Mathematics Enhancement for Teachers of American Indians

该项目的主要目标是提高美国印第安人青年可获得的数学和工程教育的质量。该项目提出了一个示范计划，包括一个教师研讨会，与为6至8年级的中学生举办的夏令营同时举行。学生夏令营将由非国家科学基金会基金资助，即由美国印第安人科学与工程学会(AISS)资助。计划在1989年和1990年夏季在科罗拉多矿业学校参加25名数学教师的讲习班。这些工作坊的重点是数学和计算机应用以及教学技能的提高。讲习班产生的将是一种有形的产品，其形式是数学工具包，将在学校中使用，并帮助转让知识和技能。该工具包将包括与文化相关的、具有数学挑战性的教案、操作、计算机软件技术和评论。在培训期间，教师和学生将从建设性的互动和动手练习中受益。将于1988年夏天进行的一个原型项目的资金已经由克雷研究公司提供。作为讲习班经验的产物，学员将成为能够帮助他们所在地区的其他教师的大师。通过这一机制，可能会有数百名教师和数千名学生受到该项目的影响。参与者的选择过程是基于学院和AISS的合作工作。后者将使用现有的邮件列表向美国印第安人学校宣传研讨会，以提醒学校和社区人口。AISS用来评判申请的标准包括：需要的证据、在美国印第安人学校任教的承诺、为确保应用讲习班培训而提供的行政支持，以及教师愿意采用创新的方法进行数学教学。将有一个由教育工作者和科学和工程专业人员组成的教育遴选委员会，该委员会将从申请者中挑选参与者。在工作坊期间，教师的体验重点是教学技巧、数学内容和计算机内容。将利用发现学习过程来邀请教师更充分地参与他们可能有缺陷的学术科目。数学的重点是利用空间可视化和图解模型发展代数和几何思维。计算机课程包括读写能力以及使用BASIC和LOGO语言的编程技术。工作人员似乎对学术和教学主题有很好的了解，并有与目标人群合作的经验。一笔相当于NSF申请的61%的费用由大学、公立和私立机构分担。

The main goals of the project are to improve the quality of mathematics and engineering education available to American Indian youth. The project proposes a model program consisting of a teacher workshop to be held concurrently with a camp for students at the middle school level, grades 6 through 8. The camp for students is to be funded from non National Science foundation funds, namely from AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society.) It is planned that 25 mathematics teachers attend workshops during the summers 1989 and 1990 at the Colorado School of Mines. The workshops emphasize mathematics and computer applications and improvement of teaching skills. Arising out of the workshop would be a tangible product in the form of a math kit which would be used in the schools and aid in transfer of knowledge and skills. The kit is to include culturally relevant, mathematically challenging lesson plans, manipulatives, computer software techniques, and reviews. Teachers and students are to benefit from constructive interaction and hands-on exercises during the training period. Funding for a prototype project to be conducted during the summer 1988 has already been funded by Cray Research, Incorporated. It is intended that the participants would become master teachers, as a product of the workshop experiences, who would be capable of helping other teachers in their districts. Through this mechanism, potentially hundreds of teachers and thousands of students should be impacted by the project. The process of participant selection is based on cooperative work by the College and AISES. The latter will advertise the workshop to American Indian schools using an existing mailing list to alert the school and community populations. Criteria used by AISES to judge applications includes evidence of need, commitment to teaching in an American Indian school, administrative support to ensure application of workshop training, and the teacher's willingness to adopt innovative approaches to the teaching of mathematics. There is to be an education selection committee comprised of educators and professionals in science and engineering which will select the participants from among the applicants. The emphasis during the workshop experiences for teachers is on teaching techniques, mathematics content, and computer content. A discovery learning process is to be utilized to invite teachers to more fully engage the academic subjects on which they may have deficiencies. The mathematics emphasis is on the development of algebraic and geometric thought utilizing spatial visualization and diagrammatic models. The computer classes involve literacy as well as programming techniques using the BASIC and Logo languages. The staff seems to have excellent knowledge of the academic and didactical topics as well as experiences in working with the target populations. An amount equivalent to 61% of the NSF request has been cost shared by the university, public and private institutions.