Concentration in Teaching Science

Program Summary

The M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a Concentration in Teaching Science helps science educators inspire their students in K-8 classrooms. Developed in collaboration with Sally Ride Science, founded by Dr. Sally Ride of NASA, this concentration is designed to enhance the teaching skills of science educators in the classroom.

SCI5613 Engaging Students in Science

Educators will examine current knowledge of students’ interest, attitudes, and achievement in science and factors that influence each. Educators will also learn a four-part framework for igniting students' interest in science by doing hands-on activities related to science careers, and practice ways to incorporate this framework into science and nonfiction literacy instruction. Course work will focus on strategies that increase students' engagement, interest, and achievement in science.

SCI5623 Foundations of Science Teaching

Educators will investigate key findings on how students’ learn science as well as teaching strategies grounded in this research. This course offers a series of readings, problem-solving activities, reflections, and discussions through which educators will develop an effective approach to teaching any science concept. Through these activities, issues of cognition, culture, and pedagogy will come up that will be similar to issues educators face in today's classrooms. As a result of this course, educators will develop pedagogical principles, outlooks, knowledge, and skills that will inform their teaching practices.

SCI5633 Inquiry-Based Science Teaching

Educators will explore planning, implementing, and evaluating science curriculum. Educators will design lessons and practice teaching strategies which foster students’ engagement in science, science literacy, inquiry skills, and personal connection to science. This course uses a variety of technology tools for learning and teaching.

Department of Curriculum and Instruction Chair

Pi Irwin, Ed.D.
University of Arizona

Pi Irwin is the Department Chair of Curriculum and Instruction, serving as the administrator of the College's broadest range of programs and certifications.

Dr. Irwin's most recent public school administration was as Superintendent of School District 41 in Glen Ellyn, IL for 10 years. Prior to moving to Glen Ellyn, Dr. Irwin was a teacher, elementary and middle and high school principal, high school assistant principal, and assistant superintendent of instruction in Tucson Unified School District, Tucson, AZ. Her professional experience includes the role of executive coach with Coaching for Results, a non-profit organization specializing in increasing the effectiveness of educational leaders.

Dr. Irwin has experience in both online and face-to-face instruction. She has taught at Benedictine University, University of Arizona, Northern Illinois University, and Lehman College of City University in New York City. She has also served on the doctoral dissertation committees at University of Arizona and Roosevelt University, Chicago.

As a reading researcher, she was the major developer of The Richness of Retelling Assessment, most recently reprinted in Teaching Reading to Every Child. In addition, she has served on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Reading and the Reading Research Quarterly.

She is the recipient of the University of Arizona College of Education Alumna award, Illinois Those Who Excel award, and the Illinois Woman of Achievement award.

Curriculum & Instruction Assistant Department Chair

Deborah Lee Tincher, Ph.D.
Capella University

As a child, Deborah Lee Tincher loved reading about everything, which drew her to a major in Interdisciplinary Studies in college. However, the lure of reading grew even stronger during her early teaching experience, resulting in a master’s degree with a Reading Specialization. With 30 years in education and her Ph.D. from Capella University, she is able to satisfy personal curiosity and the desire to help the next generation of teachers as a professor. Though she has taught multiple grade levels and many subjects at one time, today her focus at American College of Education is online learning and the possibilities of technology.

Curriculum & Instruction Faculty

Mamzelle V.S. Adolphine, Ph.D.

Mamzelle V. S. Adolphine has worked as a teacher and a trainer at the elementary school level. She joined the faculty of American College of Education in 2010 as a professor in the department of Curriculum and Instruction. She received her Ph.D. from Capella University and is a New York University Honors Scholar and a returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Mauritania, West Africa. She is very involved in her community and facilitates an ASTDEdge Restructuring Schools group. She enjoys hiking and cycling.

George Ash, Ed.D.

George Ash holds an Ed.D. from Walden University and has taught in the prison system to adult learners, traditional k-12 students, and graduate students. He has served as an administrator for over eight years in various roles including superintendent. His research interests include rural education, opportunity analysis and mathematics. As a speaker and writer, his areas of expertise include leadership in educational administration and school finance.

Karen E. Austin, Ed.D.

Karen E. Austin currently serves as an assistant principal with Chicago Public Schools and faculty member of American College of Education. Dr. Austin’s research interests include the effects of positive behavioral support and teacher and leadership effectiveness on student achievement.  Dr. Austin is most proud of her work focusing on appropriate practices for students with disabilities. She enjoys serving the community through her sorority and traveling the world. She received her Ed.D. from Argosy-Chicago, her M.A. from National-Louis University and her B.A. from Chicago State University.

Sarah Becerra, Ph.D.

Sarah Becerra received her Ph.D. from Texas Woman’s University and published her dissertation entitled "Death of a Parent in Childhood and Resilience in Adulthood." She also earned her M.A. in Family Therapy from TWU and holds a B.A. in Psychology from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.  An advocate of online teaching, Dr. Becerra is also a licensed marriage and family therapist who provides mental health and substance abuse assessments for hospitals. She enjoys playing the guitar.

Ellen Brewer, Ed.D

Ellen Brewer holds an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction/Curriculum Development from Nova Southeastern University, an M.A. in Secondary English Education and a B.S. in Secondary Education from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She is certified in educational leadership and library information services from Jacksonville State University. Dr. Brewer has taught English, college composition and literature courses in grades 5-12, and secondary education courses in ELA teaching methodologies. She works as a literacy coach in grades 9-12, was twice selected as a teacher-fellow with the National Writing Project and currently serves on the JSU Writing Project Advisory Board.

Bridgette Davis, Ph.D.

Bridgette Davis earned a Ph.D. in Secondary Education with an emphasis in literacy and science from Southern Mississippi University. As a former 7th and 8th grade science teacher, Dr. Davis developed a passion for preparing teachers to reach middle and high school students. She is committed to high expectations with purposeful literacy integration to meet the needs of culturally diverse students while making meaningful instructional connections to real-life applications. Her research interests include adolescent literacy and STEM integration into content areas across the secondary school curriculum, developing low-cost tools to teach science, e-learning, authentic assessments, and classroom climate. Dr. Davis is a world traveler.

Rita Deyoe-Chiullán, Ph.D.

Rita Deyoe-Chiullán earned her bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University where she was the first exchange ESL instructor to a university in Colombia. She later taught ESL/linguistics in universities and a bi-national British/Colombian school. Returning to KSU for both her M.A. and her Ph.D., she taught English for International Students, returning to Colombia to teach ESL and prepare ESL teachers. She was KSU’s first Title VII USOE Bilingual/Multicultural doctoral fellow, earning a degree in Curriculum & Instruction (Bilingual/Multicultural). Dr. Deyoe-Chiullán taught bilingual/ESL teachers and administrators and was an alternative certification bilingual specialist at Dallas ISD. Currently, she teaches bilingual/ESL education courses at American College of Education.

Deborah Gilbert, Ed.D.

Deborah Gilbert was a South Carolina State Department of Education Curriculum Specialist for many years. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in ELA and has developed many workshops and seminars involving professional learning communities, curriculum mapping and unwrapping standards, teacher as leader, program evaluation, and using data to drive school decisions. Dr. Gilbert has taught middle school and high school English and Spanish, college business communications, and online leadership, curriculum, and doctoral education courses for several schools. She holds an Ed.D. in Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern, an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Technology from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor's degree in Spanish literature from SUNY Oswego. In addition to serving on the faculty at American College of Education, she is exploring the use of virtual schools for K-12.

Rebecca Good, Ed.D.

Rebecca Good has been a teacher, campus administrator, central office administrator, school superintendent, and graduate-level university professor in both Educational Administration and Bilingual/ESL courses. She has published journal articles and books on current educational topics and has expertise in helping assistant principals become stronger instructional leaders before becoming principals. She began presenting at national, state, and local conferences in 1994 and has made more than a thousand presentations on a variety of educational topics. Dr. Good’s current interest is in early childhood, since she now has a toddler granddaughter who can easily operate an iPad.

Tiffany Hamlett, Ph.D.

Tiffany Hamlett has a background in early childhood development and education with an emphasis on developmentally appropriate practice. She has served as a mentor to student teachers and supervised field experience in lab and classroom settings. Her publications include the subjects of analyzing aggression in television programs for preschoolers, caregivers’ roles in the development of babies’ brains and cross-gendered play in preschool. Dr. Hamlett holds a Ph.D. from Texas Woman's University. 

Therese Kanai, Ph.D.

Therese Kanai has been involved in the field of education for more than 20 years. After graduating from the University of Hawaii, she moved to Kailua-Kona and worked as a substitute teacher. After discovering her passion for teaching and children, she attended UH Hilo and earned her secondary teaching certification in mathematics. Subsequently, she received her M.A. in Education from Heritage College and earned a Ph.D. in Education from Walden University.

Katrina Landa, Ed.D.

Katrina Landa has been in education for more than a decade, teaching elementary and high school and supervising adult education programs. She received her master's degree in Early Childhood Education and ESOL from the University of Miami and her Doctorate in Special Education (with a minor in Educational Leadership) from Florida International University. Dr. Landa loves to travel and spend time with her family.

David Mapp, Jr., Ed.D.

David Mapp, Jr., is a social studies instructor in Pinellas County, Florida. Dr. Mapp, colloquially called "Dr. M," was a 2008 Teacher of the Year Award recipient in the category of Creativity and Innovation. He frequently makes presentations at conferences on technology and PowerPoint use in the classroom. With roots in the Caribbean island of St. Croix, he is an advocate for ESOL students. He holds an Ed.D. from Argosy University in Instructional Leadership and is certified in Educational Leadership and K-12 social science certification. 

Marsha Moore, Ph.D.

