Lee Hosts Math Institute For Local Teachers |
 Lee
University hosted the first INAT (Improving
Numeracy and Algebraic Thinking) Math Institute
for middle school math teachers in the area. The
project was the brainchild of and was led by Lee
University Professor of mathematics Dr. Steven
Lay, along with Mrs. Joy Runyan from Edvantia, a
regional education agency partnering with Lee on
the INAT project, Associate Professor of
education Dr. Bill Estes, and Associate
Professor of physics and chemistry Dr. Johnny
Evans.
"We hoped to enhance the students' preparation
for algebra and thereby increase their
proficiency in algebra itself," said Dr. Lay.
Twenty 7th, 8th, and 9th grade teachers from 14
schools in seven nearby school systems
participated in the two-week project. The
teachers were selected on the basis of their
interest in improving their effectiveness in
teaching pre-algebra.
"INAT has been a great experience for me," said
Judy Gilliam of Ocoee Middle School. "The
instructors were top notch and I feel that I've
gained knowledge and good ideas to take back to
the classroom."
In the mornings, participants were introduced to
a new approach to pre-algebra called "Prelude to
Algebra," which was developed by Dr. Lay. In the
afternoons, the participants were guided in
developing lessons plans that incorporated the
new approach.
The "Prelude to Algebra" curriculum grew out of
a 40-year study by Dr. Lay and his father, Dr.
L. Clark Lay of the kinds of mistakes that
students make in algebra. This study found that
many algebra students are not thinking correctly
about what they are seeing and writing. The
"Prelude" approach teaches students to think
about arithmetic operations in a way that
prepares them for algebra. It is based on
replacing rote memorization with increased
understanding, and it has been used very
effectively for many years in remedial classes
at the college level.
Edvantia and Lee University will be monitoring
the students' progress for three years to
document their improvement and will support the
teachers with additional workshops, classroom
visits, and an on-line network.
The institute, which will be offered again in
the summers of 2008 and 2009, and all follow up
work associated with it are funded by a three
year grant from the Tennessee Department of
Education that was awarded to Lee University in
2007.
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