General
Requirements for Licensure in Biology:
-
Completion
of the College requirements for graduation including the core curriculum
requirements.
-
Completion
of the requirements for a Biology major.
Biology
majors seeking teaching licensure must complete Biology
401.
-
Completion
of the requirements for the Teacher Education Program.
Course Requirements:
-
EDU
121 (History of Educational Theory and Practice)
-
EDU
242 (Educational Psychology and Teaching Exceptionalities)
-
EDU
240 (Reading, 'Riting, and Race), 250 (Multicultural Education), or 260
(Social Diversity and Inequality in Education)
-
EDU
400 (Organization for Teaching)
-
EDU
410-411 (Internship in Teaching)
-
EDU
420 (Seminar in Secondary Education)
Other Requirements:
Standards for High School Science
Teachers
The following standards are mandated by the North
Carolina Department of Public Instruction and are imbedded in the
specialty area coursework.
Standard 1.
Twenty-first century science teachers understand safety and
liability concerns in science and advocate for the provision and use of
appropriate safety materials and enforcement practices in the classroom,
laboratory, and field.
Science
teacher candidates know and are able to:
-
Ensure
that safety precautions and procedures are included in instruction and
provide supervision during laboratory and field
experiences.
-
Analyze
the lab/activities for safety and research materials/chemicals,
including use of MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets), to identify safety
concerns before they are used.
-
Have
a working knowledge of, and comply with, science safety laws, codes,
standards, and procedures.
-
Model
and enforce appropriate safety
behaviors.
-
Collaborate
with colleagues to develop a short- and long-term plan for improvement
of science safety.
Standard 2. Twenty-first century science teachers understand and are able to
use the unifying concepts of science in their instruction.
Science
teacher candidates understand the following unifying concepts of science,
and organize their instruction around them:
-
Systems,
Order and Organization
-
Evidence,
Models and Explanation
-
Constancy,
Change, and Measurement
-
Evolution
and Equilibrium
-
Form
and Function
Teachers
should possess the content knowledge of life sciences, physical sciences,
and earth and environmental sciences, as outlined in the North Carolina Standard Course of
Study.
Standard 3. Twenty-first century science teachers demonstrate an
understanding of the nature of science, the historical development of
scientific thought, the process of scientific inquiry, and the reciprocal
relationship between science and society.
Science
teacher candidates understand the following tenets of science, and
organize their instruction around them:
-
Science
is universal, multidisciplinary, cumulative and
self-revising.
-
Science
represents a way to answer questions based on observations, confirmable
evidence and logical thinking.
-
The
development of scientific thought is not necessarily
linear.
-
Modern
science is based on contributions, both past and present, from diverse
cultures.
-
Scientific
knowledge and applications affect and change human
society.
-
Science
progresses through communication within the scientific community, as
well as with the public, allowing for feedback, challenges, and peer
review.
Standard 4. Twenty-first century science teachers understand and are able to
apply scientific skills and math concepts, using appropriate equipment and
tools.
Science
teacher candidates know and are able to:
-
Demonstrate
proficiency in using measurement tools to perform investigations and
gather accurate quantitative
information.
-
Employ
principles and applications of mathematics appropriate to the science
content they teach.
-
Demonstrate
proficiency in using scientific equipment commonly used in a given
science discipline.
Standard 5. Twenty-first century science teachers plan and implement lessons
that engage students in the process of hands-on, minds-on scientific
inquiry.
Science
teacher candidates know and are able to:
-
Plan
for acquisition, dissemination and management of materials and
equipment.
-
Incorporate
appropriate field investigations and field
trips.
-
Identify
‘real world’ questions and facilitate scientific investigations of these
questions to teach science content.
-
Incorporate
appropriate authentic assessment techniques to gauge student progress
through inquiry based
instruction.