General Information

• Sponsorship, This conference is solely organized and operated by SSMA. The entire meeting is deliberately and systematically focused around the needs and interests of the SSMA member.
• Hotel Reservations. Call the DoubleTree direct at 630-971-2000 for room reservations. Rates are $89 single/double and $99 (triple/quad). Indicate you are attending the SSMA Conference to ensure the conference rate and so that SSMA gets credit.

Note:  Sessions are identified by a letter indicating the day of presentation (e.g., T is for Thursday), the time of the presentation, and a number indicating order within that time slot.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2001
 

T 2:30/1 Norman G. Lederman, Judith Sweeney Lederman, Rola Khishfe, and Lee Mathews
Room:  Forum A
Project ICAN:  Inquiry, Context, and Nature of Science.
This session reports the results of the first year of a teacher enhancement grant that focuses on scientific inquiry and the nature of science, two areas heavily stressed in recent science reform efforts.  Interim results suggest project efforts are successful.

T 2:30/2 Donna Berlin
Room: Forum B
Attitudes Toward the Integration of Science and Mathematics as Perceived by State Science and/or Mathematics Supervisors.
This presentation will describe the work of the School Science and Mathematics Association Task Force on Science and Mathematics Integration. The conceptual framework that guided the development of the School Science and Mathematics Integration Survey will be discussed along with the results of the analysis of the responses to the survey from state science and/or mathematics supervisors.

T 2:30/3 Hyonyong Lee and Rosanne W. Fortner
Room: Cypress
The Development of Web-based Instruction Materials: Earth Systems Approach.
This presentation will describe and demonstrate some of the web-based instructional materials developed for the Earth Systems Education Program. These materials provide secondary teachers of science and social studies with content background related to the Great Lakes and engage students in stimulating and challenging real-world investigations.

T 2:30/4 Catherine Kelly
Room: Elm
Developing Teaching Confidence: An Integrated Math and Science Workstation Approach.
This session will model a unique approach to elementary math and science methods instruction using standards-driven, inquiry-based, integrated math and science workstations.  This approach offers learners equitable, multi-modality opportunities to independently explore multi-level, hands-on, integrative materials while using relevant, real math and science skills.

T 2:30/5 Zalman Usiskin
Room: Oak/Sycamore
Some Perspectives on Today’s Curriculum Controversies.
Choosing a curriculum from the many available is not an exact science, but it is a science nevertheless. Reliance on politicized opinion rather than data is dangerous for education.
 

T 3:30/1  Jane Schielack
Room: Forum A
The Information Technology in Science Center for Teaching and Learning.
This session will provide an overview of the purpose and activities of the ITS Center at Texas A&M University, an NSF-funded Center for Teaching and Learning that brings together scientists and science educators to produce professional development specialists.

T 3:30/2 Kevin Finson
Room: Forum B
Drawing a Scientist: What We Do and Don’t Know After Fifty Years of Drawings.
This session will review the beginnings of “drawing a scientist” research and continue up to the present day.  We will take a look at
what this body of research has and has not told us thus far and what seems to lie ahead.

T 3:30/3 Peggy Moch
Room: Cypress
A 21st Century Electronic Manipulative: MathXpert.
Electronic manipulatives allow students the opportunity to explore questions instructors could not cover during the time allowed in the regular classroom.  MathXpert allows students to explore algebraic expressions both abstractly and graphically in order to gain a better understanding of the nuances of Algebra I in the high school setting.

T 3:30/4 Terri Teal Bucci
Room: Elm
Reflection via Technology:  Integrating Math, Science and Technology.
This session will focus on the growth of elementary preservice mathematics teachers through reflection on integrated lessons in mathematics and science using presentation software and digital video.  The presenter will share student projects and discuss implications of the use of technology to encourage reflective practice in preservice mathematics teaching.
 

4:30-5:30

T 4:30/1  James Elander
Room: Forum A
A Century of Geometry Texts.
Selected geometry texts from 1899 to 1999 will be compared with regard to content such as proof, sequence of topics, approaches, applications, and recommendations by professional organizations over the years.

T 4:30/2 Robert Reys and Eileen F. Donoghue
Room: Forum B
Evolution of Doctoral Programs in Mathematics Education During the 20th Century.
This session will highlight the development of doctoral programs in the United States from their initial establishment at two institutions in the early 1900s to over 100 institutions that currently award doctorates in mathematics education.

T 4:30/3 Virginia Usnick and Marilyn Sue Ford
Room: Cypress
Math and Movement.
This session will present an overview of the literature concerning the connections between motor development and mathematics achievement.  Results from a pilot study with first graders will be discussed.

T 4:30/4 John Penick
Room: Elm
A Discussion about Discussions.
An effective classroom discussion involves far more than merely asking a question and waiting for the student responses to pour in.  This presentation will focus on what we know about stimulating, maintaining, and directing student discussions in class.  And, reflecting the title, this will not be all teacher talk.
 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2001
 

F 9:15/1 Shuhua An, Gerald Kulm, and Zhonghe Wu
Room: Forum A
Global Perspectives in Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge:  A Comparative Study between the U.S. and China.
This study compared the pedagogical content knowledge of mathematics teachers in American and Chinese middle schools.  Specifically, the study examined teachers’ beliefs, planning for instruction, teaching methods, and knowledge of learners’ cognition.  Results suggest pedagogical content knowledge in the two countries differs markedly.  These differences have deep impacts on teaching practices.

F 9:15/2 Donald Pratt
Room: Forum B
100 Year Analysis of the School Science and Mathematics Journal.
The author is the editor responsible for publishing the SSMA CD being released at the conference.  The work contains the entire 100 years of publishing of the School Science and Mathematics Journal, 1901-2000. The author will present trends and statistics that reveal trends within and across various time periods.

F 9:15/3 Jane Jamsen
Room: Forum C1
Number Sense:  What Is It and How Do We Help Students Develop It?
Participants will have an opportunity to share and explore activities and problems that can contribute to students’ understanding and use of numbers and operations.

F 9:15/4 Sue Brown
Room: Forum C2
The Effects of Questioning and Answering Techniques in Cooperative Groups.
This session reports on a study initiated to determine whether the methods of asking questions in a cooperative group environment affect the achievement of middle-school mathematics.  In the experimental class, questioning and answering techniques were explained and students were encouraged to use them within their groups.  Students in the control group also worked in groups, but were not formally exposed to questioning and answering techniques.

F 9:15/5 Cengiz Alacaci
Room: Forum C3
Using Cases of Teaching Mathematics in Preservice Mathematics Teacher Education.
A review of literature on using cases in mathematics teacher education and available resources are first discussed. Then the results of a teaching experiment on using cases as pedagogical tools are presented. The paper is concluded with a discussion of advantages and challenges faced while using case-based teacher education materials.

F 9:15/6 Thomas Cooney
Room: Willow
Teachers’ Use and Students’ Responses to Open-Ended Mathematics Questions.
The session will reflect on a recently completed project in which approximately 450 open-ended mathematics questions were developed and field tested for grades 3-11.  Rationale for the project, research related to teachers’ use of the items, and students’ responses for selected items will be presented.

F 9:15/7 Michael Hynes, Gayle Sitter, and Letha Silas Lindsey
Room: Spruce
Examining 8 Years of Data from a Teacher Enhancement Project.
Data from an ongoing teacher enhancement project for K-8 teachers of mathematics and science will be shared.  Do cohort groups work? Do empowered teachers remain in the classroom?  Do the positive effects of an enhancement program deteriorate over time?  Do graduates become teacher leaders?

F 9:15/8 Arthur White and Donna Berlin
Room: Pine
Attitudes Toward Integration as Perceived by Preservice Teachers Enrolled in an Integrated Mathematics, Science, and Technology Teacher Education Program.
This presentation will provide an overview of the integrated Mathematics, Science and Technology Teacher Education Program at the Ohio State University.  This is a one-year, post-baccalaureate program leading to a master’s degree and certification.  Results of analyses of the data collected from the preservice teachers enrolled in the first three years of the program will be reported and discussed.

F 9:15/9 Michael Bentley
Room: Balsam
Moving Growth Points:  Curriculum Considerations Beyond the “Standards.”
No one disputes the need for standards, but standards have become a “grotesque,” a little truth that, when latched onto with single-mindedness and without context, leads to disaster.  Linear, reductionist prescriptions ignore the larger context, children’s different timetables, and the key role of affect.  A post-modern perspective suggests different directions for science and math education in the new millennium.

F 9:15/10 Jo Olson
Room: Birch
Integrating Science and Math to Solve Community Problems.
The community in which students live provides a rich environment for identifying problems, collecting data for analysis, and posing
solutions.  NSF and the Bayer Foundation support middle school student investigations with a motivating contest for small research groups.  Samples of sixth-grade students’ research will be shared along with community improvements they inspired.

F 9:15/11 Susann Mathews and Kirk Mathews
Room: Oak
Manipulatives-Bridging Math and Science from Grade School to Grad School.
Older students often feel that manipulatives are only for little kids and science students may think math manipulatives are only for math.  We will present counter-examples to these myths.  We will discuss uses for the Lenart sphere in spherical geometry, spherical trig, geography, physics, space science, and computational model.  Student-developed manipulatives will also be presented.

F 9:15/12 Peggy House
Room: Sycamore
From Distant Planet to Birth of Galaxies:  Mathematics Enables the Vision.
How do we get images from outer space? The answer lies in mathematics.
 

10:15-11:45

F 10:15/1 Sibyl St. Clair
Room: Forum A
Effectively Evaluating Your Mathematics Program.
This session will review steps that can be used by teachers and administrators to evaluate their mathematics program.  Participants will learn how to develop an evaluative design and report their findings through statistics and data analysis.

F 10:15/2 Steve Oliver, Moderator
Room: Forum B
Historical Perspective Panel
During this session, those who have been longtime members of SSMA will provide the audience with insights gained from their involvement. Audience participation is encouraged.

F 10:15/3A Jeff Shih and Aimee Govett (shared session)
Room: Forum C1
The Impact of Integrated Science and Mathematics Methods.
This study examines the beliefs of one cohort of sixteen preservice teachers that were part of a professional development school.  The elementary mathematics and science methods courses were integrated and team-taught by two university professors.  Preservice teachers’ beliefs about the nature of science, mathematics, and integration will be discussed.

F 10:15/3B Aimee Govett and Cynthia Hernon (shared session)
Room: Forum C1
Strengthening Secondary Math/Science Connections. How do you build an interdisciplinary learning community?  By creating a
teacher education learning community within your secondary math and science methods courses.  A variety of activities, such as mini-field experiences, participation in electronic discussion boards and a collaboratively-planned Desert Wetlands field trip, will be discussed.

F 10:15/4 Ron Zambo
Room: Forum C2
Literature/Mathematics Connections: Using a Book as the Basis for Math Activities.
Participants will explore several mathematics activities based on the doubling of grains of rice.  The instructional power of linking
mathematics to literature, allowing students to solve problems at various levels of mathematical sophistication using a variety of solution paths, and the power of accessing and using prior knowledge will be illustrated.

F 10:15/5 Michael Grote
Room: Forum C3
Handheld Technology’s Impact on Math and Science Education.
Handheld computers currently surpass the desktop computers of a decade ago.  Wireless internet connectivity, scientific measurement probes and a variety of graphing calculator applications offer the appeal of a single instrument for many purposes.  This presentation will preview some of the latest applications of handheld technology for use in math and science classrooms at all grade levels.

F 10:15/6 Karl Schaffer and Eric Stern
Room: Willow
Investigating the Use of Dance for Exploring Various Mathematical Concepts.
This workshop is a follow-up to last night’s entertainment.  Participants will engage is activities that can help all students,
especially those having a kinesthetic learning style, understand mathematical concepts.

F 10:15/7A Safure Bulut and Yusuf Koc (shared session)
Room: Spruce
The Effect of Cooperative and Individualistic Settings on 7th Grade Mathematical Problem Solving.
Seventh-graders’ performances on stages of problem solving, as identified by Polya, were investigated.  Three methods of problem-solving (cooperative, individualistic, and traditional) were studied.  Some mean differences were both statistically and practically significant.

