Teacher of Mathematics Issues for Today and Tomorrow : Proceedings of a Conference (1987) / Chapter Skim
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SUSTAINING THE CHANGES
SUSTAINING THE CHANGES
Pages 81-96
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From page 81... ...
Not only have groups within these communities been concerned with the content of mathematics education in the schools, colleges, and universities, but also they are pursuing actively reforms in teacher education and in the context in which teaching takes place. Such groups include the Mathematical Sciences Education Board of the National Research Council; the Committee on Mathematical Education of Teachers of the Mathematical Association of America; the Commission on Standards for School Mathematics of NCTM; and Project 2061 of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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From page 82... ...
Formal college courses provide for in-depth study that is often not possible in other ways. Categories of Mathematics Teachers PBETM guidelines were developed for each of the following categories of teachers.
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From page 83... ...
To illustrate these competencies, each of the five classes will be described briefly for the "Mathematics Specialist in Grades K-8." A complete listing of the competencies for all categories of teachers is in the guidelines. The mathematics competencies consist of understanding and being able to explain simple number theoretic concepts, elements of probability and statistics, geometrical notions, algebraic properties of the real numbers, topics from discrete mathematics, the logic and reasoning underlying the mathematics of these grades, and events from the history of mathematics.
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From page 84... ...
The PBETM Task Force feels that the technological competencies will be those subject to the most change in future years, and that technology should be used to improve, but never replace, mathematical instruction. Mathematics education competencies dwell more on the wider professional role of the mathematics specialists.
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From page 85... ...
The PBETM guidelines represent a model that is recommended to achieve excellence. The task force believes strongly that it is not the only model, and that the PBETM guidelines should never be used to inhibit or impede creative thought in the search for excellence in mathematics teacher education.
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From page 87... ...
Our charge is that of formulating policy and guiding MAA in activities in this important area of teacher preparation. While I am reporting here on COMET's new Guidelines for the Continuing Mathematical Education of Teachers, such a report would be incomplete if I did not mention first the most recent report of the MAA panel on teacher training, entitled Recommendations on the Mathematical Preparation of Teachers.
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From page 88... ...
They are addressed as well to teachers and district supervisors, to national and state governmental agencies, to professional societies, to regional and local educational organizations, and to everyone concerned with improving the effectiveness of mathematics education in America today. The Guidelines contain suggestions for in-service programs for all teachers, for master's degree programs for elementary school teachers, elementary school mathematics specialists, coordinators of elementary school mathematics programs, teachers of middle school and junior high school mathematics, teachers of high school mathematics, and for the graduate education of mathematics supervisors.
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From page 89... ...
While endorsing the Holmes recommendation that the elementary mathematics major be abolished, we agree wholeheartedly that substitution of precalculus, calculus, or liberal arts mathematics courses for the courses in our existing recommendations would be totally unacceptable. Since our report runs to over 90 pages, let me highlight several of its points and leave you to read the rest of the document in detail.
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From page 90... ...
For this reason, the Mathematical Association of America has adopted the following principles regarding the preparation and retraining of mathematics teachers: (1) Students at all levels should be taught mathematics by teachers who enjoy mathematics and whose training meets or exceeds professional standards.
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From page 91... ...
(5) All college and university faculty members who teach mathematics or mathematics education should maintain a vigorous dialogue with their colleagues in schools, seeking ways to collaborate in improving school mathematics programs and in supporting the professional development of mathematics teachers.
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From page 92... ...
Those aspiring to teach at the elementary level should include in their programs of study the mathematics courses recommended in the MAA Recommendations on the Mathematical Preparation of Teachers, and prospective teachers of middle school and junior high school mathematics those specified for that level in the same Recommendations. Beyond this, undergraduate majors in mathematics or combined majors in mathematics and the natural sciences should be developed, especially for prospective elementary school teachers, so that eventually all mathematics in at least grade 3 and beyond is taught only by mathematics specialists.
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From page 93... ...
[Copies of MAA's guidelines can be obtained from: Mathematical Association of America 1529 18th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C.
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