TEAM-Math Breeds Hope

Article from the Columbus Ledger-Inquirer
Tuesday June 7, 2005

Empirical evidence won't be available until later in the summer, when East Alabama school systems receive the results from their math test scores.

But Auburn University professor Gary Martin, director of TEAM-Math, believes the project's in local classrooms has been successful. TEAM-Math - short for the East Alabama Partnership for the Improvement of Mathematics Education - is a partnership of Auburn, Tuskegee University and 12 local school systems to improve the understanding, utility, communication and appreciation of mathematics in schools.

TEAM-Math began two weeks of training Monday at Auburn High School. The training is for first-year TEAM-Math instructors and teachers who trained last summer.

"We've really been gratified at the classrooms we've visited and the teachers that we've talked to," said Martin. "There seems to have been a lot of enthusiasm and teachers were excited about it. We feel like we've had a great year."

The goal of TEAM-Math is to systemically change the way mathematics is taught and learned in this area. The partnership received a five-year, $9 million grant from the National Science Foundation to help fund its work.

Martin said one good indicator that the curriculum is catching on is the retention and addition of teachers to the project. Last year, the program had nearly 400 teachers. This year, 60-70 percent of them returned and an additional 550 teachers joined.

"To me, those are pretty remarkable numbers. I take that as the word-of-mouth must be pretty positive, or teachers wouldn't be willing to come back or new teachers wouldn't be signing on. The observations and the indicators are good. We have to wait until the end of summer to see what the numbers say."

Martin said TEAM-Math must combat teacher turnover. "Loosing teachers to promotions and reassignments can be a challenge to maintaining the momentum we've built." he said.

TEAM-Math tried to motivate students to participate in the classroom more.

"The kids enjoy the things we do after they get used to it," said Smiths Station High School math teacher Shannon Norred. "It's different from what they've been doing. Some of the kids really like it. They're like 'Oh, that makes sense now.' It's really fun to get with them and try to see what they are thinking and how their perspectives are changing ... that it's not about learning a bunch of rules."

Lisa Lishak, a math instructor at Russell County High School, said students like understanding the concept behind the activities.

"They enjoy doing the activities, but it just reinforces their learning so much more," she said. "They understand where the rules come from, and TEAM-Math helps them get there."

Lishak said the program helps students learn math's practical applications. "That's why it is so good for our kids to go through this," she said.

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