Think about learning…
Are you curious about how people learn science and mathematics? If so, consider UCSD’s new Minor in Mathematics Education or Minor in Science Education. In your coursework you will explore how people think about science and math, and what students’ approaches to problems and students’ errors reveal about their underlying knowledge. Learn how instruction can be tailored to promote a deep understanding of the subject matter, rather than giving students a cookie-cutter approach to solving problems that they apply without truly understanding why it works.
We hope these courses will challenge you to think about your own learning from a fresh perspective, and perhaps influence you to think about your science and mathematics coursework in a more creative and reflective way.
Think about teaching…
Have you ever considered becoming a science or mathematics teacher? California is facing a critical shortfall of secondary science and mathematics teachers due to an increase in the number of students who will be entering California high schools in the next five years and an increase in the number of teachers retiring.
The results of a recent survey suggest that over the next five years, San Diego will produce nearly 400 fewer secondary mathematics teachers than will be needed in local schools. The need in the sciences, especially physics and chemistry, is almost as great. To address the statewide need, University of California President Dynes and California Governor Schwarzenegger launched the new California Teach program in 2005.
The program is also known as “One Thousand Teachers, One Million Minds” because the one thousand teachers the UC campuses seek to produce in the next five years will touch the minds of more than one million children.
At UCSD, this new program is embodied in the Minor in Mathematics Education and Minor in Science Education. The courses in the minors and the hands-on experiences you will gain in local schools will provide you with important preparation to become an intern teacher if you enroll in a credential program after you complete your bachelor’s degree.
Think about signing up
The optional one-unit Freshman seminars are a great way to determine if a Minor in Math Education or Science Education might be for you. Alternatively, you may sign up for the first courses in the minor (Introduction to Teaching Math/Science), which are open to all. Prerequisites for the upper division courses (Foundations of Teaching and Learning Math/Science) may be waived on a case-by-case basis depending on your prior experience and coursework. Contact the instructor for additional information.
Sign up
for one of the minors.