the mathematical association of america web site: national science foundation pmet: to strengthen...

The Mathematical Association of America Web site: http://www.maa.org/pmet National Science Foundation

PMET: To Strengthen the Mathematical Education of America’s Teachers

Preparing mathematicians…

…to educate teachers…

…to teach America’s students.

PMET is a project of the Mathematical Association of America, supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (DUE-0230847) with additional support from Texas Instruments.

PMET planning funded by grants from ExxonMobil Foundation and the National Science Foundation


PMET Directors

Project Co-Directors

Bernard Madison, University of Arkansas

Alan Tucker, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Associate Director of Workshops and Mini-coursesEd Dubinsky, Kent State University

MAA Program ManagerMichael Pearson, Mathematical Association of America

Program EvaluationPeter Ewell, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems


PMET Regional Coordinators

Stephen WestState University of New York at Geneseo

Ruth HeatonUniversity of Nebraska Lincoln

Holly HirstAppalachian State University

Naomi KlarreichCleveland State University

James LewisUniversity of Nebraska Lincoln

Magnhild LienCalifornia State University Northridge

Jack NarayanState University of New York at Oswego

Dale R. OliverHumboldt State University

David RoysterUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte

Olaf StackelbergKent State University


PMET National Advisory Committee Richard Askey, University of Wisconsin, Madison (Emeritus)Richelle M. Blair, Lakeland Community College (Emeritus)Ronald L. Graham, University of California at San DiegoKati Haycock, The Education TrustJeremy Kilpatrick, University of GeorgiaDale R. Oliver, Humboldt State UniversityRichard Schaar, Texas InstrumentsRichard L. Scheaffer, University of Florida (Emeritus)Annie Selden, New Mexico State University and Tennessee Technological University (Emeritus) Tina H. Straley, Mathematical Association of AmericaZalman Usiskin, University of ChicagoIrvin E. Vance, Michigan State UniversityHung-Hsi Wu, University of California at Berkeley

PMET Workshop Advisory CommitteeRichard Bayne, Howard UniversityDouglas H. Clements, University at Buffalo, SUNYChris Franklin, University of GeorgiaA. Susan Gay, University of KansasDeborah Schifter, Educational Development Center


PMET Support Offices

PMET Project OfficeTami Trzeciak, PMET Project Coordinator & Web Site contactDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, SCEN 301,University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701

PMET Workshop OfficeSandy Hetzel, PMET Workshop CoordinatorDepartment of MathematicsKent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242

PMET Washington OfficeGretchen Brown, PMET Washington CoordinatorMathematical Association of America1529 Eighteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036


Before It’s Too Late: A Report to the Nation from the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century

Educating Teachers of Science, Mathematics, and Technology: New Practices for the New Millennium

from the National Research Council Committee on Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation

Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences:

The Mathematical Education of Teachers(M E T Report)

Background Reports


PMET is based on MET Report Recommendations:

1. Prospective teachers need mathematics courses that develop a deep understanding of the mathematics they will teach.

2. Although the quality of mathematical preparation is more important than the quantity, the following mathematics coursework for prospective teachers is recommended: Prospective elementary school teachers should be required to take at least 9

semester-hours on fundamental ideas of elementary school mathematics. Prospective middle school (grades 5-8) teachers of mathematics should be required

to take at least 21 semester-hours of mathematics, that includes at least 12 semester-hours on fundamental ideas of school mathematics appropriate for middle school teachers.

Prospective high school teachers of mathematics should be required to complete the equivalent of an undergraduate major in mathematics that includes a 6-hour capstone course connecting their college mathematics courses with high school mathematics.

3. Courses on fundamental ideas of school mathematics should focus on a thorough development of basic mathematical ideas. All courses designed for prospective teachers should develop careful reasoning and mathematical “common sense” in analyzing conceptual relationships and in solving problems.

4. Along with building mathematical knowledge, mathematics courses for prospective teachers should develop the habits of mind of a mathematical thinker and demonstrate flexible, interactive styles of teaching.


