Project TEAMS - Teachers Education Alliance for Math and Science

Lee College, Baytown TX

Investigators

Abstract

The Teacher Education Alliance for Math and Science (TEAMS), a partnership of 7 school districts, Lee College, and the University of Houston/Clear Lake, is developing and strengthening lower division teacher education curricula in math and science; providing preservice students with opportunities for field experiences and interaction with inservice teachers; and recruiting prospective teachers, particularly from underrepresented groups. Outcomes of the project include a new team-taught interdisciplinary course, Physical Science/Algebra, a revised Math for Elementary Teachers course, and a new fully articulated associate degree program for prospective elementary teachers. New courses reflect the Texas state standards and new certification requirements for grades 4-8. A series of Saturday Labs taught by community college and university faculty focuses on the understanding and development of math/science projects by pairs of preservice and inservice teachers. The preservice/inservice teams are designing experiments geared for 4th and 5th grade students and conducting the activities in the partner schools through a Traveling Lab. In addition, prospective teachers are providing classroom assistance to 4th and 5th grade mentor teachers in science and math.