Marsha Moore has been an educator for 20 years. She earned an undergraduate degree from Georgia State University in Early Childhood Education, a master's degree in Child Development and the doctorate degree in Child Development and Education from Texas Woman's University. Her research interests include constructivist teacher training/staff development, child guidance, play and diversity. Dr. Moore has four young children who influence her growth as a teacher and as a person. She enjoys running and reading Mental Floss magazine.

Joyce Myers, Ed.D.

Joyce Myers, a graduate of the University of North Texas with an Ed.D. in Early Childhood Education also studied at Mercer University, Dallas Baptist University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently she teaches university courses in early childhood and elementary education. She is a former elementary school principal and classroom teacher, and she is also the author of an instructor's manual for a textbook on early childhood education. She and her family lived in countries outside the U.S. for more than 10 years. 

Jose Arturo Puga, Ed.D.

Jose Arturo Puga is currently a vice principal at Stillman Middle School in Brownsville, Texas, and a retired U.S Army officer. His career in education, which spans nearly two decades, includes experience as a bilingual elementary teacher, guidance counselor and administrator at the elementary, middle school and high school levels.  Dr. Puga was awarded the Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Bilingual Education at Texas A&M - Kingsville. He has earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish Literature, master's degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Texas System and most recently a master's degree in Sociology from Texas Tech University.

Denita B. Scott, Ed.D.

Denita B. Scott, Ed.D. has served as an educator for 24 years.  Her current role is the Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning and Programs for Dolton School District 149. Previously, she was a Director of Student Learning, Assistant principal for an elementary and middle school, a reading coach, a Title I teacher, a Reading Recovery teacher, and a classroom teacher. Throughout her tenure in Dolton School District 149, Dr. Scott has displayed a strong passion for improvement of student achievement and has advocated for children's success. During the summer of 2011, she chaired a committee to update the reading and math curriculum and established the Curriculum Planning Council.

Dr. Scott has earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree with a concentration in reading from Governors State University in University Park, Illinois, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Roosevelt University in Chicago. Dr. Scott has served as an adjunct professor at Chicago State University in Chicago for three years and taught Foundations of Reading and Content Area Reading for Middle School. She was a presenter for the Illinois Principals Association and the Superintendents Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity Conference. In addition, she is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Illinois Principals Association, International Reading Association, Illinois Reading Council, South Suburban Reading Council, and the Data for School Innovation Advisory Board (DSI).

Rosita Tormala-Nita, Ph.D.

Rosita Tormala-Nita began her career in higher education about 15 years ago in the interdisciplinary field of International Studies and Business Administration. Her international projects focused on improving language policies to expand access to higher learning and use technology to create world-wide classrooms. As Dr. Tormala-Nita studied the role of higher learning in creating access and the importance of scientific philanthropy, her career moved toward research administration. In 2003, she earned a Ph.D. in educational policy studies from Marquette University and served as an educational foundations faculty member at a public R1 university. As her interest in the work of educators grew, she spent time in schools as a substitute teacher and completed an additional master's degree in secondary education. In the last five years, she has fully transitioned into the field of education. In 2010, she joined the American College of Education (ACE) faculty. In teaching for ACE, she realized her goal of working for a single-purpose institution within the concept of world-wide classrooms. Dr. Tormala-Nita is now a core faculty member. Her areas of research interest include helping educators worldwide find solutions to educational issues through action research. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family as well as running 5K/10K and half-marathons.

Deborah VanOurkerk, Ed.D.

Deborah VanOurkerk is a veteran educator with more than 35 teaching experience in K-8.  Presently, she is the science department chair at a middle school. She is a Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) certified teacher and her site's district representative.  She is a member of her school site team that analyses and determines the appropriateness of proposed curriculum. She holds an Ed.D. from Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara. 

Gordon Vessels, Ed.D.

Gordon Vessels taught in public schools for several years in addition to being a teaching assistant for undergraduate education students at the University of Georgia. He completed degree programs in Education, Sociology, and School Psychology as well as a leadership-training program at Georgia State University. He worked 25 years as a school psychologist in urban, rural, and suburban schools. His doctoral dissertation was on nonbiased assessment. He authored and directed U.S. DOE grant projects in multiple schools and published a book in 1998, titled Character and Community Development.

Rebecca Wiehe, Ph.D.

Rebecca Wiehe has been a Spanish teacher for 18 years and has taught at levels ranging from preschool to university. She currently teaches at the high school level. Her undergraduate degrees are in Spanish and Spanish Education from Miami University (Ohio). She holds a master’s degree in Spanish from the University of Cincinnati, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Kent State University. Dr. Wiehe has worked extensively with both student teachers and veteran teachers as they continue their professional development.

Applicable fees

• Application fee: $50
• Technology fee: $7 per credit hour (for a total of $259)
• Program conferral fee: $100

2013 total program cost: $8,364. For more information, visit the tuition section.

Teaching Science (Sally Ride Teaching Program) within the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction