Preparing Students for the Sciences in College
110 likes | 257 Vues
Preparing Students for the Sciences in College . Dr. Paul J. Croft Kean University Jeffrey Tongue Suffolk County Community College. Skills Lacking for an Introductory Natural Sciences Course. No (limited) working knowledge of the Metric System Mathematically Challenged
Preparing Students for the Sciences in College
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Preparing Students for the Sciences in College Dr. Paul J. Croft Kean University Jeffrey Tongue Suffolk County Community College
Skills Lacking for an Introductory Natural Sciences Course • No (limited) working knowledge of the Metric System • Mathematically Challenged • Current Events – Limited Interest • Student “Quality” has decreased in the last 5 years. • Computer Skills Have Improved.
The Metric System • What is the approximate temperature outside in Celsius? (currently) ? A. 72 B. 20 C. 123 D. -21 • How high is your desk? A. 1 m B. 1 km C. 10 ft D. 10 cm
Elementary Math Relative Humidity = _(actual) mixing ratio_____ Saturation mixing ratio Compute the relative humidity using the table. The air (ambient) temperature = 14oC. The dew point temperature = 4oC a. 19.8% c. 25% b. 29% d. 50%
1st Class – We’ll End By View a Passage of the Space Shuttle and International Space Station ! • What Percentage of Students Followed Me Outside?? • 10 • 25 • 50 • 75 • 100
A View from the “Far Side” Dr. Paul J. Croft, Meteorologist What’s at the next level? Majoring in a four-year physical/other science program
Systems Science Perspective - Issues • Earth Systems Science (e.g., NASA; Sustainability) • Systems thinking/modeling (multi-tasking) • Everything is connected (trans-disciplinary) • Techno-driven; software/hardware (awareness) • Technical skills/abilities (instrumentation) • Analytic/Interpretation (experiences) • Depth besides breadth (interest) • Student “readiness” (programs) No “Black Boxes” Dr. Paul J. Croft, Meteorologist
How to “Get” these Experiences? • Summer Programs (science/other) • Intern Programs (exploratory) • Science Fairs (inquiry-based) • Competitions (end-goals) • Clubs (scientific community) • Organizations (connections) • Outreach (outside influences) Involvement & networking Dr. Paul J. Croft, Meteorologist
Curricular Preparation? • Math, math, and more math coursework • Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Biology • Computer Science (programming), Statistics • Writing, Communications, Speaking • Tech-Writing, Political Science, Business, Law • Design, Marketing, Policy, History, Public-Admin, Social Work, similar Often-Reinforcing-Expansive-Options for Success in Science! Dr. Paul J. Croft, Meteorologist
Meteorologists • 24 Credits of meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of: • 6 Credits - atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics • 6 Credits - weather analysis and prediction (synoptic/mesoscale) • 3 Credits - physical meteorology • 2+ Credits - remote sensing / instrumentation. • 6 Credits – physics (calculus based) • 3 Credits - ordinary differential equations • 9+ Credits - appropriate physical sciences