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Education 1)  Models for the Education of Future School Teachers

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ANDREW ADLER, Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver British Columbia
A course on making and presenting problems

For several years UBC faculty and students have been giving mathematics problems workshops in the schools. For the past two years there has been a course based on the workshop program. We describe this course and the problems it has generated.

BRADD HART AND ERIC MULLER, Fields and Brock
To be announced

KATHY HEINRICH, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan  S4S 0A2
But the students won't know I hate math

This statement was made to me several years ago by a student in ``Mathematics for ELementary Teachers'', when I asked her what impact she thought her feelings about math would have on her students. On the positive side, she didn't want her students to feel as she did about math. But how would this be possible unless she and the rest of my students could overcome their fear and hatred and, dare I say it, come to find some enjoyment in mathematics.

I last taught the class in the Fall of 1998 and in this presentation will talk about the students, their backgrounds, the course and the activities we undertook to try to see math as more than calculations and algebra, to understand what mathematics might encompass, to learn new ideas and to find some enjoyment in the material-and failing that at least make some peace with the subject.

DAVID HENDERSON, Cornell University, Malott Hall, Ithaca, New York  14853-4201, USA
Teachers as mathematicians-mathematicians as teachers

In my presentation I will stress that teachers must experience being creative mathematicians and that university mathematicians should assist teachers to gain this experience. I will also stress that teachers and university mathematicians can learn from each other both about teaching and about mathematics. I will give as many examples as I have time for.

BERNARD HODGSON, Département de mathematiques, Université Laval, Québec  G1K 7P4
Specific mathematics courses in teacher education: some examples for prospective primary and secondary teachers

I have been involved over the years in various mathematics courses offered by my department to prospective teachers. Future primary school teachers must take at Université Laval two mathematics courses specific to them; it must be stressed here that it is rather unusual (at least in Québec) to have these students take mathematics courses-given by mathematicians! In the case of secondary school teachers, some of their mathematics courses are common to other groups (vg mathematics majors or engineers) while a substantial number of courses (six at the moment at Université Laval) have been built specifically for them. Many of these courses were recently created in the context of a reform of the preparation of secondary school teachers implemented in Québec universities in 1994.

I will discuss in my presentation some general aspects of the education of mathematics teachers in Québec. I will also give examples of the kind of topics we work with them, selected from both our courses for primary and secondary teachers.

ANDY LIU, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta  T6G 2G1
Math fair

This talk describes a Math Fair and its integration into a course for students in Elementary Education.

MIROSLAV LOVRIC, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario  L8S 4K1
``Teaching mathematics'' course at Mcmaster university-an innovative attempt at improving quality of teaching

My new course, ``Teaching Mathematics,'' is an attempt at improving the quality of instruction delivered by undergraduate teaching assistants.

A group of 22 undergraduate students was involved-they enrolled in the course and also worked as teaching assistants for a first-year calculus course.

Several students stated that ``teaching mathematics as an option for future profession'' was the reason for joining the course.

I will give background information on the project, and will discuss various issues, such as

* improvement of written and oral communications skills
* identification of elements that constitute a good teaching practice
* introduction to theoretical aspects of teaching
* practical experience
* opportunity of constant monitoring of students' work

Web page http://icarus.math.mcmaster.ca/ projects/2u3.html provides additional information.

Aware of the benefits and success of the project, we are thinking of implementing similar mechanisms in other programmes and faculties at McMaster University. Large amount of information on various aspects of the project has been obtained through an independent survey. I will give a brief report on it.

PAT ROGERS AND WALTER WHITELEY, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, York, Ontario
Some current mathematics courses for teachers

For several decades, York University has supported programs and courses in mathematics for pre-service and in-service teachers. Key items in this support currently include:

(i)  an MA in Mathematics for Teachers: a part-time, course-based program with full courses running fall-winter and summer for teachers of mathematics (who may not have mathematics degrees);

(ii)  a sequence of two half courses for future K-8 teachers (not taking mathematics as a major or minor) that focuses on the nature of mathematical enquiry and models a teaching approach that emphasizes process over product, and develops students' autonomy and communication skills through investigations;

(iii)  a fourth year course, Topics in Mathematics Education, designed to introduce majors to the key debates and curricular changes in mathematics education from a mathematician's point of view and to provides students with opportunities for critical reflection on teaching and learning mathematics;

(iv)  a full year geometry course which integrates a modern approach to geometries with a discussions of the teaching and learning of geometry, group work, hands on exploration, dynamic geometry software, and the use of visuals and writing in presenting mathematics;

(v)  a collaborative professional development programme, with the Faculty of Education and a local school board, which brings together pre-service teacher candidates and participating host teachers in a mathematics course (from ii) and their practicum placements.

We will describe our current programmes and courses as well as further plans to work with the Graduate programme in Education to support in-service teachers.

HARLEY WESTON, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Regina, Regina Saskatchewan  S4S 0A2
Mathematics every teacher should know

At the University of Regina, faculty in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Faculty of Education have worked together to design mathematics course for students in the elementary education program. One course in particular, Math 101, is required of all education students in the elementary program. In the spring of 1998 work began on implementing an online version of Math 101 and in the fall of 1999 a section of Math 101 was offered for the first time over the World Wide Web. This presentation will contain an overview the content of Math 101 and some reflections on the experience of offering it online.