F 10:15/7B Zhonghe Wu (shared session)
Room: Spruce
Developing Proficiency in Mathematics:  The Role of Mental and Oral Computation in Chinese Mathematics Education.
This paper examines the critical role of mental and oral computation in mathematics learning and teaching in Chinese schools in the late 20th century.  How Chinese teachers develop students’ thinking and understanding and reinforce their procedural development will be discussed.

F 10:15/8 Richard Oldrieve, Don Scipione, and Barbara Schirmer
Room: Pine
Focus on Fluency: How to Blend Constructivism into an Urban Elementary Math Curriculum.
This session will focus on one urban special education teacher’s attempt to develop an elementary school arithmetic curriculum that ties several theoretical concepts together into a coherent whole.  Preliminary data suggest spiraling from constructivism through to fluency is the key to helping average teachers succeed with urban students.

F 10:15/9A Judith Beauford (shared session)
Room: Balsam
Integrating Mathematics and Science in Secondary Certification Projects.
The presentation will introduce the NASA-funded Minority University Mathematics, Science and Technology Awards for Teacher Education Program and use experiences from it to learn about adult preservice teachers in these disciplines.  We will consider the changes and challenges to their understanding of mathematics and science.

F 10:15/9B Mike Robinson  (shared session)
Room: Balsam
Engineering Literacy for Secondary Science Teachers and Students.
This paper is an overview of the three-year NSF project that was carried out between the University of Nevada, Reno, and the local school district.  The goal of the project was to improve engineering literacy in both science and mathematics teachers and the students in their science and mathematics classes.

F 10:15/10A Dovie Kimmins (shared session)
Room: Birch
One University’s Experiences in Improving Teacher Licensure Exam Pass Rate.
This paper will describe Middle Tennessee State University’s experiences in modifying its mathematics major for students seeking 7-12 licensure to reflect recommendations for reform and to improve the passing rate on the content knowledge exam required for licensure.  These efforts include development of three courses to replace the traditional secondary school mathematics methods course.

F 10:15/10B Carol Fry Bohlin (shared session)
Room: Birch
What is a "Mathematics" Course?
Should a postsecondary course providing an analysis of the mathematics content taught at the precollegiate level carry a Math, Math Education, or Education designation?  Should upper division, graduate, or professional development credit be awarded?  What mathematics is necessary for prospective/inservice teachers?  Come share your opinions/experiences with SSMA colleagues!

F 10:15/11 Don Balka
Room: Cypress
Developing Algebraic Thinking:  Problem Solving and Number Tiles, Grades 5-9.
What is algebraic thinking?  Patterns, generalizations, number solving and much more using only 0 through 9.  Materials will be provided.

F 10:15/12 Robert Poel and Dale Freeland
Room: Elm
Constructing Physics Understanding:  Tools That Help Students Understand Light.
CPU creates a learning environment that merges findings from research with powerful computer software to enhance student learning of physics concepts and the nature of scientific inquiry.  This session will feature materials from the Light and Color unit and participants will experience a sample set of activities, discuss the inquiry-based pedagogy and format, and work with CPU developed materials and computer simulators.

F 10:15/13 Dyanne Tracy
Room: Oak
Studying the Honeybee and Beekeeping:  Meeting Science and Math Objectives.
Participants will investigate actual beekeeping equipment, videos, posters, lesson plans, books and bee products (honey, wax, etc.) and learn specific math and science strands that this amazing unit of study meets.

F 10:15/14 Linda Proudfit
Room: Sycamore
Using Activities to Develop Algebraic Reasoning in Grades 3-5.
Participants will use various counters and shapes to represent situations designed to develop algebraic reasoning.  They will collect, organize, and represent data; describe and extend patterns; and create models of mathematical relationships.
 

F 1:15/1 Lloyd H. Barrow
Room: Forum A
Inquiry:  From Dewey Through the Standards.
The changing emphasis of inquiry will highlight various viewpoints culminating in the three domains in the National Science Education Standards.

F 1:15/2 Dorothy Gabel
Room: Forum B
Improving Conceptual Understanding in Science Through Active Learning.
Conceptual understanding of chemistry concepts such as the differences between melting and dissolving and chemical and physical changes has not changed significantly within the past 30 years.  This presentation will identify the beliefs that students had in the past and still have in the present.  ConcepTests (Mazur) and CAps (Gabel) will be used to show how the active engagement of students can modify conceptual understanding.

F 1:15/4 David Klanderman and Ellen Hines
Room: Forum C2
Students’ Creation and Use of Quasi-Tables to Reason about Functions.
We report findings from two investigations aimed at helping learners understand mathematical functions as systematic processes involving the covariation of related variables.  Results from both investigations indicated that students often rely on a table, or some variation of a table, as a cognitive link advancing the development of their reasoning about underlying function relationships.

F 1:15/5 John Selisky
Room: Forum C3
Authenticity and Test Items in Large Scale Assessment in Mathematics.
Assessment practitioners are encouraging more widespread use of a richer body of information in test items and prompts that includes more authentic and real-life information.  Is there a measurement basis for this preference?  This presentation will examine some recent examples and highlight some important differences in how well they assess learning in mathematics.

F 1:15/6 Keith Adolphson
Room: Willow
BOTS: Emergent Mathematics Understanding and Robotics.
This session will discuss students’ mathematics understanding as it emerged in the context of constructing and programming autonomous robots. The study followed students as they engaged in authentic, open-ended problem-solving activities where they posed challenges and built and programmed autonomous robots to address the problems posed.

F 1:15/7 Janet Beary
Room: Spruce
Finding the Best Using Technology.
Technology can play a role when a district tries to find the “best” science or math teacher for a position.  It can also be the key for
individuals trying to find the position that “best” matches their training, talents, and interests.  Familiarize yourself with the power and possibilities as hiring practices enter the Information Age.

