Preparing Mathematicians to Educate Teachers

Mathematical Association Of America, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This is a multifaceted initiative by the Mathematical Association of America to strengthen the mathematical education of teachers, responding to the growing list of national reports that call for better preparation of the nation's mathematics teachers. These reports and their recommendations come at a time of growing interest among college and university mathematicians to do more to contribute to improved elementary and secondary school mathematics teaching. Many college faculty need assistance with appropriate instructional strategies to help future K-12 teachers connect their college mathematics to K-12 mathematics. Further, college faculty need better information about the mathematical issues that arise in day- to-day K-12 classroom lessons. This initiative nurtures and supports a growing connection between college faculty and K-12 teachers by providing educational, organizational, and financial assistance to mathematical scientists with specific interest in teacher education. Numerous connections and collaborations with other mathematical science organizations and projects are being pursued and developed to enhance the initiative. This initiative also assists efforts by mathematicians to run professional development programs for practicing teachers. It takes a broad, systemic approach to improving the preparation of K-12 mathematics teachers, commensurate with the major, long-term impact that is sought on mathematicians and the mathematical education of teachers. The initiative targets more than just the mathematics faculty who teach courses in the foundations of elementary or secondary school mathematics, because future teachers are strongly influenced by other courses they take in mathematics. The Preparing Mathematicians to Education Teachers (PMET) initiative has four components: 1. Faculty Training: a series of workshops, from one to four weeks, spread over two summers with intervening academic year projects; and mini-courses of 3-8 hours in length; 2. Information and Resources: articles in professional journals, panels at professional meetings, multi-media websites, and hard-copy material dissemination to support faculty instruction for teachers; 3. Mini-grants: support for grassroots innovation in teacher education at individual campuses; and 4. Regional Networks: coordination of efforts at individual institutions