THE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION CENTER at George Mason ...
THE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION CENTER at George Mason ...
THE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION CENTER at George Mason ...
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<strong>THE</strong> MA<strong>THE</strong>MATICS <strong>EDUCATION</strong> <strong>CENTER</strong><br />
<strong>at</strong> <strong>George</strong> <strong>Mason</strong> University<br />
http://gse.gmu.edu/centers/cscvm/main.html<br />
<strong>CENTER</strong> NEWS<br />
SPRING 2005<br />
$14.7 Million NSF Funding to MEC and<br />
Partners for the M<strong>at</strong>h Science Partnership<br />
Program Evalu<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
P<strong>at</strong>ricia Moyer-Packenham, Director of the<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion Center, along with<br />
colleagues Dr. Robert K. Yin (Lead-PI, Cosmos<br />
Corp.), Dr. Kenneth Wong (Co-PI, Vanderbilt),<br />
and Dr. Jennifer Scherer (Co-PI, Cosmos)<br />
received a $14.7 million dollar 5-year contract<br />
award to conduct the M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics and Science<br />
Partnership Program Evalu<strong>at</strong>ion (MSP-PE). The<br />
goal of the MSP-PE is to evalu<strong>at</strong>e the MSP<br />
program in its entirety. Colleagues in the project<br />
are currently designing a variety of substudies<br />
for program assessment. The evalu<strong>at</strong>ion will<br />
assess the MSP program’s impact as well as its<br />
contribution in advancing knowledge about<br />
m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics and science educ<strong>at</strong>ion. GMU<br />
faculty particip<strong>at</strong>ing in the project include<br />
P<strong>at</strong>ricia Moyer-Packenham, Margret<br />
Hjalmarson, Johnna Bolyard, Eamonn Kelly,<br />
Dimiter Dimitrov, K<strong>at</strong>hleen Alligood, Klaus<br />
Fischer, Tom Nuttall, Bob Sachs, Maria<br />
Dworzecka, and Harold Geller.<br />
New M<strong>at</strong>h Specialist K-8 Masters Degree<br />
Concentr<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
The M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion Leadership<br />
programs in the College of Educ<strong>at</strong>ion and<br />
Human Development are pleased to announce a<br />
new M<strong>at</strong>h Specialist K-8 Masters Degree<br />
program concentr<strong>at</strong>ion. This concentr<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
combines m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics content in the<br />
Department of M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ical Sciences with<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion Leadership coursework.<br />
Students prepare to assume positions of<br />
leadership in school m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics. For more<br />
inform<strong>at</strong>ion about the program, contact the<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion Center (703-993-4789).<br />
Applic<strong>at</strong>ions are available online <strong>at</strong>:<br />
http://admissions.gmu.edu/onapps.asp<br />
Cultural Exchange: Pakistani Educ<strong>at</strong>ors<br />
Particip<strong>at</strong>e in GMU M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
Programs<br />
During fall semester 2004 and summer<br />
semester 2005, two groups of 25 Pakistani<br />
Educ<strong>at</strong>ors are <strong>at</strong>tending <strong>Mason</strong> classes and<br />
particip<strong>at</strong>ing in M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
Leadership coursework as part of the Pakistan<br />
Teacher Educ<strong>at</strong>ion and Professional<br />
Development Program. The goals of this<br />
program include coursework in m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics<br />
educ<strong>at</strong>ion, leadership and professional<br />
development, university linkages, and crosscultural<br />
exchange. The program is funded<br />
through the Academy for Intern<strong>at</strong>ional<br />
Development with Jack Levy as PI of the project<br />
and P<strong>at</strong>ricia Moyer-Packenham as coordin<strong>at</strong>or<br />
