Mathematics Education at WSU
$20,000 Two-Year Scholarship Available for Math Education Majors
Will you be a junior or senior in Math Education in the fall of 2009? Would you consider getting a Minor in Engineering? You could receive a $20,000 Two-Year Scholarship to become a math teacher with an engineering background. To learn more, click
here.
Professional
Development and Leadership in Mathematics Education at WSU
The Department of Mathematics at WSU has an extensive
commitment to mathematics education at all levels, from the preparation
of future elementary teachers to that of post-secondary teachers
in community colleges, four-year colleges, and research universities.
For example, the department teaches over 1200 semester credit hours
per year to elementary education majors, and nearly half of the
department's mathematics majors choose the
secondary
teaching option. The department has also recently introduced
a
master's
degree program in mathematics education, principally aimed to
prepare students to teach at the community college level. The department
faculty members involved in meeting this commitment to mathematics
education are nationally recognized, serving as invited speakers
at regional and national conferences, publishing scholarly work
in professional journals, and attracting funding from state and
national agencies. Several faculty members have been active in the
Washington
Teachers of Teachers of Mathematics, whose position papers are
helping guide the
Professional
Educator Standards Board and the
Office
of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The
Mathematical Preparation of Prospective Elementary Teachers at WSU
The Department of Mathematics offers one of the
strongest programs anywhere in the state-or indeed nationally-in
the
mathematics
preparation of elementary teachers. All elementary education
majors take a full academic year of coursework, with the first semester
organized around problem solving, number systems, and algebraic
reasoning, and the second semester covering probability, descriptive
statistics, and geometry. Both courses are conducted in an activity-based
mode of instruction in a well-equipped laboratory setting, thereby
modeling how future teachers will teach elementary school children.
In particular, the WSU courses support the national standards established
by the
National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics, which in turn set up teachers to meet the expectations
of the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) and create
classrooms that will prepare students for success on the Washington
State Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The department also
offers an optional third semester of mathematics expressly directed
to the needs of the middle and upper elementary teacher.
Secondary
Mathematics Program at WSU
Historically, half of the mathematics majors at
WSU are in the secondary teaching option. Several innovations have
been implemented in the past four years for this program. Three
new courses have been designed:
Mathematics for Elementary Teachers
III (designed for middle school teachers);
Intersections
of Culture and Mathematics; and
Mathematics for College and
Secondary Teachers (a capstone course to tie college level mathematics
to high school curriculum as well as to study the connects between
content areas within mathematics). The department takes a large
portion of preservice secondary mathematic teachers to the Northwest
Mathematics Conference each fall to learn about current trends in
mathematics education.
Preservice Teachers of Mathematics (PreToM) host the annual
Inland Northwest Mathematics Experience (IN ME) in which 200 middle and high school students come to WSU for a day
of mathematics activities using technology. The activities are written
and facilitated by PreToM members.
http://www.math.wsu.edu/faculty/vincent/welcome.php
Middle Level Math Endorsement Program
Washington State University's Middle Level Math Edorsement program is designed for new (including teacher candidates) and experienced teachers who wish to add an additional endorsement or expertise in middle level mathematics to their current certification. To learn more about this opportunity, please visit the
College of Education's Middle Level Math website. You may also read more by clicking
here.
Calculus for Middle School Teachers - Math 151
Summer 2010 (3 credits)
The Department of Mathematics offers an intensive three week course designed for current and future middle school mathematics teachers to study calculus concepts. This class is required for WSU's recently adopted Middle School Mathematics Endorsement. For more information regarding Math 151 please click
here.
Mathematics
Case Study Project - A partnership of mathematics educators working
to improve mathematics teaching
This three year project (June 2005-Dec 2008) funded
by
No
Child Left Behind ($750,000) is a collaborative project with
Mathematics faculty from WSU, EWU, and UW, teaching coaches from
Seattle and school districts: Cheney, Inchelium, Pullman, Seattle,
Spokane, Tonasket, and Wellpinit. The goal is to develop curriculum
aligned with national and state standards to be used for professional
development for middle school math teachers to gain knowledge of
content and pedagogy in the area of proportional reasoning, for
the purpose of improving student understanding. The teachers will
study cases from their own classroom and student work that is generated
by using the materials developed. Workshops for middle school mathematics
teachers will be held on both the east and west side of the state
each summer along with 40 hours of follow-up meetings during the
school year.
http://mcsp.ewu.edu/index.html.
Project
PRISM
Project
PRISM (Promising Reform in Science and Math) was funded
for $886,505 by the
National
Science Foundation (HRD 01-20884) and was a collaborative effort
between the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington
State University, and seven public school districts: Grand Coulee
Dam, Inchelium, Okanogan, Omak, Pullman, Spokane, and Wilbur. The
project goal was to increase success for all students, and particularly
Native American students, in secondary education through faculty
development focused on the roles of gender and culture in teaching
and learning, career awareness, and cultural awareness. Project
PRISM also conducted a student survey in several districts that
yielded information about what motivates students in school; what
are students' educational goals; what teaching strategies work well
for students; and what impedes student learning. Specifically, the
survey results uncovered factors that promote or inhibit student
success.
