About the Program
Purpose
The aim of the GMST program is to immerse teachers in a learning environment that is constructivist in nature and designed to provide direct experiences with knowledge and skill development in mathematics, science, and technology through inquiry-based learning. The program stresses the connections that exist between the grade levels and among the disciplines, and the application of concepts to new situations. Teachers in the program work together in courses that deepen their content knowledge and skills, strengthen their expertise in constructing appropriate and effective inquiry-based experiences, assessing student learning, working in interdisciplinary teams, and applying knowledge in new settings.
The GMST program is built on national developments in math, science and technology standards, including the Common Core Standards and the emerging Next Generation Science Standards. Faculty in the GMST program have been involved with these national standards and their implementation in New York State.
The GMST program is committed to providing an experience in which teachers—from their first day at St. John Fisher College to their graduation day—interact with Fisher faculty in an environment where they ask, not just answer, questions and pose, not just solve, problems. The theme of our master’s is “Teacher as Researcher.” If a teacher has experienced the curriculum as a researcher/explorer, then that teacher will be able, in turn, to assist students in the development of inquisitive attitudes and skills and therefore facilitate deeper student learning and skill development in mathematics, science, and technology. The faculty in this program will model constructivist/inquiry pedagogical and authentic assessment strategies. This master’s degree provides an avenue for professional certification in grades 1–6 and 7–12.
Curriculum
Today’s real-world problems are complex and their comprehension and solutions require knowledge and integration of several subject areas. In order for candidates to become responsible citizens who are able to make informed decisions, they must see the relevance of what they are learning and the possibilities for transferring what they are learning to a variety of real-life situations. Learning experiences must offer the opportunity, among other things, for candidates to investigate, explore, discuss ideas, develop conjectures, test hypotheses, and apply concepts to real-world problems—in other words, to be a researcher. How can we expect the students in the 21st century to be inquirers if their teachers have not had these same learning experiences in their education?
Due to the nature of all real-world problems, teachers must have interdisciplinary experiences in mathematics, science, and technology in which they can develop knowledge and skills to better assist their students to live and work in a highly technological interdisciplinary society. This does not diminish the importance of the individual discipline for its own sake but considers the symbiosis of these disciplines.
The instructors in the GMST program recognize that content knowledge is a necessary part of all teaching, but that content knowledge by itself is not enough. Teachers also need to develop a deep pedagogical content knowledge in order to be truly effective teachers, and the GMST program helps teachers achieve that deep understanding.