Elementary education majors at ETSU will now have more thorough teacher training because of a proposal funded by the National Science Found-ation.
The proposal was written so that faculty members in the ETSU department of mathematics will be able to develop a new course that meets several goals that are important to specific agencies.
“We propose to address some of the most vexing problems with which we are faced,” said Anant Godbole, chair of the department of mathematics. “Namely student frustration, lack of preparedness, and lack of success in mathematics courses for elementary education majors through the piloting and further development of a course entitled “Number Concepts and Algebra Structures.”
The course would provide a new way of teaching mathematics in the first two years of college. Godbole said that it would allow hands-on learning and serve as a model of critical thinking and experimental learning.
In the state of Tennessee, elementary education majors must be able to teach kindergarten through eighth grade.
Godbole feels that people are scared to teach mathematics because of all the different ages that they would have to be qualified to teach.
In the recent years, elementary education majors at ETSU were required to take Probability and Statistics and Logic/Geo-metry/Problem Solving. These requirements are two of the most demanding among schools in the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Dr. Janice Huang, former mathematics chair, began to make suggestions to Dr. Rhonda Cummings, mathematics educator in the department of curriculum and instruction. It was decided that the proposed curriculum was a good idea.
ETSU was awarded one of only 15 grants funded by the National Science Foundation.
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities got math and education professors together from universities to brainstorm at San Diego State University. Godbole said it was successful.
In November, ETSU received another grant funded by the Exxon Mobile Foundation.
The $3,000 grant helped to pay for a retreat in Johnson City in early April. The retreat was titled “Systematic Enhancements for Early Mathematics Learn-ing,” and people were there from several state universities. Seminars were held throughout the weekend to begin to focus on the new program.

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