NMSSI: Graduate Courses for High School Teachers

MATH 812T: Geometry for Geometry Teachers
MATH 812T: Geometry for Geometry Teachers

NMSSI: Graduate Courses for High School Teachers

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 Nebraska Math and Science Summer Institutes (NMSSI) offer graduate mathematics and pedagogy courses using a teacher-friendly delivery model that help teachers respond to this challenge.

Two courses, 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 noted 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.

The main goals of MATH 812T are to strengthen mathematical background for teaching geometry. The course will focus on fundamental concepts of Euclidean geometry, with explorations of non-Euclidean geometry for contrast, making extensive use of manipulatives and the dynamic geometry software GeoGebra.

TEAC 892 focuses on current research and practices of teaching, learning and assessing geometry from multiple perspectives. Teachers will be challenged to understand geometry at a deeper level and become more effective through improved lesson design, reflection, and collaboration.

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

"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."

Another course offered in Omaha for secondary teachers is MATH 808T: Concepts of Calculus (see additional story below).

Visit our website http://scimath.unl.edu/nmssi for steps on how to enroll in these courses and apply for tuition assistance.

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Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education

More details at: http://go.unl.edu/ran
 
Originally published April 13, 2012 - Submit an Item