F 1:15/8 Sally Robison and Robert Bleicher
Room: Pine
Integrating Math and Science:  A Project Worth the Effort.
This paper presents the issues and research concerning the integration of math and science at the K-12 level.  An integrated math/science methods course was taught by two professors:  one in math education and one in science education.  The two professors will talk about the issues and the successes that came from team-teaching this course.  The integrated units generated from the project were tested in the local schools.  Results and activities will be shared.

F 1:15/9 Ray Boehmer
Room: Balsam
Concept Mapping to Assess Content Knowledge Growth of Preservice Teachers.
After completing some introductory concept-mapping activities, students in a semester-long elementary science methods course completed a concept map about a science topic of their choice.  After researching the topic, students created another concept map.   The researcher compared the depth and complexity of these maps. This session will present results of this study.

F 1:15/10 P. Mark Taylor
Room: Birch
A Framework for Supporting Collegial Interaction among Mathematics Teachers.
Case studies of high school math departments were developed to study the collegial interactions that occur and the contextual factors that support or deter such interaction.  Each of the schools was engaged in a
different kind of reform effort.  A revised framework for supporting meaningful collegial interaction is presented highlighting the roles of academic context, alignment of philosophies, ownership of interaction, and refinement of the notion of what is means to be a colleague.

F 1:15/11 Sandra Scaffetta Johnson
Room: Cypress
How Can We Help Elementary Teachers Learn Mathematics?
This research project was an empirical study conducted on preservice elementary education majors during their senior year prior to
internship.  The study investigated three possible ways of helping students learn mathematics:  research, peer discussion, and classroom discussion.  Results of the study will be presented.  Implications of the study will be discussed with possible suggestions for further study.

F 1:15/12 Helen Gerretson
Room: Elm
Hands-On Mathematics for Nurturing Scientific Literacy.
The session will present an overview of a professional development project designed to integrate participants’ science, math, and language arts bases, in addition to increasing their content knowledge.  A description of content and methods used to nurture the scientific literacy of the elementary school teachers will be discussed.

F 1:15/13 Ed Jones
Room: Oak
Teaching Students to Understand What They Read in Science.
This interactive session will provide some graphic organizers and comprehension strategies gleaned from current reading research.

F 1:15/14 Tom Meskel
Room: Sycamore
The Math That Science Teachers Wish Kids Knew.
If (when!) science teachers say “our kids can’t do the math,” this is probably what they mean.
 

2:15-3:45

F 2:15/1 Janice Koop
Room: Forum A
Probability Games for Grades 3-6.
Children’s understanding of probability (and the underlying concepts of fairness and likelihood) is developed by exposure to many and varied experiences.  This workshop will give teachers a framework in which to introduce these concepts and examples of games that will help their students understand them.

F 2:15/2 Panel
Room: Forum B
First in the World:  Results from TIMSS
This session will focus on the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.  A panel from the First in the World
Consortium will present implications and engage the audience in discussion.

F 2:15/3 Donald Zalewski
Room: Forum C1
Optimizing Your Mathematics Lessons.
We will solve interesting maximum/minimum problems using everything from low technology (string, scissors) to high technology. Bring your graphing calculator and your favorite optimization problem (grades 7-12).

F 2:15/4 Leah Bricker and Kathleen M. Morris
Room: Forum C2
Teaching to the Test:  Assessing What We Expect Students to Learn.
Project 2061 will introduce participants to a new procedure that can be used to analyze how well science and mathematics assessment tasks are aligned with learning goals and how effectively the tasks probe student understanding.  Presenters will share case studies and participants will have the opportunity to try out the procedure.

F 2:15/5 Joseph Stepans
Room: Forum C3
Standards-based Instruction and Assessment to Connect Science and Mathematics for Grades 5-9.
This presentation will begin with identifying 5-9 standards that are common to both science and mathematics, using NSES and NCTM positions.  Examples of specific teaching strategies that meaningfully and naturally connect science and mathematics will be given and appropriate assessment practices that teachers can use in their classes will be presented.

F 2:15/6 Linda Jensen Sheffield
Room: Willow
Mathematically Talented Students:  Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?
After a look at the historical treatment of gifted and talented students, this session will focus on recent recommendations from such groups as the SSMA Task Force on Gifted and Talented Mathematics and Science Students and the NCTM Task Force on Mathematically Promising Students.  Participants will then experience learning strategies to mine rich problems that elicit creative and higher-level thinking and assessment procedures that evaluate depth of understanding and creativity.

F 2:15/7 Philip Wagreich
Room: Spruce
Developing Algebraic Thinking by Integrating Mathematics and Science.
How algebraic ideas in grades K-8 can be developed using scientific investigations will be presented.  Particular attention will be paid to developing the concept of variable.  Examples will be drawn from the Math Trailblazers mathematics curriculum and the TIMS laboratory investigations.  Participants will be asked to respond to examples of student work and videotapes of children at work.

F 2:15/8A Linda Brazdil (shared session)
Room: Pine
Classroom Research on Innovative Approaches in Mathematics and Science.
A statewide network of teachers was formed to conduct research into the effectiveness of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy’s partnerships with schools.  This paper will focus on the effects on student achievement and attitudes in math and science of approaches such as problem-based learning, integration, and inquiry-based learning experiences.

F 2:15/8B Juli K. Dixon (shared session)
Room: Pine
An Inquiry-based Approach to Graphing.
This session is designed to demonstrate how graphs can be made meaningful to middle- and secondary-school students by exploring their testable questions.  Terminology such as y-intercept, positive slope, negative slop, zero slope, and continuity will be explored in this interactive session.

F 2:15/9 Donna Monck
Room: Balsam
Mastering Measurement Skills and Other Mathematical Concepts (Fractions, Scale Drawings, etc.) EASILY.
Learn exciting and innovative methods for teaching measurement skills, fractions, maps skills, area, perimeter, etc.  Hands-on activities provide practical applications that lead to student/teacher success and enjoyment.

