NMSSI in Auburn: For Middle-Level Teachers

NMSSI's Geometry for Geometry Teachers
NMSSI's Geometry for Geometry Teachers

NMSSI in Auburn: Course for Middle-Level 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.

In Summer 2012, MATH 802T: Functions, Algebra and Geometry (Class # 3381) will be offered in Auburn at ESU 4 from June 11-15, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. This section will be designed for an audience of teachers in grades 7-10, with a secondary audience of grades 6-11. This course is designed to help teachers gain a deep understanding of the concept of function and the algebra and geometry concepts taught in the middle-level curriculum. Studying this content at a deeper level will help teachers better prepare their students for the NeSA-M. Participants also will study measurement with an emphasis on length, area and volume.

Since first being offered in Summer 2005, more than 200 Nebraska teachers have taken MATH 802T. Crystal Simpson, a 2010 Math in the Middle graduate, said, “The best way to describe this course is to compare it to a roller-coaster ride – thrilling, refreshing and mind-blowing all at once. This class went into detail about theorems so that I could understand why these theorems existed in the first place and learn the importance of the theorems. These courses are right on time for teachers with the new state assessment.”

Dr. Janice Rech from the University of Nebraska at Omaha will be teaching the Auburn course. Here are what teachers who took the class in Summer 2011 had to say about Dr. Rech’s instruction:

“Lead instructor (Dr. Rech) was great. She was very helpful with comments on my assignments, which helped me to improve the quality of my work.”

“I thought this would be just a ‘refresher’ for me, but I was wrong. The course made me think about mathematics and my teaching of mathematics in a new light. This course provided me with many tools for my ‘teacher toolbox’ that I cannot wait to implement in my classroom.”

“I plan on incorporating the habits of mind problems quarterly into my curriculum.”

Visit our website http://scimath.unl.edu/nmssi for other courses offered this summer as well as steps on how to enroll 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 16, 2012 - Submit an Item