5. Teacher education must be recognized as an important part of mathematics departments’ missions at institutions that educate teachers. More mathematicians should consider becoming deeply involved in K-12 mathematics education.

6. The mathematical education of teachers should be seen as a partnership between mathematics faculty and mathematics education faculty.

7. There needs to be greater cooperation between two-year and four-year colleges in the mathematical education of teachers.

8. There needs to be more collaboration between mathematics faculty and school mathematics teachers.

9. Efforts to improve standards for school mathematics instruction, as well as for teacher preparation accreditation, and teacher certification, will be strengthened by the full-fledged participation of the academic mathematics community.

10. Teachers need the opportunity to develop their understanding of mathematics and its teaching throughout their careers, through both self-directed and collegial study, as well as through formal coursework.

11. Mathematics in middle grades should be taught by mathematical specialists.

PMET is based on MET Report Recommendations:


1. Faculty Development: Workshops and mini-courses will help mathematicians to be better prepared to provide high-quality mathematical education to teachers.

2. Information and Resources: Articles in professional journals, panels at meetings, multi-media web sites, and hard-copy material dissemination to support faculty instruction for teachers.

3. Regional Networks: PMET will build an infrastructure of regional networks to help initiate, support and coordinate efforts at individual institutions to improve the mathematical education of teachers.

4. Mini-grants: PMET will support efforts by mathematicians at individual institutions to improve their teacher education programs and to develop new instructional materials.

PMET Activities

There is more intellectual content in school mathematics instruction

than most realize, content that teachers need to understand well.

--- MET report


PMET Workshops

The central activity of PMET is an extensive series of workshops over four years for college and university faculty.

Workshop activities include: Connecting college mathematics content to school mathematics; Demonstration college classes by master teachers; Discussions of school standards, both state and national; Course development projects by participants; Guest lectures by experts, including learning theory researchers; Discussions of curricular materials and educational reports; and Use of technology.

PMET offers both one-week and twelve-day workshops in summers, and extended workshops(two-summer) that meet for two-weeks in two consecutive summers with intervening academicyear activities.

The workshops build on the recommendations in the 2001 CBMS MET report, the 2001 NRC report Adding It Up, Liping Ma’s 1999 book Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics, the NCTM Standards 2000, and other reports about school mathematics teaching.

PMET workshops seek foremost to change the thinking and instructional practices of participants, who would subsequently try to extend this change to others in their departments.


PMET Workshops and Mini-CoursesFor up-to-date information on current & future Workshops & Mini-courses,

check the calendar at the web site http://www.maa.org/pmet

Four Workshops were held in 2003--3 workshops for faculty preparing elementary teachers University of Nebraska, Workshop Leaders: Ruth Heaton and Jim LewisHumboldt State University, Workshop Leader: Patrick CallahanAppalachian State University, Workshop Leaders: Holly Hirst and David Royster1 workshop for faculty preparing secondary teachersSUNY Potsdam, Workshop Leader: Ed Dubinsky

Eight workshops are planned for 2004 (see next slide) and about the same number for 2005.

PMET Mini-courses seek to lay the foundation for workshop participation and to sensitize additional faculty to some of the critical problems in the mathematical education of teachers.

MathFest 2003, Boulder, Colorado: Phyllis Chinn and Jack Narayan

Preparing Mathematicians to Educate Teachers: An Introduction to MAA’s PMET Initiative

The Joint Mathematics Meetings 2004, Phoenix, Arizona: Holly Hirst and Jack Narayan

PMET-Preparing Mathematicians to Educate Teachers: Grades 7-12


PMET Workshops and Mini-CoursesFor up-to-date information on current & future Workshops & Mini-courses,

check the calendar at the web site http://www.maa.org/pmet

8 PMET workshops are scheduled for Summer 2004.

For faculty preparing future elementary teachers:1. June 13-19, at Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA. Leaders: Phyllis Chinn, Dale Oliver

(part 1 of two-summer program, this workshop will have a second session in summer 2005)