F 2:15/10 Georgia A. Cobbs
Room: Birch
IMAST-An Interdisciplinary Constructivist Instructional Design.
The Integrated Mathematics, Science and Technology (IMaST) program consists of a series of 16 modules designed for middle school.  Together they address national standards in math, science, and technology education.  Each module contains several learning cycles that allow students to experience and discover concepts.  This workshop will introduce the program through an exciting activity that clearly integrates math, science, and technology concepts.

F 2:15/11 Lonnie Bellman
Room: Cypress
Looking at an Exemplary Mathematics Curriculum, CPM for Grades 6-12.
Participants will explore math activities from the curriculum for College Mathematics Program (CPM) which has been designed by the US Department of Education as an “exemplary mathematics program.”  CPM is a standards-based curriculum that teaches the basic skills of mathematics through a problem-solving constructivist approach.

F 2:15/12 Beth Kilday
Room: Elm
Investigating Integrated Math/Science/TI83 + CBL2 Activities for Grades 5-9.
Innovative activities that can be used in grades 5-9 math classrooms which utilize CBL2s, TI-83+, and various scientific probes will be explored by the participants.  We will perform the experiments in centers, analyze the different types of elementary functions that arise in the modules, and discuss the math and science (physical science, physics, biology, chemistry) incorporated in the modules.

F 2:15/13 Sherry Meier
Room: Oak
Assessing Student Understanding:  What Do Our Students Really Know?
In this session, participants will examine and discuss a variety of assessment materials, and discuss what we can tell about student
understanding from student responses.  Items to be examined will include samples of typical test items from textbooks, standardized tests, TIMSS.  The assessment items examined and discussed will relate to mathematics and science content typically taught in grades 5-8.

F 2:15/14A Steve Frist (shared session)
Room: Sycamore
Correlation between Science Teacher Epistemology and Pedagogical Practices.
This study was designed to measure the correlation between science teachers’ epistemology and pedagogical practices.  Teachers filled out a short instrument designed to rank factors that might influence their classroom actions.  They were then observed while teaching.  Lesson plans and assessment tools specific to the observation periods were collected in an effort to gain a better understanding of pedagogical intent.

F 2:15/14B George Wenner (shared session)
Room: Sycamore
Inner City Minority Children’s Knowledge and Perception of Science.
Intermediate-level elementary school children from a 100% poor and minority school in Buffalo, NY were interviewed regarding their perceptions of science and scientists.  Areas addressed included personal experiences with adults in scientific fields; basic knowledge of physical, life, and earth science; and personal interest in science both as a general topic and as a part of their school curriculum.  The results often contradicted common expectations.
 

F 4:00/1 Robert Carr
Room: Forum A
Scientific and Mathematical Oddities.
Scientific and mathematical paradoxical snippets, things seemingly false or contrary to popular opinion, are presented.  Each topic is one to three minutes in length.  Some may be familiar to you and some may be totally new.  No time to get bored.

F 4:00/2 Tom Gadsden and Susan Dahl
Room: Forum B
A Treasure Trove of Mathematics and Science Resources: ENC and the Eisenhower Network.
Extensive resources, free products, and free services are available for mathematics and science educators.  Find them through the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse, Eisenhower Regional Consortia, and their national network of Demonstration Sites and Access Centers.  Learn how to find the latest science news; instructional materials for students with disabilities; professional development packages on equity; top quality education websites; the location of resources nearby, and much more.

F 4:00/3 Erma Anderson and Carol Stoel
Room: Forum C1
Evidence to Excellence:  Using Student Work to Improve the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics.
Two questions drive the process of examining student work: “How good is good enough?” and “How do you get all students to produce high quality work?”  The connection between children’s learning and changes in instruction and curriculum is examined through classroom assignments, student work, and assessments.

F 4:00/4 Isabel Quita
Room: Forum C2
Benefits of Informal Science Learning to Inservice Teachers.
Science learning occurs in a variety of settings outside school classrooms.  This paper explores ways science museums and discovery centers are helping to prepare future teachers.

F 4:00/5 Sheryl Maxwell
Room: Forum C3
Prism Printing:  Using Technology to Advance Teacher Candidate’s Knowledge.
Teacher candidates participated in a computer-base project designed to enhance their understandings of geometrical terminology.  The findings from three case studies reveal that knowledge of the links between 2-D and 3-D increased when participants (1) recognized they were learners, (2) actively engaged in a conceptual development activity, and (3) shared in peer discourse.

F 4:00/6 Jerry Becker
Room: Willow
A Perspective on Teaching Mathematics in the School Classroom.
The talk will focus on one approach to achieving a new vision in mathematics teaching and learning.  It is based on the assumption that WHAT we teach and HOW students experience it are the primary factors that shape students’ understandings and beliefs of what mathematics is about.  The talk will deal with mathematics problems, lesson plans, lesson records and their important roles in teaching mathematics.  An approach to assessing student learning will also be considered.

F 4:00/7 Alan Zollman
Room: Spruce
Chopping Down a Tree with a Sledgehammer?
We will work on the teaching of “tough” topics for grades 3-9 mathematics.  Can we “work smarter instead of harder” to help students comprehend and master these important mathematics concepts and techniques?  We will pursue practical approaches--from a slightly bent philosophical point of view.

F 4:00/8 Charlene Czerniak
Room: Pine
Developing and Sustaining Systemic Reform in Science Education.
The session will present an overview of TAPESTRIES (Toledo Area Partnership in Education:  Support Teachers as Resources to Improve Elementary Science), an NSF-funded project designed to develop comprehensive school science programs through the sustained professional development of all K-6 teachers.  Support teachers provide assistance for classroom teachers, help teachers with district assessments, and execute their district action plans for improving science literacy.

F 4:00/9 Roger Day and Tami Martin
Room: Balsam
Performance Assessment of Mathematics Preservice Teachers:  Multiple Approaches.
Details and illustrations of the multiple approaches to performance assessment undertaken in our program for the secondary mathematics preservice teachers will be shared.  Methods to be discussed include performance assessment of clinical experiences, summative portfolios, observations, teaching, and reflection activities.

