Teaching Mathematics and its Applications (TeachMap)

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This award is drawing upon the experience of the Consortium gained from its production of a two-semester developmental mathematics program, Developmental Mathematics and its Applications (DevMap), that offers an alternative approach to the traditional elementary and intermediate algebra courses typically offered at two-year and four-year colleges. In producing materials for the DevMap curriculum, the theme that mathematics is central to most advanced technological fields was incorporated. Applications and modeling problems from an array of industries and technical areas including engineering, biology, biochemistry, environmental science, precision agriculture, and GPS were developed. DevMap problems are authentic and current, are often open-ended and without unique solutions, and are true representations of what students will encounter in the workplace. Successful implementation of the DevMap curriculum and materials will be largely dependent on the ability of teachers to work with authentic but often unfamiliar applications of mathematics. Additionally, it will be extremely beneficial for instructors to develop additional applications tailored to meet the interests of their own students and the needs of the local employers. Thus, TeachMap is now addressing the need to provide teachers with the experience necessary to adapt the DevMap curriculum into their classrooms. This award creates a professional development program for teachers of mathematics in ATE and ATE-type programs that is preparing them to meet two challenges:1. how to use ATE-type applications to enhance student learning; and2. how to develop ATE-type applications that are responsive to the interests of the students and the needs of the local employers. Through participation in the TeachMap program, instructors are learning how to:- use open-ended, authentic applications in developmental mathematics classes;- locate sources of new problems suitable for students in particular ATE programs;- identify resources (including the WWW) that might provide data and specific problem settings;- create new problems that are open-ended and, in some cases, that require student research;- access and use appropriate technologies including geometric utility programs, spreadsheets, and virtual laboratories;- construct learning environments appropriate to the problems being modeled by using short- and long-term group activities and project-based assessments.