Good day, again!

My name is Alan Colburn. I am a Professor of Science Education at Calif. State Univ. Long Beach, where I have been since 1995. Before coming here, I taught in the Science Education Center at the University of Iowa--the place where I received my Ph.D. (in Science Education) in 1991. I've also got a master's degree in Biology, from the University of Illinois, and degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie-Mellon University. 

I taught high school Chemistry for a couple years, at the Haverford School in suburban Haverford, PA. I taught Physical Science in Iowa City, too. 

I teach (or have taught) a variety of courses at CSULB. SCED 401 is a science class for prospective elementary teachers. SCED 550 is the first class new graduate students take. SCED 404 is about the nature of science and scientific reasoning. It's been awhile now since I taught EDSS 450C, but it is is a secondary science methods course. I also work with graduate students and occasionally supervise student teachers. In 2004 I was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award.

Beside these duties I am graduate advisor to our Master's degree program, serve on various university committees, and review articles for some of my professional journals. I am the College of Science & Mathematics assessment coordinator this year, too.

My research interests include preservice teacher education, inquiry-based science teaching, and issues related to evolution, creationism, science & religion. So that I need to update this page less often, I'll say that I've written "many" articles and given "even more" professional presentations, plus a number of workshops.

A book I wrote was published by the National Science Teachers Association. It's called 'The Lingo of Learning: 88 terms every science teacher should know.' The purpose of the book is to explain educational "jargon" in plain English, providing fairly brief introductions to common teaching-related ideas.

I will try to help you have a great experience with the classes you take from me.