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Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan – Progress Report

• Principal Investigator: Janice Koop
• Topic of Mini-grant: Enhancing the K-8 Mathematics Preparation of Teachers
• Duration of Minigrant: 2 years
• Date for Visit by PMET Monitor, given by PI: I would prefer to be visited during Spring 2005. Our semester runs from 2/1 – 5/11. Spring break is 3/14 - 3/21. I hope to be at the NCTM meeting on 4/6 – 4/9.

Activities and Progress

1. Redesign of the K-8 mathematics courses: A meeting with in-service teachers who are graduates of our program is planned for this fall to gather input that will help us in the redesign. The director is also meeting with the chair of the education program and other mathematics/mathematics education faculty members to decide what changes would be feasible. We would like to add a two-hour junior-level required course. To make sure that our students have early field experiences, we are investigating the feasibility of making a currently optional experience a required part of the expanded sequence. We have some cooperating schools that may make this feasible if the required courses can be expanded. The director has also been viewing video clips that we may use in the classroom to at least give the illusion of working with real students when the actual contact may not be feasible. The project director has also been reviewing the Reconceptualizing Mathematics materials that she obtained from SDSU to see whether those materials would be a “fit” for our students.
2. Sponsoring mathematics education colloquia. Over the next three semesters we plan to invite some mathematics education speakers to our weekly faculty/student colloquia series. The investigator is working with the chair of the mathematics department colloquium committee to get appropriate speakers.
3. Travel. The investigator plans to attend the AMTE meeting in January to talk with colleagues about promising programs and methods. The investigator also hopes to be present at other local and national meetings (supported by college funds.)