Ultimately, the role of the teacher as an agent of change will be considered as an important issue of systemic reform in mathematics and science education. The purpose of this course is to frame the dynamic interaction of issues of equity and policy as related to science, mathematics, and technology education. The course is informed by both current and historical research. Large scale perspectives on the purposes and scope of science, mathematics, and technology education are complemented by detailed explorations of the consequences for equity, access, and educational policy. Equity is seen as concerned with setting high expectations, providing rich opportunities to learn, and obtaining meaningful outcomes for all students.
Policy is viewed as a tool in shaping opportunities and outcomes.
The readings include theoretical expositions, topical essays, and empirical findings. A major project will focus on a site-based investigation related to topics discussed in the course. This course explores in detail the ways in which the development of new tools transforms both the content of what we know and the ways in which we come to know. The tension between tools that help teach the current content and tools that have the potential to change what matters in the curriculum is explored. The course is intended to critique the notion that technological tools can be used absent theories of knowing and learning and independent of important normative issues related to who should get access to what kinds of technology use.