F 4:00/10 Anjana Arora
Room: Birch
Grasp of Interconnectedness of Math and Science Concepts.
Elementary preservice teachers’ grasp of the interconnectedness of mathematical and scientific concepts will be presented.  Most subjects in this study were unable to apply knowledge in one area to the other and displayed low confidence.  They also assumed that, since they were not able to grasp the content, the material was beyond the grasp of an average fourth grader.
 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2001
 

S 8:15/1 Jerry Jinks and Anthony Lorsbach
Room: Forum A
Science and Children’s Literature: A Technology Based Approach for K-3.
Traditionally, American schools focused the curriculum of the primary grades on classical literacy, reading, language arts, and mathematics. Now states are taking steps to enlarge the fundamental concept of literacy by instituting science standards that include rigorous expectations even for the primary grades.  This presentation will demonstrate how technology can be used to make science activities that are drawn from children’s literature.

S 8:15/2 Donald Whitaker
Room: Forum B
The SSMA Centennial:  Let’s Celebrate with Captivating Problems.
Good teachers in the past 100 years (and before that) have posed many captivating problems to help students develop a range of strategies for solving them.  Let’s examine a sample, taken from historical and contemporary contexts--both mathematical and non-mathematical.  Handouts provided.

S 8:15/3 Don Collins
Room: Forum C1
You Would Be Surprised What a Middle School Calculator Can Do.
This session is a hands-on demonstration of activities on a middle-school calculator that you can use in your classroom.

S 8:15/4 Katie Kingsbury
Room: Forum C2
Where in the World Am I?
This session will apply trigonometry to geography with Global Positioning System Units (GPS).  Participants learn how navigation and math (specifically coordinate transformations and the distance formula) are integrated to produce a map of Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

S 8:15/5 Ken Collins
Room: Forum C3
Enhancing Mathematics Classes Using a Calculator with a CAS (Computer Algebra System).
Now that we have calculators that can “do everything,” how can we use them effectively to help students learn and understand mathematics?  This workshop will use several handouts developed for classes from algebra through calculus.

S 8:15/6 Johnny Lott
Room: Willow
Map-Making and Geometry for Well Over 100 years and Still in NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.
One expectation of secondary school students is to use coordinate systems in the analysis of geometric situations; another is to use
geometric ideas to solve problems.  In this session, participants will examine a brief overview of NCTM’s Principles and Standards with specific examples from geometry and the Navigations series, a new book series from NCTM.

S 8:15/7 Henry Kepner, Jr.
Room: Spruce
Mathematics Reforms over the Decades: They Were Different and Offered Varied Outcomes.
During the existence of SSMA, there have been numerous mathematics and science reforms in public education.  How are these reforms different, similar?  What were the anticipated and unanticipated outcomes, claimed successes, and reactions to each?  A brief overview setting a background for the current “Math Wars” is provided.

S 8:15/8 Arthur Eisenkraft
Room: Pine
An Overview of Active Physics.
Active Physics is an NSF-funded secondary science curriculum developed by a team of educators and scientists, under the direction of the speaker (science coordinator of Bedford, NY public schools, a past president of NSTA, and a member of the content committee which wrote the NSES standards).  This program challenges students to think critically and develop their problem-solving skills.

S 8:15/9 David Davison and Kenneth Miller
Room: Balsam
How Can Science and Mathematics Integration Contribute to Curriculum Reform?
Standards documents speak to the benefits of curriculum integration. Even if integration does reflect the spirit of the last decade of
curriculum reform, we must ask if it has led to improved student achievement.  The purpose of this presentation is to examine the
parameters of science and mathematics integration and to determine what needs to be done to provide positive answers to the question asked above.

S 8:15/10 Gale Watson
Room: Birch
Group Activities for the Algebra Classroom.
Activities designed for use in an algebra class will be presented.  The activities are designed to build upon students’ previous knowledge and experiences and to assist them in making connections between different representations or in choosing from among multiple solution strategies.

S 8:15/11 Aimee Govett and L. Jean Henry
Room: Oak
Project I.M.P.A.C.T.
This session presents research concerning skills, knowledge, and resources needed to effectively utilize group projects in math and
science classrooms.  Scientists and engineers work in an environment that is most productive when the climate is more cooperative than competitive.  When set in the classroom context of team responsibility, collaborative learning allows feedback and communication to become more realistic and of a character very different from the usual textbook-homework-recitation approach.

S 8:15/12 Ron Zambo and Jo Cleland
Room: Sycamore
Teachers' Beliefs and Practices for Elementary Grade Math/Language Arts Integration.
This research studied teachers’ perceived usefulness of, confidence in using, and frequency of use of selected strategies for the
integration of mathematics and language arts.  Many teachers use the more obvious strategies for integration but few use the more sophisticated approaches.  Teachers indicated time to plan and time to implement integrated materials into the curriculum were limiting factors.

S 8:15/13 Ramakrishnan Menon
Room: Cypress
Assessing Preservice Teachers’ Number Sense.
Children’s number sense has been the focus of a number of studies but there is a paucity of studies on teachers’ number sense.  In this study on teachers’ number sense, a written number sense test was administered to about 120 preservice teachers from two different states.  An analysis of preservice teachers’ written responses as well as the responses of those who were interviewed will be discussed. Some implications to math methods courses will be suggested.

S 8:15/14 Zhonghong Jiang
Room: Elm
Helping Teachers Explore Innovative Ways of Teaching Mathematics.
This presentation will describe how to help both preservice and inservice teachers explore innovative ways of using dynamic geometry software in teaching mathematics.  The exploration activities focus on the real world applications of mathematics, technology-facilitated mathematical reasoning, three-dimensional visualization, dynamic graphing of algebraic functions and relations, and the recreation/motivation aspect of mathematics.
 

9:15-10:00

S 9:15/1 Linda Figgins, Carolyn Riley, Judith Ball, Pam Melvin, Mary Kay Dahm, Mary Wojtczak, Nancy Burney, Georgia Deep, and Diane Cullen
Room: Forum A
Teachers as Leaders:  Discussing a K-6 Collegial Professional Growth Model.
Two scientific-literacy grant projects focus on creating teacher leaders who then work with colleagues in an inquiry-based learning model for both science and math.  Included are team-building, peer coaching, standards and assessment.

S 9:15/2 Norman G. Lederman and Larry Flick
Room: Forum B
Publishing in "School Science and Mathematics Journal."
Participants will have an opportunity to converse with the editors of the journal regarding requirements for submission, manuscript review process, timelines, and common problems with manuscripts.

S 9:15/3 Óscar Chávez
Room: Forum C1
Reasoning and Proof in the Mathematics Classroom Across the Grade Levels.
The Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) includes Reasoning and Proof as one of the process standards.  While proof in mathematics classrooms has been traditionally limited to high-school geometry courses, this presentation will attempt to show how a more flexible approach allows teachers to establish reasoning and proof as a common practice across grade levels.

S 9:15/4 Hasan Deniz
Room: Forum C2
Development of a Computer-mediated Histology Unit.
This session will present a computer-mediated histology unit whose target audience is college biology students.  This unit was developed as a student-centered unit that considers new developments in technology and histology.  Interviews with college biology students and their instructors were conducted.  Interview results will be presented.

S 9:15/5 Cornelis de Groot and Karen Bell
Room: Forum C3
Building a Syllabus:  Connecting Mathematics, Science and Technology in Elementary Education.
In this workshop presenters will share their framework for and initial design of a syllabus for a methods course that aims to connect math, science, and technology for elementary preservice teachers.  Participants will be invited to share their own experiences, to
brainstorm on a set of essential questions, and to possibly form a peer-network around this topic.

S 9:15/6 Anita Roychoudhury
Room: Willow
Why Should I Use Rubrics?  A Step Beyond Right or Wrong.
A rubric construction process will be presented.  This process was used to help middle-school teachers who were uncomfortable about adopting any assessment measures that did not involve clear-cut right or wrong answers.  It also illustrated the utility of open-ended questions for exploring the conceptual levels of students and for planning subsequent lessons.

S 9:15/7 Oakley Hadfield
Room: Spruce
Mathematics Anxiety:  A Legitimate Complaint for Low -ability Students Only?
A study of preservice elementary teachers revealed through factorial analysis of variance that mathematics anxiety was related to
problem-solving performance differentially among contrasting cognitive types and ability groups.

S 9:15/8 Dawn Leigh Anderson
Room: Pine
Exploring Ideas and Avenues that Empower Girls in Mathematics and Science.
This session will focus on strategies, techniques, and activities teachers can use to encourage and empower girls in mathematics and science, especially improving their confidence level.  Further discussion will focus on ways to inspire girls to pursue interests in mathematics and science.

S 9:15/9 David Wetzel and Gwen Woodell
Room: Balsam
Preservice Early Childhood Teachers’ Attitudes Regarding Science and Math.
This study investigated factors which influence the views and beliefs of preservice early childhood teachers’ concerning the teaching of science and mathematics.  Results suggest there was a significant shift in the
participants’ knowledge, beliefs, concerns, and pedagogy in the direction of being more student-centered and less concerned with their own knowledge and pedagogy.

S 9:15/10 Letha Silas Lindsey
Room: Birch
Bait and Hook:  Keeping Teachers in the Classroom.
This session is a presentation summarizing the results of teacher mobility and retention of scholars of the Lockheed Martin Academy at the University of Central Florida.

S 9:15/11 Beverly Copper-Butler and Lynn Autry-Taylor
Room: Oak
Write-on Tasks with Reading in Content Areas.
Reading and writing strategies aren’t just for language arts classes anymore!  Learn to incorporate these skills to enhance hands-on,
minds-on learning in science and math.  This session is designed for teachers of grades 3-6.

S 9:15/12 John Edgell
Room: Sycamore
Sharing Geometric Similarity with Chinese-American Students.
Results of five field-based research episodes on sharing geometric similarity with Chinese-American fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade
students will be shared with participants.  Examples of student work will also be demonstrated.

S 9:15/13 Trish Koontz
Room: Cypress
Almost an Answer to Understanding Estimation in Primary Grades.
Too often we have young children estimate only to see who in the class came the closest.  This session discusses activities that help students understand why and when to estimate while building number sense and measurement skills for mathematics and science.

S 9:15/14 Gary Klingler and Jennifer Pray
Room: Elm
Noah Builds an Ark:  Theme for Measurement and Other Content Areas in 2nd Grade.
The presenters will describe a thematic unit they co-developed which focused initially on measurement, but became part of an entire-year project in a second-grade classroom by a creative teacher.
 

10:15-11:45

S 10:15/1 Thomas Pinelli
Room: Forum A
NASA’s Distance Learning Program Integrates Mathematics, Science, and Technology.
Educators and administrators (grades 3-8) receive information about two FREE standards-based; technology focused; integrated mathematics, science and technology distance learning programs in the NASA Why Files and NASA CONNECT produced by NASA Langley Research Center’s Office of Education.  Participants will view both video programs and learn how to incorporate technology into their lessons.

S 10:15/2 Markham Schack, Brian Schack, and Kevin Schack
Room: Forum B
Your Students Can Participate in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence via the SETI@Home Project.
Your students can join in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. This session demonstrates the SETI@home program and how it can be used to involve your students in an on-going, real-life science experiment.

S 10:15/3 Thomasenia Lott Adams
Room: Forum C2
Plan, Practice, Present:  Integrating Science and Math Through Aeronautics and Weather.
Workshop leader will facilitate hands-on and interactive learning activities that integrate science and mathematics through aeronautics
and weather concepts.  Professional teaching standards, objectives, and integration models for teaching science and mathematics as they relate to the activities will be explored.  This workshop is most appropriate for practitioners in grades 1-6.

S 10:15/4 Linda Griffin and Kim Boling
Room: Forum C3
Encouraging Girls in Math and Science.
Participants will learn about research in equity in math and science and engage in activities, games, and puzzles developed by the staff of the Girls in the SYSTEM project (an NSF-funded, gender-equity program) designed to stimulate girls’ interest in math, science, engineering, and technology.

