U.S.-Japan Teacher Development Workshop: A Conference Planned for Makuhari, Japan in August of 2000

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

0001439 WONG The project will plan and conduct a conference among U.S. and Japanese mathematics educators (e.g., teachers, researchers, teacher educators) focused on exploring the similarities and differences in teacher professional development for elementary school mathematics teachers. There will be 40 participants, split evenly between U.S. and Japanese delegations. The conference would be held in August, 2000, immediately following the Ninth International Congress on Mathematics Education (ICME 9). Two products would be developed after the conference. The first is a set of proceedings (available in print and stored on the web) that would include summaries of discussions and activities as well as a series of commissioned papers that would explore issues raised at the conference. The second is an edited video of conference discussions and activities. One of the planned conference activities is a simulation/presentation of Japanese "study groups" that are often part of Japanese teachers' professional development. The video will attempt to capture some of the essential features of this demonstration so that U.S. educators who did not attend could gain some insight into the nature of that kind of professional development activity. During 2000 and 2001, the project staff will make presentations at a variety of professional conferences to share the proceedings (both print and video) with mathematics educators throughout the U.S.