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What is I2T2 about?
The New York State Curriculum Standards denote a change both in content and in pedagogy. Mathematics teaching is all too commonly perceived as an activity of students presented with rules without reasons followed by numerous hours spent on rote drill. The new Standards do not simply represent new content, but also a goal to have all students become problem solvers, thinkers and to see the relationship of mathematics to science, technology and the world around them. This requires a change in the learning of mathematics from a passive role of the student as the receiver of knowledge to an active role of the student in constructing new knowledge through situations where they are engaging in inquiry and solving problems.
Recent studies show that it is a myth that students must learn all
of
the basics before they can be problem solvers. The fact is
that students become better problem solvers when the material is taught
in the context of inquiry where the classroom activity centers on
students solving problems. The TIMSS report shows that this is a
characteristic of Japanese and European education that differs from the
typical activity in the classroom in the United States. The problem is,
however, that many of our teachers have never experienced this
pedagogy, nor do they know how to put it into practice in
their own classrooms.
Consequently, the focus of this project will be to create learning situations that utilize graphing calculators, computers and models as a source of tools for posing and solving problems. These problem situations will teach children the content of the new Standards in a way that will foster students who should test better on the new Regents exams. More importantly, they will be better prepared for the 21st century.
Involving students in Inquiry-based activities using a variety of Technologies and other Tools (The I2 T2 Project) seeks to establish a network of teachers in Buffalo and Niagara Falls who are knowledgeable in teaching mathematics in a constructive mode and who utilize: graphing calculators, data collection devices, computers and manipulatives. These teachers will serve as role models for the preservice teachers in the Buffalo State College Mathematics Education Program and as mentors for novice teachers in their school districts. Our specific goals for the project are as follows: