Grand Valley State University, Michigan – Progress Report
- Principal Investigator: Charlene Beckmann
- Topic of Minigrant: Conversations Among Colleagues: Collaborating to Improve Mathematics Education of Our Students
- Duration of Minigrant: 2 years - Dec. 2003 through Dec. 2005
- Date for Visit by PMET Monitor, given by PI:The PMET grant is supporting speakers participating in the college math/math education strand of the MCTM Conference, 28-30 October 2004. It would be easiest if the visit can happen after that conference. Spring 2005 dates: any time from 7 February through 18 February 2005.
Activities and Progress
- To provide mathematicians, mathematics educators, and K-12 teacher intern mentors the opportunity to converse about and plan for addressing the problem of preparing prospective teachers to teach mathematics at the K–12 level;
- To provide mathematicians, mathematics educators, and K-12 teacher intern mentors the opportunity to learn from national leaders about the ways that people learn and understand mathematics and how this plays out in our work with college students;
- To offer participants the opportunity to learn from state leadersabout certification issues in Michigan, including Michigan's definition of highly qualified teachers of mathematics required by the No Child Left Behind legislation, the Michigan Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (the content that teachers need to teach), and the Michigan Program Review/Periodic Evaluation for Teacher Certification for Mathematics majors and minors;
- To offer participants the opportunity to learn about the level of mathematical understanding newer K–12 mathematics curricula require of students; and
- To offer participants the opportunity to learn of solutions beingcarried out at various universities and colleges in the state, includinghighlighting the work of GVSU mathematics, statistics, and mathematics educationfaculty members with regard to Enhancing the Mathematical Core.
Each of the above goals was addressed through sessions at the conference, Conversations Among Colleagues (CAC), held at Grand Valley State University on 20 March 2004. The conference was designed for that purpose. In addition, two strands of the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics 55th Annual Conference, 28-30 October 2004 will continue the conversations which began during CAC. Some of the speakers will be supported by the PMET grant. We are very pleased with the response our conversations have generated. Speakers from CAC were asked to address participants in the MAA-MI sectionmeeting in May 2004 and were also invited to initiate similar conversations among Wisconsin mathematics and mathematics education faculty as well as K-12 teachers and administrators at a conference in Milwaukee in August 2004. Michigan mathematics and mathematics education professional organizations are is committed to continuing the conversations. Plans are underway for CAC 2005 to be held at Michigan State University, 19 March 2005.