MENTORS: Mathematical Engineering Networking with Teachers of Real Science

Investigator(s):

Loren Zachary (PI) ; John Obrycki (Co-PI) ; William Rudolph (Co-PI) ; Janet Sharp (Co-PI)

Sponsor:

Iowa State University, IA 50011 5152945225

Start Date/Expiration Date

1999-08-15 to 2002-07-31 (amended 2000-08-14)

Awarded Amount to Date:

$907,554

Abstract: The target population for this project is undergraduate students at Iowa State University pursuing a degree leading to a teaching license (K-6 or 7-12) with an emphasis in either mathematics or one of the sciences. As teachers, these students in the teacher preparation program will one-day teach as they have been taught. The problem to be addressed with this project is based on typical college students' experiences in their study of mathematics and science content. Typically, these courses are delivered in large-lecture courses, designed to meet the needs of any liberal arts student, and without appropriate application opportunities to the teacher education discipline (K-12 classrooms). The objectives of this project include (1) providing courses delivered with appropriate teaching strategies (2) developing new undergraduate courses in engineering, entomology, and botany with a focus on school classrooms (3) modifying existing education courses to reflect the students' experiences in these new courses and (4) establishing learning communities of undergraduate students to provide both an academic and a social support system. Other goals supporting these objectives include (5) developing meaningful faculty collaborations across departments and colleges, (6) supporting master teachers from K-12 classrooms in which the collegiate learning can be applied, (7) assigning a different faculty mentor from a K-12 classroom and the university campus to each of the learning communities in an effort to provide guidance and support to the undergraduate students and (8) developing graduate courses to provide continuing education of Iowa's teachers. The practicing teachers, who choose to be mentors, collaborate with the ISU faculty member to guide the undergraduate students through their practicum experience. Groups of three to four undergraduate students complete all pre-student teaching experiences with several of the teachers at the school associated with their school mentor.

NSF Org:

DUE - Division of Undergraduate Education

Award Number:

9876706

Award Instrument:

Continuing grant

Program Manager:

Joan T Prival
DUE Division of Undergraduate Education
EHR Directorate for Education & Human Resources

NSF Program(s):

TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM

Field Application(s):

Program Reference Code(s):

ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY EDUCATION, 9177
NSF COLLABS FOR EXCELL IN TEACHER PREPAR, 9103

Program Element Code(s):

7348