PRIME Professional Development Opportunities
Summer 2007

NOTE: Credit card payments for graduate credit (and anything else on campus) are no longer accepted.

To register for these opportunities, please call Dixie at CSAC Staff Development.

Course Title: GEOMETRY & MEASUREMENT FOR THE K-12 EDUCATOR
Instructor: Ben Sayler
Target Group: K-12 Math teachers and special education staff
Available Credit: 2 BHSU graduate credits
Date: July 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 2007
Time: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Black Hills State University, Jonas 204, 1200 University St. Spearfish, SD

This course is designed for K-12 educators to deepen their understanding of geometry and measurement concepts that build from kindergarten through high school. Consistent with the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, this course emphasizes the following: characteristics of two- and three-dimensional shapes, spatial relationships and reasoning, transformations and symmetry, units, systems, and processes of measurement, and applying techniques, tools and formulas to determine measurement. Instruction revolves around rich mathematical tasks and includes explicit attention to questioning, conjectures, and justification. Participants reflect on the benefits and challenges of this kind of learning environment and consider implications for their own teaching.

Course Title: ASSESSMENT FOR SCHOOL MATHEMATICS (ED 671)
Instructor: Micheline Hickenbotham
Target Group: K-12 Math teachers and special education staff
Available Credit: 2 BHSU graduate credits
Date: July 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 2007
Time: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Location: TIE Office, Quartz Room

This class is designed for educators pursuing their K-12 Math Specialization. This course enables participants to assess what K-12 students know, what they can do, how they think mathematically, and their attitudes toward mathematics. Current assessment practices are examined and new assessment and evaluation systems are explored. Topics include the following: changing face of assessment, making sense of students’ work, relating phases of assessment and assessment purposes, making instructional decisions, and evaluating programs. Participants will use case studies to analyze students’ work.

Course Title: BEST PRACTICES IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS
Instructor: Clare Earley
Target Group: First priority will be given to Elementary Teacher Leaders and Secondary Math Coaches. Second priority will be given to Elementary and Secondary Mathematics teachers.
Available Credit: 2 BHSU Graduate credits
Date: July 30 – August 3, 2007
Time: 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Location: TIE Office, Quartz Room

During a Best Practices institute, participants investigate ways to enhance their use of higher-order thinking, hands-on learning, and other research-based “best” practices. In particular, they:

• Experience and learn research-proven methods for promoting discourse, problem solving, invention, inquiry, challenge, and achievement by all students
• Gain tools that support teachers’ intensive reflection about their students’ learning as a basis for instructional planning
• Sharpen their critical eye for instructional practices, tasks, and materials that foster student understanding, invention, and sense-making
• Learn to implement and enhance mathematics lessons and tasks to assure high-cognitive student engagement
• Design a personal action plan for refining their mathematics teaching practices to better align with the NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics

Course Title:  Teaching with Algebra Connections and Geometry Connections
Instructors: Sharon Rendon and Julie Jackson
Target Group: Secondary Mathematics Teachers
Available Credit(s):   1 University of Sioux Falls Graduate Credit or 1 Certification Renewal Credit
Date:   August 23, 24, and 25, 2007
Time:  8 AM – 3:30 PM
Location: TIE Office (Rapid City)

This course is designed for 7-12 math educators to deepen their understanding of inquiry-based mathematics, specifically using College Preparatory Math (CPM) materials. This class will improve the teacher’s knowledge of best practices in teaching mathematics and will enhance their ability to provide learning opportunities that foster deeper mathematical understanding for their students. This course emphasizes the following:  study team strategies, classroom management strategies specific to inquiry-based instruction, CPM research-based philosophy, and an introduction to alternative forms of assessment.  Participants will become familiar with the student edition and teacher edition of CPM Algebra Connections and Geometry Connections materials, and will have the opportunity to work through problems in the student text.

Course Title:  Teaching with Foundations for Algebra I (FFA)
Instructors:  Joel Albright and Carol Jancsi
Target Group: Middle School Mathematics Teachers
Available Credit(s):    1 University of Sioux Falls Graduate Credit or 1 Certification Renewal Credit
Date:   August 23, 24, and 25, 2007
Time:  8 AM – 3:30 PM
Location: TIE Office (Rapid City)

This class is designed for those middle school mathematics teachers that intend to teach from Foundations For Algebra (FFA)  published by College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM).  This class will improve the teacher’s knowledge of best practices in teaching mathematics and will enhance their ability to provide learning opportunities that foster deeper mathematical understanding for their students.  Teachers enrolled in this course will receive in-depth training in the use of Foundations For Algebra  as well as a deepened understanding of how algebraic thinking can be developed in middle school students.  Some topics that will be emphasized include the use of effective study team strategies, classroom management strategies for the inquiry-based classroom, and an introduction to alternative forms of assessment.