of the m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics educ<strong>at</strong>ion programs.<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics educ<strong>at</strong>ors serving as instructors for<br />
the coursework include P<strong>at</strong>ricia Robertson,<br />
Johnna Bolyard, and John Staley. All three<br />
instructors are current or former MEL PhD<br />
students <strong>at</strong> GMU.<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion Center Welcomes<br />
New Colleague<br />
In January 2005, MEC welcomed Johnna<br />
Bolyard to the Center. Johnna joins MEC as a<br />
research faculty member and the Project<br />
Manager of the M<strong>at</strong>h Science Partnership
Program Evalu<strong>at</strong>ion. She comes to MEC from<br />
the Loudoun County Public School System<br />
where she served as a classroom teacher and a<br />
Senior M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Specialist during her 7<br />
years in the system. WELCOME Johnna!<br />
Award Winning M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
Leadership Students<br />
CONGRATULATIONS to Jennifer M. Suh –<br />
recipient of the 2005 Gradu<strong>at</strong>e School of<br />
Educ<strong>at</strong>ion PhD Award.<br />
CONGRATULATIONS to Johnna J. Bolyard,<br />
Vanessa Finneman, and Gwenanne Salkind –<br />
recipients of 2004-2005 Doctoral Student<br />
Fellowship Awards!<br />
CONGRATULATIONS to Wendy Schudmak –<br />
recipient of the 2004-05 CEHD MEL Master’s<br />
Degree Student $500 Fellowship Award!<br />
An important goal of the Center is to support<br />
students enrolled in the M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
Leadership programs through the Center's<br />
externally funded research and other CEHD<br />
funding opportunities. Funding has supported<br />
MEL students in a variety of ways. These<br />
resources enable students to engage in<br />
professional activities th<strong>at</strong> support their<br />
development in m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics educ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
leadership.<br />
MEC Center Director & Assistant Director<br />
Present <strong>at</strong> AERA 2005<br />
The annual AERA 2005 Conference was held<br />
April 11-15, 2005, in Montreal, Canada. MEC<br />
Directors presented the following sessions:<br />
• Me, M<strong>at</strong>h, and My Future: The<br />
Rel<strong>at</strong>ionships Between Students’ Future<br />
Goals, Self-Efficacy, and Achievement<br />
(J. Husman & P. S. Moyer-Packenham).<br />
• Wh<strong>at</strong> is Learned About Engineering<br />
Students’ M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ical Modeling (M.<br />
Hjalmarson)<br />
• Teacher as Tool Designer: Practical<br />
Tool Design as a View into Practice (M.<br />
Hjalmarson)<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion Leadership Program<br />
Welcomes New Cohorts<br />
The M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion Leadership<br />
Program is pleased to welcome two new cohorts<br />
of students to the Ph.D. and M.Ed. programs.<br />
This group began study during the fall 2004<br />
semester. MEL students will have opportunities<br />
to collabor<strong>at</strong>e on research projects, write for<br />
public<strong>at</strong>ion, and develop and deliver n<strong>at</strong>ional<br />
and intern<strong>at</strong>ional conference present<strong>at</strong>ions<br />
during their study in the program. The cohort is<br />
made up of individuals with a variety of strengths<br />
and experiences in m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics educ<strong>at</strong>ion and<br />
leadership. WELCOME students!<br />
For more inform<strong>at</strong>ion about the MEL programs,<br />
students can visit the CEHD/GSE website or<br />
contact MEL Program Coordin<strong>at</strong>or, P<strong>at</strong>ricia<br />
Moyer-Packenham, pmoyer@gmu.edu or (703)<br />
993-3926.<br />
MEL Faculty and Students Present <strong>at</strong> NCTM<br />
2005<br />
The annual NCTM Conference was held April 6-<br />
9, 2005, in Anaheim, CA. Several of our own<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion Leadership faculty and<br />
students presented the following sessions:<br />
• John Staley – Visually Appealing<br />
Algebra<br />
• Taylor Martin & P<strong>at</strong>ricia Moyer-<br />
