Enroll now in NMSSI courses

NMSSI MATH 896 with instructor Kyla Hall (center)
NMSSI MATH 896 with instructor Kyla Hall (center)

As a result of the NeSA-M, Nebraska's first statewide mathematics assessment, mathematics teachers at all grade levels are looking for new learning opportunities that support them in offering high quality mathematics courses to their students. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is responding to this need by expanding the Nebraska Math and Science Summer Institutes (NMSSI) to offer more graduate mathematics and pedagogy courses than ever before. In Summer 2012, NMSSI will offer 33 courses in 12 different locations.

For all NMSSI courses, Nebraska teachers automatically qualify for a fellowship equal to 20 percent of the cost of in-state tuition and the $50 fee for graduate school admission is waived.

Additional fellowships are available to make the courses even more affordable. Apply now as the demand for these fellowships may exceed our capacity to offer them.

Lunch is also provided to all teachers at all sites.

Designed with teachers' schedules in mind, a typical NMSSI course is 40 hours of instruction concentrated into a one-week period, or, teachers may take a pair of courses, each having 40 contact hours over a two-week period. Following this face-to-face instruction, some courses are completed using the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Blackboard system online and then most courses conclude with an end-of-course assignment that aids in long-term retention of the material studied. This format allows for collaboration with colleagues while protecting most of the summer for other pursuits.

Two examples of the variety offered to Nebraska teachers is provided by a pair of courses for high school teachers and a course for elementary teachers.

Two courses for secondary teachers, MATH 812T: Geometry for Geometry Teachers and TEAC 892: Integrating Geometry Teaching and Learning, will be offered in Omaha in Summer 2012 (MATH 812T Class # 7697, TEAC 892 Class # 8052) and taught by award-winning UNL mathematics faculty member Brian Harbourne and Omaha Public Schools teacher Katie Garcia, a Noyce Master Teacher. The math course meets in the mornings from 8 a.m. to noon from June 18-22 and 25-29 at Central High School, while the pedagogy course meets in the afternoons from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Here is what teachers who took the Geometry class in Summer 2011 had to say about the benefits of the course:

"The material in the course related well with what I teach. This, along with the great group of peers to work with, helped me grow in my knowledge and understanding of various types of geometries."

"It was very intellectually stimulating, one of my favorite courses that I took this summer."

"I have a greater understanding of Non-Euclidean geometries to explain and demonstrate to my students."

"The different models of hyperbolic geometry continues to expand my thinking and understanding."

"This has been the best NMSSI class I have taken."

A course for elementary teachers, MATH 896: Problem Solving and Critical Thinking in the Elementary Classroom, will be offered in three locations in Summer 2012 (Class # 3026 in Norfolk, Class # 3365 in Omaha and Class # 3029 in Lincoln). The course was designed and first taught by Kyla Hall, a fifth-grade teacher for Lincoln Public Schools, with support provided by a UNL mathematics graduate student and a faculty member. In Summer 2012, Kyla will teach the course in Omaha (June 18-22) and Lincoln (July 9-13). Kyla is a Math in the Middle graduate.

Here is what teachers who took the class in Summer 2011 had to say about the benefits of the course and Kyla's instruction:

"I am leaving with fantastic resources. I have an understanding of the math and how to implement problem solving. I think the handouts are incredibly valuable."

"Looking at the NeSA and objective cards for second and fourth grade plus standards gives me a better idea of what they already know and where I need to get them."

"Kyla knows her math inside and out!"

"This course expanded my confidence and challenged me to challenge my students at a deeper level."

"It cemented the idea I love math!"

To learn more about the variety of courses and locations for NMSSI courses go to: http://scimath.unl.edu/nmssi.

To enroll in an NMSSI course, please follow these steps (also found on our website):

Step 1: Write down the course number, title and class number from the course catalog so you have it when you are enrolling.

Step 2: If you are not a current graduate student at UNL, you will start by applying to graduate school through Teach Nebraska, at http://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/teachneb. This application form includes a space to enter in the courses you want to register for, and that process will be completed for you.

Step 3: If you are a current student, enroll online through MyRed: http://myred.unl.edu.

Step 4: Apply for a fellowship from NMSSI to further reduce the costs of tuition and fees. Click on the red Apply Now buttons on the NMSSI or CSMCE websites.

Contact Lindsay Augustyn at Laugustyn2@unl.edu or 402-472-8979 with any questions.

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Be a life-long learner through professional development resources provided by the Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education.
http://scimath.unl.edu/NMSSI

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