Seaborg
Center
Receives Grant
The
Glenn T. Seaborg Center for Teaching and Learning Science and Mathematics
at NMU is one of five Upper Peninsula centers that will share in
a two-year, $1 million Math-Science Partnership grant from the state.
The
purpose of the program is to create a professional development model
that will lead to improved student achievement in mathematics. The
model will address the critical need for teachers to have time to
work in collaboration, to focus on data-identified content needs
in mathematics, and to examine instructional practices.
The
grant will be used to create Mathematics Learning Communities that
focus on offering professional development in mathematics for middle
school and high school teachers. The training will be comprised
of content-specific workshops, university courses and summer institutes
– all focusing on math strands identified as weak by MEAP data analysis
for the participating schools. University classes specifically selected
for this project will also be offered via distance learning to all
five center sites during the school year.
Teachers
involved in the program will become part of a Mathematics Learning
Community, participate in the Survey of Enacted Curriculum project,
and become knowledgeable in the lesson study process. They will
also learn to use appropriate data to create school improvement
goals that focus on student achievement in mathematics.
Professional
development for the grant will be provided by the mathematics and
computer science department at NMU, along with engineering and technology
faculty from Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State University .
The
other centers sharing in the grant are the Dickinson-Iron-Menominee
Mathematics, Science and Technology Center; the Eastern U.P. Math
Science Center; the Northwoods Mathematics, Science and Technology
Center (Delta-Schoolcraft ISD); and the Western Upper Peninsula
Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education.
The
directors of the five centers will meet on Aug. 31 at the Seaborg
Center to begin planning the activities for the year.
|