Packenham – Virtual Manipul<strong>at</strong>ives for<br />
Elementary and Preservice M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics<br />
Teaching<br />
• Allison Roberts & Tamie Lankey<br />
Dickson – Not Enough Time in the Day<br />
Make Time for M<strong>at</strong>h!<br />
Johnna Bolyard and John W. Staley<br />
presented "Manipul<strong>at</strong>ing Success in Algebra<br />
with Virtual Manipul<strong>at</strong>ives and Technology"<br />
<strong>at</strong> the NCTM Southern Regional<br />
Conference, New Orleans, LA, November<br />
2004.<br />
MEL Students and Alumni Making Positive<br />
Change in M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
During the time th<strong>at</strong> M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
Leadership students are enrolled in the program<br />
and following their gradu<strong>at</strong>ion, they make<br />
significant contributions to m<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics
educ<strong>at</strong>ion in a variety of leadership roles. Many<br />
MEL students begin the program as classroom<br />
teachers and, through their own personal<br />
initi<strong>at</strong>ive and professional development, they<br />
move into positions of leadership in school<br />
systems, universities, and other professional<br />
organiz<strong>at</strong>ions. We are proud of their leadership<br />
accomplishments listed below:<br />
• Cheryl Gray – Middle School<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Specialist, Spotsylvania<br />
County Public Schools.<br />
• Vickie Inge – Co-PI of an NSF grant<br />
providing the model for VA M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics<br />
Specialist licensure, and M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics<br />
Supervisor, Stafford County Public<br />
Schools.<br />
• Tamie Lankey – Teacher Ambassador,<br />
Teach for Virginia.<br />
• Monique Lynch, Ph.D. – NCTM Director<br />
of Professional Development and<br />
Services.<br />
• Johnna Bolyard – Research Faculty,<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion Center, <strong>George</strong><br />
<strong>Mason</strong> University.<br />
• Lorraine Smith – Elementary<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Specialist, Loudoun<br />
County Public Schools.<br />
• John Staley – Coordin<strong>at</strong>or of Secondary<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics, Baltimore County Public<br />
Schools.<br />
• Jennifer Suh, Ph.D. – Adjunct Faculty,<br />
M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion, <strong>George</strong> <strong>Mason</strong><br />
University.<br />
We congr<strong>at</strong>ul<strong>at</strong>e our students and alumni on all<br />
of their successes!<br />
understanding. The Journal of<br />
Educ<strong>at</strong>ional Research in M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics,<br />
14(2), 207-219.<br />
• Moyer, P. S., Suh, J., & Heo, H. J.<br />
(2004). The impact of virtual<br />
manipul<strong>at</strong>ives on different ability groups:<br />
An explor<strong>at</strong>ory study in four classrooms.<br />
Unpublished manuscript.<br />
• Suh, J., Moyer, P. S., & Heo, H. J. (in<br />
press). Examining technology uses in<br />
the classroom: Developing fraction<br />
sense using virtual manipul<strong>at</strong>ive concept<br />
tutorials. The Journal of Interactive<br />
Online Learning.<br />
A Productive Visit for Korean Scholar and<br />
MEC Center Director<br />
During the 2003-2004 academic year, Dr. Hae-<br />
Ja Heo, Professor of M<strong>at</strong>hem<strong>at</strong>ics Educ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
<strong>at</strong> Kwandong University, South Korea, visited<br />
and collabor<strong>at</strong>ed with American host and MEC<br />
Center Director, P<strong>at</strong>ricia Moyer-Packenham.<br />
During the visit Drs. Moyer-Packenham and Heo<br />
worked with MEL Doctoral Student, Jennifer<br />
Suh, on research th<strong>at</strong> resulted in the following<br />
public<strong>at</strong>ions on virtual manipul<strong>at</strong>ives:<br />
• Heo, H. J., Suh, J., & Moyer, P. S.<br />
(2004). Impacting student confidence:<br />
The effects of using virtual<br />
manipul<strong>at</strong>ives and increasing fraction
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