Re: UCLA physics course (non-rant)

[Michael Edmiston <edmiston@BLUFFTON.EDU>]

Yes, at Bluffton College we require that all education majors heading
for grades 9-12 have a major outside the education department.  The
education courses can be viewed as electives, I suppose, but of course
they're required by the State to get a teaching license.

Because the State of Ohio does not require a major (this is a BC
requirement), some colleges/universities in Ohio do allow prospective
physics teachers to major in "education."  Fortunately, Bluffton has
always considered that wrong.  In Ohio, Bluffton College has a very
highly respected education program, and this is at least part of the
reason.

Be aware that it is possible (at Bluffton) to become licensed to teach
in some fields for which you do not have a major, but your preparation
must still be pretty good.  Here are two examples to show what I mean.
 (1) A student wants to teach physics (only).  S/he will complete a
physics major at Bluffton.  (2) A student wants to teach both math and
physics.  S/he must major in one of these, and could major in both, but
would not have to major in both.  Once a major is completed in one
teaching area, the student can become licensed in the second area by
meeting the minimum state standards.  In case (2), the student could
major in math and also take 32 semester hours of physics as
"electives," or the student could major in physics and take 32 semester
hours of math as "electives."  The student does not freely choose the
32 hours.  We either specify the exact courses or we give a list of
approved courses.  The point is to make sure that the 32 hours provide
breadth and reasonable depth.  Both lower-level and upper-level courses
are required.  The student will have to pass state examinations in each
subject area (in this case both math and physics) before getting a
license to teach in that area.  With at least 32 semester hours
appropriately chosen from each subject, it should not be too difficult
to pass those exams.



Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.              Phone/voice-mail:       419-358-3270
Professor of Chemistry & Physics        FAX:                    419-358-3323
Chairman, Science Department            E-Mail                  edmiston@bluffton.edu
Bluffton College
280 West College Avenue
Bluffton, OH 45817



-----Original Message-----
From:   Lois Breur Krause [SMTP:krause@CLEMSON.EDU]
Sent:   Monday, October 11, 1999 8:21 AM
To:     PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject:        Re: UCLA physics course (non-rant)

It's especially interesting to me that a 2.5 GPA is required of
education
majors!  wonderful!  somebody finally got it right! Are they also
required
to take a major in their field, and fill in the ed credits as a minor
or
electives?


> It sounds like there's a lot of uniformity out there.  Bluffton
College
> seems the same, but I'll say so officially by giving the record below.
>
> A:  excellent achievement
> B:  good achievement
> C:  fair achievement
> D:  poor achievement, but passing
> E:  failing
>
> Additionally:
>
> *  2.0 GPA required for graduation (overall) and also in major.
> *  All courses required for major must be passed at C level or higher
> (otherwise they must be repeated or else the department can waive
> through a D if there's some reason to do so).
> *  Credit/No-credit courses require C or higher for credit.
 Supposedly
> the professor does not know who is credit/no-credit.  We turn in a
> regular grade; the computer changes it to CR/NC based upon what we
turn
> in.  Of course, if the student is on the C/D borderline, and they're
> taking the course credit/no-credit, they're sure to tell us that
> they're registered CR/NC... they think that will encourage us to give
> the C rather than D.  (Tends to make me go the other way, however.)
> *  2.5 GPA required for teacher education graduates (all fields).
>
>
> Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.              Phone/voice-mail:
      419-358-3270
> Professor of Chemistry & Physics        FAX:
                   419-358-3323
> Chairman, Science Department            E-Mail
> edmiston@bluffton.edu
> Bluffton College
> 280 West College Avenue
> Bluffton, OH 45817



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Dr. Lois Breur Krause
Department of Geological Sciences
442 Brackett Hall
Clemson University
Clemson SC  29634

teaching chemistry, physics, astronomy and geology to elementary
education
majors.

How We Learn and Why We Don't: Student Survival Guide,
available from International Thompson Publishing, ISBN 0324-011970

http://home.earthlink.net/~breurkrause

krause@clemson.edu

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