Katherine C. Wieseman

What Do You Mean, You Know Science and Mathematics?

This chapter explores the meaning and processes of learning science and mathematics, and the meaning of being fluent in these subjects in a global society. Since the processes of learning, understanding and knowing are internal to individuals, societies have created external expressions of understandings to provide some kind of measurement to compare individuals’ knowledge expressions in classrooms and among classrooms in the same school, different schools, regional areas in the same country, as well as in countries.

Leadership as Effective Collaborations in Science and Mathematics

This chapter develops the idea that learning to become a teacher of science and mathematics is a lifelong process. The science and mathematics teacher or educator who as an individual engages her students emotionally and intellectually in teaching the subject, involves herself in continuous learning in two main areas: 1) pedagogical content knowledge, PCK (Gess-Newsome & Lederman, 1999; Shulman, 1986), and 2) development of becoming a transformative intellectual (Aronowitz & Giroux, 1993; Giroux & Simon, 1989) practicing critical pedagogy (Freire, 1998; McLaren & Kincheloe, 2007).

Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn Science and Mathematics

This chapter develops the idea that learning to become a teacher of science and mathematics is a lifelong process. The science and mathematics teacher or educator who as an individual engages her students emotionally and intellectually in teaching the subject, involves herself in continuous learning in two main areas: 1) pedagogical content knowledge, PCK (Gess-Newsome & Lederman, 1999; Shulman, 1986), and 2) development of becoming a transformative intellectual (Aronowitz & Giroux, 1993; Giroux & Simon, 1989) practicing critical pedagogy (Freire, 1998; McLaren & Kincheloe, 2007).

Emotional and Intellectual Involvement While Learning Science and Mathematics

This chapter considers the relationship between cognition and emotion associated with learning science and mathematics and addresses how and why one might choose different learning pathways when facing challenges involving these subjects. As you may know, disequilibrium, belly ache/arousal and pleasure are not only strong responses but each is also associated with successful learning. In terms of biological changes, new protein synthesis and the creation of neural networks are known processes that occur during meaningful learning.

Worldview as a Dynamic Entity

I have lived my life on three continents – childhood and teen-age years in Socialist Romania (Eastern Europe), young adulthood in Israel (Southwestern Asia), and mature adulthood to the present in the United States of America (USA in North America). Experiences in these different countries and their set sequence helped me become the science and mathematics learner and teacher that I am today and informed my worldviews.