Educational Studies: STEM: Science Concentration

The certificate serves as a career ladder approach to a credential or permit or as a stand-alone entity to document that a student has taken coursework related to subject matter proficiency,  and has acquired skills for successful employment as a teacher's aide, after-school program assistant, tutoring or other paraprofessional level classroom career. 

The certificate of Achievement is designed to meet the needs of students following various pathways to classroom teaching or an education-related field.:  

•  The paraprofessional or aspiring paraprofessional teacher aide.
• The aspiring paraprofessional or currently employed paraprofessional teacher- aide seeking a career ladder approach to a teaching credential and/or child development permit.
• The teacher- aide paraprofessional who has decided against pursuing an AA and/or credential or permit but would like to acquire knowledge and skills / professional development relevant to serving as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom or school or related environment, concentrating on providing support in science-related disciplines.
• Teacher preparation for students on a transfer pathway for a BA and Credential who also desire certificate recognition in Educational Studies STEM: with a Science Concentration.
• Independent tutors, students working with students in a science-related setting, seeking a certificate to augment and recognize their training and expertise. 

In order to provide an additional pathway to an education-related career, this certificate has a special focus on accommodating those students, who, for various reasons, face a common obstacle to an education-related career: inability to attend face-to-face classes and/ or meet at one scheduled time every week.  Thus the certificate is especially appropriate for students interested in an education/ teaching-related career who prefer online classes and/or cannot always attend traditional face-to-face classes due to employment, marital status, family responsibilities, distance, and expenses incurred with traditional education schedules.  All certificate classes (5 classes, 16 units) are online.   

 Following completion of the certificate, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Work effectively with students, teachers, parents, colleagues, and administrators in a school and classroom setting. 
2. Apply knowledge, skills, and experience to make an informed choice to be employed or to continue study in the field of education. 
3. Apply the certificate towards entry into a teaching credential or child development permit program, and/or the certificate may serve to document the acquisition of knowledge and skills relevant for employment as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom, school, or related environment. 

 Possible employment/ illustrative examples: position requiring practical skills and knowledge to work with children in an after-school care, tutoring, or mentoring program/ (focusing on providing support in science-related disciplines ); teacher’s aide/ science area; teacher assistant elementary school classrooms/ magnet science schools; work with k-12 students in an after-school setting (upper grades/ remedial); provide tutoring/homework assistance, assist in academic enrichment programs; outdoor education group leader or assistant, science museum education assistant/ camp counselor for science specialty options; tutor; nanny; Disney; Lego theme park worker science fair coach.

 

initially 10, but following promotion throughout the state, 20

The certificate serves as a career ladder approach to a credential or permit or as a stand-alone entity to document that a student has taken coursework related to subject matter proficiency and has acquired skills for successful employment as a teacher's aide, after-school program assistant, tutoring or other paraprofessional level classroom career. 

OUTCOME 1: Work effectively with students, teachers, parents, colleagues, and administrators in a school and classroom setting.

OUTCOME 2: Apply knowledge, skills, and experience to make an informed choice to be employed or to continue study in the field of education. 

OUTCOME 3: Apply the certificate towards entry into a teaching credential or child development permit program, and/or the certificate may serve to document the acquisition of knowledge and skills relevant for employment as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom, school, or related environment. 

In order to provide an additional pathway to an education-related career, this certificate has a special focus on accommodating those students, who, for various reasons, face a common obstacle to an education-related career: inability to attend face-to-face classes and/ or meet at one scheduled time every week.  Thus the certificate is especially appropriate for students interested in an education/ teaching-related career who prefer online classes and/or cannot always attend traditional face-to-face classes due to employment, marital status, family responsibilities, distance, and expenses incurred with traditional education schedules.  All certificate classes (5 classes, 16 units) are online.   

The certificate serves as a career ladder approach to a credential or permit or as a stand-alone entity to document that a student has taken coursework related to subject matter proficiency and has acquired skills for successful employment as a teacher's aide, after-school program assistant, tutoring or other paraprofessional level classroom career. 

 The certificate is one of the pathways to teaching and or a classroom career offered by Coastline's Department of Education (TEACh3).  Similar programs are available in the LA/Orange County Region but none are represented as an Educational Studies pathway with a STEM: science concentration and completely online (asynchronous).  Across the State similar education certificates, according to the OEI/CVC, may be available at Cerro Coso and Modesto Community Colleges.

This certificate is especially appropriate for students following various pathways to classroom teaching or an education-related career: 

• The paraprofessional or aspiring paraprofessional teacher aide.
  
• The aspiring paraprofessional or currently employed paraprofessional teacher- aide seeking a career ladder approach to a teaching credential and/or child development permit.
• The teacher- aide paraprofessional who has decided against pursuing an AA and/or credential or permit but would like to acquire knowledge and skills / professional development relevant to serving as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom or school or related environment, concentrating on providing support in science-related disciplines.
•  Teacher preparation for students on a transfer pathway for a BA and Credential who also desire certificate recognition in Educational Studies STEM: with a Science Concentration.
• Independent tutors, students working with students in a science-related setting, seeking a certificate to augment and recognize their training and expertise. 

Following completion of the certificate, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Work effectively with students, teachers, parents, colleagues, and administrators in a school and classroom setting.  
2. Apply knowledge, skills, and experience to make an informed choice to be employed or to continue study in the field of education. 
3. Apply the certificate towards entry into a teaching credential or child development permit program, and/or the certificate may serve to document the acquisition of knowledge and skills relevant for employment as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom, school, or related environment.  

Possible employment/ illustrative examples: position requiring practical skills and knowledge to work with children in an after-school care, tutoring, or mentoring program/ (focusing on providing support in science-related disciplines ); teacher’s aide/ science area; teacher assistant elementary school classrooms/ magnet science schools; work with k-12 students in an after-school setting (upper grades/ remedial); provide tutoring/homework assistance, assist in academic enrichment programs; outdoor education group leader or assistant, science museum education assistant/ camp counselor for science specialty options; tutor; nanny; Disney; Lego theme park worker science fair coach.

Courses do not have to be taken in any fixed order or semester.  

Required Courses: 

Course Number	Name of Course	Units
CHEM C140	Introduction to Chemistry/Physics	4
BIO C100C	Introduction to Biology / Lecture/Lab	4
GEOL C106	Earth Science for Teachers	4
EDUC C180	School, Family, Community Partnerships	3
EDUC C104	Introduction to Teaching & Learning in Diverse Contemporary Classrooms	1
TOTAL	16 UNITS

 

Part of TEACH3-(Teacher Education at the Coast Community College District) -- a District Program where students can mix and match classes between campuses. The certificate is one of the online pathways to teaching and or a classroom career offered by Coastline's Department of Education.

Similar certificates may be available in the LA/Orange County Region but none are represented as an Educational Studies pathway with a STEM: science concentration and completely online (asynchronous) so as to accommodate those students who for various reasons face a common obstacle to an education-related career: inability to attend face-to-face classes and/ or meet at one scheduled time every week.

10-20