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Vol. LXI, No. 39
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
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Vol. LXI, No. 39
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
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Experts across the country agree. The nation’s report card for math and science ‘needs improvement.’
New Jersey is tackling the challenge by channelling $4 million of federal funding from the No Child Left Behind Act into professional development grants formath and science teachers.
In a move to enhance teacher skills in math, science, and technology, the state is partnering with six institutions of higher learning, including Montclair State University, Stockton College, and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, to hone the skills of some 350 third through eighth grade teachers in the hope of improving student achievement in these subjects.
“The evidence is clearthat young people who — are proficient in mathematics and science are in greater demand than ever,” said Commissioner of Education Lucille E.Davy. “Their future success as well as their contribution to the success of New Jersey’s economy will be largely dependent on how much they learn, and how well they are taught.”
According to Bonnie Gendaszek, who teachesmath at the John Witherspoon Middle School, a crucial element ineducating middle schoolstudents is early preparation in mathematics at the elementary level. “Middle school students often arrive with a dislike of math or the belief that it’s something they can’t do,” commented Ms. Gendaszek. “It’s not easy to reverse these attitudes when middle school students are taught in 45 minute classes with an enrollment of 25 to 30.
“Certainly, training goodmathematicians is important for the well-being of our country, but I think mathematicians develop in spite of their early training. An equally important goal for us is to increase mathematics-literacy in the general population and to do this we must first find and train elementary teachers who love mathematics.
“Students who arrive in middle school disliking math have significant deficiencies in their knowledge and skill level. To remedy this, I believe middle school mathematics classes should have enrollments no larger than 20-22 students and that students who arrive ‘unmotivated’ must have time to work with their teacher in small groups outside of class built into their schedules.”
But even with the smaller class sizes that private schools offer, teaching math and science to adolescents brings special challenges.
Only Connect
Tackling this challenge has led the Hun School to rethink its curriculum. The school recently sent three of its math teachers to Michigan State University to study the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP2) developed there. Teachers Richard Howson, Kathryn Tirrell, and Stephanie Peters spent a week with three of the program’s original developers.
As its name suggests, the emphasis is on understanding the connections between mathematical ideas and their involvement in other disciplines. It offers new strategies for teaching problem-solving mathematics. “This curriculum takes students past simple computation to the analysis and application that prepare them more aggressively for upper level math,” said Pat McKenna, head of the Hun middle school.
Instead of lectures introducing abstract mathematical concepts, students at Hun will use the concepts in problem situations. Team leader Mr. Howson believes that the use of realistic problem scenarios is a key element of the program’s success. “Our objective is to give students the ability to use mathematical tools, resources, procedures, knowledge, and ways of thinking to make sense of new situations,” he said.
“Studies tell us that countries that lead in mathematical education take this type of curricular approach. Constructivism encourages more abstract thinking for the students and the teacher. It is exciting for us as teachers because there is more of an opportunity to be creative,” he said. Because there are often more ways than one of solving a problem, this approach allows for greater creativity on the part of students. And increased room for creativity helps with student motivation.
Making It Relevant
In Mr. Howson’s algebra class, for example, students learn to describe relationships between two observable quantities by performing experiments using paper bridges. They collect data relating bridge length and weight in order to make predictions about bridge performance. “The recent bridge failure in Minneapolis provided the basis for discussions about how bridges are designed, built, and maintained,” said Mr. Howson. Real-life situations such as how market researchers project demand for products or how stock analysts use historical data to predict future results also present scenarios for middle schoolers to study.
“Middle school students are naturally curious and active,” said Patricia McKenna, head of the Hun Middle School. “[This] program enables us to fully take advantage of these attributes … pushing students to synthesize and apply what they are learning to realistic situations. It reflects our approach throughout the middle school curriculum, which is to meet the unique needs of adolescent learners. Our hope is to not only help students to recognize and integrate math concepts into their daily lives, but to also inspire future mathematicians and scientists.”
At the Waldorf School, Elan Leibner has been using a hands-on approach integrating math and science with other disciplines for two decades. The master teacher recently presented his 7th grade class with an exercise in art history that incorporated the science of chemistry. Conor Jones, now an 8th grader at the school, was among the students who helped build an in-ground oven that burned for days to produce powdered lime. “They used the lime to create their own frescoes,” said Conor’s mother Mary Hirsch. “Just as in Michaelangelo’s day, the students learned all the chemistry they needed, as well as how it was applied to art centuries ago. That’s a chemistry lesson they will never forget.”
“The entry into adolescence entails significant changes in the capacities of the students in the middle school years,” said Mr. Leibner. “New questions are both arising within them and can be posed to them. A properly structured and presented science curriculum can help guide their thinking towards clarity.”
Mr. Leibner will talk about the specific challenges of teaching adolescents on Thursday, October 11. His presentation, which is free and open to the public, is titled “Teaching Science and Math in the Middle School Years: Supporting the Healthy Development of Adolescents.” It will take place in the community room, Waldorf School, 1062 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton.
Help For Parents
The Connected Math Project Web site, http://connectedmath.msu.edu, not only provides help and tips for teachers and students, parents will also find tips on ways to help their child with homework as well as read about the research and development of the curriculum.
In addition, numerous other sites offer inspiration, support and guidance for teachers. One such site, http://www.goenc.com/, has been recognized as one of the best for both math and science K-12 educators. According to District Administration, the Magazine for K-12 Education Leaders, goENC.com is one of 8 recommended math sites, and one of 9 recommended science sites.
For more information about the NJDOE grant program, visit: http://www.ed-msp.net.