understand the level and depth of understanding elementary children have about science content and process before moving on to middle school.

c. Collaboration/ partnerships with community organizations

d. Collaboration/partnerships with other post-secondary institutions

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