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THE PROJECT |
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Math Magic (A TEACH Grant Project) along with the principles and standards for school mathematics will help teachers strive for continual improvement of math education. This project will be providing professional development opportunities to teachers in the use of math resources and educational technologies. The project will involve utilizing many different math activities and instructional delivery styles to best meet the learning needs of students. Some lessons will be videotaped, using high-end video equipment. The video will be edited and compressed on a computer. The video will then be saved on school servers and will be available to other middle school math teachers in Beloit and Janesville. Teachers will be able to view the video episodes to see non-traditional teaching methods and technology integration in the mathematics curriculum. Eventually, the video episodes will be used during professional development as well as serve as a base for the content of a graduate course offered to Janesville and Beloit math teachers. This multimedia approach will incorporate standards-based content and effective teaching techniques with cutting edge presentation and delivery instruments.
Project Goals
Math Magic (A TEACH Grant Project) is the result of a $500,000 TEACH grant awarded to the School Districts of Beloit and Janesville. The goals of the grant are to (1) improve student achievement in math, (2) develop coordinated technical support, (3) improve communication systems among partners, and (4) improve patron access to informational resources and the use of educational technology. The last goal targets the Rock County Public Library System. The main focus for the School Districts of Beloit and Janesville will be to increase effective teaching strategies and methods and to improve student achievement in math.
A Total Package
Math Magic (A TEACH Grant Project) will grow into a professional development web site containing effective teaching tools including:
- Video episodes of middle school mathematic teachers modeling math standards
- Lesson plan development
- A growing collection of modeled lessons/units covering critical mathematical concepts
- A collection of math activities and resources
- Training and support of the use and intergration of educational technologies
- Modeling of non-traditional teaching strategies in math
- Lessons that integrate the use of technology in the math curriculum
- Assessment and feedback
Math Magic (A TEACH Grant Project) is Easy to Use!
Math Magic (A TEACH Grant Project) is designed for middle school math teachers in the School Districts of Beloit and Janesville. The project's web site and video episodes can be accessed by any computer with Internet access within the school district network (Intranet) of either Beloit or Janesville. There is a computer (server) located at each of the five middle schools that stores the video episodes. The viewing quality of the "streaming movies" are high quality with little or no interuption to the performance. The project provides anytime access to professional development for the middle school math teacher. This unique approach to understanding and implementing math standards should improve teaching methods and strategies as well as raise math achievement scores of the students at the middle school level.