S 10:15/5A James Telese (shared session)
Room: Willow
Teaching Mathematics for Understanding:  An Observation Guide.
This paper presents the development of an observation instrument that can be used to examine the features of teaching mathematics for understanding.  The instrument was developed as part of a staff development program for elementary teachers, but it may be used at any level.

S 10:15/5B Carol Stuessy and Stephanie Knight (shared session)
Room: Willow
Classroom Observation: Mirrors of Science Teaching and Learning.
This session presents a system for continuous, real-time observation and documentation of science learning environments, focusing simultaneously on teacher and student performance, levels and modes of cognitive processing, and student-centeredness.  Specific applications for use in the Information Technology in Science Center for Teaching and Learning at Texas A&M will be discussed.

S 10:15/6 Eula Ewing Monroe, Marvin Tolman, and Michelle Orme
Room: Spruce
Measuring and Identifying Trees:  A Science/Mathematics/ Technology Project.
Digital cameras, spreadsheets, and selected websites enable elementary and middle-school students to “take only pictures, leave only footprints” as they tackle the problem of measuring and identifying trees.  Students hone observation and classification skills using an online, dichotomous key after they measure indirectly, using informal notions of similar triangles.

S 10:15/7A Jeganathan Sriskandarajah (shared session)
Room: Pine
How to Motivate an Average Student.
The presenter will demonstrate some simple recreational math tricks such as mind reading, super computation, and tricks involving cards and dice.  Participants will be involved in the process of justifying some of these tricks.

S 10:15/7B Sharon Fadden  (shared session)
Room: Pine
Strategies for Implementation of Math Connections in the Secondary Setting.
Implementing a reform-based, NSF-funded curriculum is a critical challenge to any school district, small or large.  Issues such as quality of professional development, mentoring, and how to deal with the resistance to change have been addressed by a variety of districts throughout the country.

S 10:15/8 Georgia A. Cobbs
Room: Birch
Connecting Mathematics, Science, and Technology through NSF Funding.
Participants will engage in an integrated hands-on, minds-on activity developed by the Integrated Mathematics, Science, and Technology (IMaST) Project, a middle-school, standards-based curriculum.  Participants will discover how IMaST is used to facilitate the national standards for math, science, and technological literacy. Each participant will receive a CD containing all seventeen IMaST modules

S 10:15/9 N. J. Kuenzi and John Koker
Room: Oak
Two-person Games and Problem Solving.
Many people find mathematical games both entertaining and intriguing. However, mathematical games can offer a lot more than just
entertainment. Two-person games can provide us with a rich source of examples and problems.  They can be used to illustrate problem-solving strategies and math concepts.  Some of our favorite two-person games will be presented, played, and analyzed.

S 10:15/10 Vena Long and Kristin Rearden
Room: Sycamore
From Polygons to Poetry (through Science).
From Polygons to Poetry (through science) is a multi-disciplinary lesson used to demonstrate various models of interdisciplinary planning and delivery.  Although used with preservice middle-school teachers and high-school teachers, it is applicable to inservice teachers as well.

S 10:15/11 Vicki Schell
Room: Cypress
Indiana Jones and the Search for Mathematics.
This session will consist of several hands-on activities based on real experiences of archeologists.  These activities are accessible to
students with a minimal mathematical background.  Mathematical processes and concepts used in this session include measuring, 3-D coordinate systems, and the Pythagorean Theorem.

S 10:15/12 Marilyn Morey
Room: Elm
Integrating Math, Science, and Technology Using the DAPIC Problem Solving Approach.
Participants will be introduced to the DAPIC process for solving problems in the context of a constructivist-based activity taken from the Integrated Mathematics, Science and Technology Project (IMaST), a middle-school curriculum funded by NSF.  DAPIC helps students to design ways to gather data and discover patterns and then to apply this process to many authentic everyday problems.  Each participant will receive a CD containing all seventeen IMaST modules.
 
 

12:00-12:45

S 12:00/1 Gerald Kulm
Room: Spruce
Rating Mathematics and Science Textbooks and Tests.
Procedures, analyses, and results of recent work on rating the content alignment and quality of mathematics and science textbooks and assessments will be presented.

S 12:00/2 Robert Mann
Room: Forum C2
Lessons Learned from an Interdisciplinary Math and Science Course.
The structure, design, and outcomes of an alternative pre-calculus course focusing on data, modeling, and scientific connections will be discussed and analyzed.  The ADAGE (activity, data, analysis, generalizations, and extensions) approach to teaching mathematics was used in this course and will also be explained and evaluated.

S 12:00/3 Julie Ann Saam
Room: Forum C3
Integrating in Middle School Science:  Not Just Content Connections.
Integrating in middle-school science involves connecting content from previous lessons, other subject areas, and school events.  This case study describes how one middle-school science teacher integrates science into many meaningful areas of his students’ lives.  His students learn science and life skills.

S 12:00/4 Melfried Olson, Judith Olson, and Kim Hartweg
Room: Willow
How Preservice Elementary Teachers Model and Solve Fraction Problems.
This session will examine students’ ability to model and solve multiplication and division words problem involving fractions and reversibility.

S 12:00/5 Valeria Amburgey
Room: Forum B
WebQuests for Mathematics and Science Education.
A grant-related project conducted during Spring 2001 involved the cataloging and evaluation of WebQuest activities available online for P-12 Mathematics. Continuation of the project during Summer 2001 allowed teachers to develop additional WebQuest activities and to continue the cataloging/evaluation process.  This session will share the results of these grant-related efforts.

S 12:00/6 Diana Steele
Room: Pine
Using Writing to Enhance the Development of Problem-Solving Schemas of Pre-Algebra Students.
This presentation will disseminate findings from the use of writing as an instructional tool to develop problem solving schemas of pre-algebra students when solving algebraic problem situations that involve growth and change, size and shape, and number patterns.

S 12:00/7 Kathleen McCoy
Room: Birch
Inclusion in the Secondary Math and Science Classrooms.
Descriptions of various inclusion techniques and their applications to secondary classrooms will be presented.  Participants are encouraged to bring suggestions and questions regarding inclusion in math and science classes.
 

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