2. June 13-25, at Kent State University, Kent, OH. Leaders: Michael Battista, Olaf Stackelberg

3. July 11-17, at State University of New York-Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY. Leaders: Kathy Ivey, Alan Tucker

4. August 1-7, at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE. Leaders: Ruth Heaton, James Lewis

For faculty preparing future middle school teachers:1. May 30-June 6, at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC. Leaders: Holly Hirst, David Royster


2. June 20-27, at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH. Leaders: Thomas Hern, Barbara Moses


For faculty preparing future high school teachers:1. June 6-18, at State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY. Leaders: Jack Narayan, Steve West


2. June 21-July 2, at University of San Diego, San Diego, CA. Leaders: Magnhild Lien, Perla Myers


Information and Resource ActivitiesPMET will provide the mathematics community with information about the mathematical education of teachers by multiple means, including a website, talks, panels, articles, and course resources.

PMET is developing a web-site with information and resources about the mathematical education of teachers. This site will offer extensive guidance for getting started in various situations; for example it will provide a discussion of differing ways to teach a geometry course for teachers using available technology such as Cabri or Geometer’s Sketchpad.

PMET will organize talks and panel discussions about the mathematical education of teachers at national and regional meetings of the MAA, the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (AMATYC), the American Statistical Association (ASA), and the NCTM.Presentations will be made to national education organizations in order to coordinate PMET’s agenda with their goals.

PMET will encourage articles on ways to support school mathematics in such publications as FOCUS, the AMS Notices, and ASA’s Amstat News.

PMET Panels 2003MET Summit 2, Arlington, Virginia: Bernie MadisonASA Teacher Education Conference, University of Georgia: Alan Tucker

PMET Panels 2004MAA-AMS Joint Mathematics Meetings, Phoenix, Arizona: Alan TuckerAMTE Eighth Annual Conference, San Diego, California: Dale OliverNCTM Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Bernie Madison


Regional NetworksPMET regions are centered in California, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, and Ohio.

The regional networks have two primary functions:1) support faculty efforts either in mini-grants or growing out of participation in workshops,

and2) bring together mathematical sciences faculty interested in teacher education at different

institutions to maximize the visibility of their combined efforts and to build a critical mass of energy and enthusiasm among participants to grapple collectively with the daunting challenges of providing high-quality mathematical education for teachers.

Network activities organized and implemented by PMET regional coordinators: i. a distribution list of faculty in the state interested in the PMET initiative and

electronic discussion groups among these faculty on various topics such as courses for future elementary school mathematics or use of technology in school mathematics;

ii. a mini-conference each spring for PMET mini-grant directors, summer workshop participants, and other members of each region’s network; mini-grant directors will hold poster sessions about their projects;

iii. at MAA section meetings in the region, there will be a PMET talk, poster session, or other presentation of PMET activities;

iv. a periodic regional newsletter highlighting notable PMET efforts in the region;v. promote articulation between 2-year and 4-year institutions in the region and

cooperation with other organizations in the region.


PMET Mini-grantsThe PMET project will award mini-grants of $2,000 to $5,000 each year to faculty to support their efforts to improve the mathematical education of teachers at their institutions.

Mini-grants support projects in educational innovation that change instruction and curriculumin particular courses taken by future teachers with the goal of having these changesimplemented by all faculty in a department.

Each Mini-grant project must have three components: I. Creating new mathematics courses, or reworking existing courses, in which future teachers are a

major cohort (at least 40% of the enrollment);II. Organizing activities to make other faculty in the mathematics department more concerned about

teacher education as an educational priority of the department and more knowledgeable about the particular mathematical needs of future teachers; and

III. Networking with other mini-grant leaders to share experiences and, more generally, to create the critical mass of concerned faculty needed to sustain participants’ enthusiasm for many years.

For more information about PMET and Mini-grant requirements: Check the web site http://www.maa.org/pmet

All mathematicians should be concerned about teacher education, and all have a role to play in the mathematical education of teachers.

--- MET report

the mathematical association of america web site: national science foundation pmet: to strengthen...

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