Faculty Development Plan
Mathematics Education
20051 Faculty Development Plan
There are many things that I would like to accomplish both as a teacher and scholar at BYU. In this document I will outline my vision, long range objectives, and short term goals regarding my position and role. Above all, however, I wish to maintain a balance between my teaching and scholarship, without neglecting my role as a citizen at BYU; therefore, although it is my intent to complete the short term goals stated, I acknowledge that maintaining this balance may require some goals to be held off.
1.1 Scholarship
Building off of my dissertation research, I plan to continue research regarding graduate mathematics teaching assistants (GMTAs). My dissertation was a first close-up look at the GMTA experience. Several possible directions for my research include: a) determining the problems that GMTAs face as they develop their teaching practices and what factors help in their resolution; b) conducting a similar study in a different institutional setting or expanding the set of GMTA prototypes; c) conducting a similar study among international GMTAs; and d) seeing how different types of welldeveloped preparation programs impact GMTAs’ teaching views and practices and what the nature of those impacts are on each type of GMTA. By March 2006, I want to have made progress both in better determining the direction of my research and in beginning new studies. For this, I would like to have finished the following things:
1. Divided-up my dissertation into separate, written, and publishable pieces; sent these pieces out for publication.
2. Submitted papers for conference presentations, including: the joint AMS/MAA meetings, RUME, PME-NA, and AERA.
3. Met with PME-NA’s workgroup on GMTA development in order to determine specific ideas and directions for my future research agenda.
4. Completed design and data collection for a smaller-scale study providing detailed GMTA information nationwide, serving to inform and motivate further research in the field.
5. Begun design on a longitudinal, observation-intense study of GMTAs.
6. Begun or made specific plans to involve BYU students in research through mentoring.
1.2 Teaching
When I think about teaching, I envision an active classroom involving collaboration, problemsolving, discussion, and mathematical discovery. In this class, students work together in pairs and teams, building their mathematical understanding through investigation, experimentation, discussion, and debate; taking responsibility for not only their own understandings, but the success of their teammates. Through class activities (as both individuals and as teams) students develop: a) the ability to collaborate effectively, b) a profound understanding of mathematics, and c) an understanding of themselves as learners. Their mathematical understanding goes beyond performing rote procedures and algorithms; it involves problem solving, applying knowledge to novel problems, and transferring this knowledge to unfamiliar domains. In general, they not only learn mathematics, but learn about themselves as learners, developing the virtues of hard work, persistence, diligence, accountability, loyalty, and teamwork. In this process, I envision my role as that of facilitator, rather than demonstrator. I do not see myself as a disseminator of knowledge, lecturing and giving examples of every type of problem for which students will be held accountable. Rather, I take on these responsibilities: a) to foster a collaborative classroom, where students can work together and feel free to express their ideas and questions; b) to provide opportunities and activities that will both lead students to the development of the necessary knowledge and will challenge them mathematically, encouraging collaborative efforts; and c) to give timely and constructive feedback that students can use to become more productive learners, to work better with their peers, and to improve their mathematical understanding. In relation to this teaching philosophy, I have three main long-term goals:
1. Become familiar, comfortable, and proficient with the team-based style of mathematical instruction and assessments.
2. Develop supportive materials, for each mathematics class that I teach, which: a) are compatible with the existing textbook/curriculum; b) provide mathematical understanding beyond procedures and algorithms, developing intuition and conceptual understanding; and c) are easily utilized for cooperative learning and team-based instruction. I would eventually like to compile these materials and make them available to other instructors.
3. Find ways to integrate a spiritual element into my classrooms, helping students develop the values mentioned and helping them become better, more conscious, and more accountable learners.
By March 2006, I want to have made progress toward these goals by doing the following:
1. Actively read a book on instruction incorporating team-based learning, using it to make specific structural and assessment plans for an initial approach to the utilization of student teams in the classroom.
2. Implement these ideas in my fall Calculus III class. To prepare for this, I will prepare a concept/skill map for the course, based on the textbook; based on this, I will prepare the syllabus, team and individual activities, assignments, and team grading procedures before the semester begins–plans are in my Fall 2005 Course Development Project Proposal.
3. Seek-out interested faculty and open dialogue with them for further ideas.
4. Make improvements to activities during the semester and request the same course for Winter semester 2006, soliciting and implementing student feedback, so that I can improve upon the course and materials.
5. Develop a series of weekly reflections for students, related to learning, encouraging introspection and the development of the virtues mentioned.
1.3 Citizenship
In my research interest and love of teaching, I see strong opportunities to help within my department, to collaborate with my colleagues, and to participate in important dialogues in the research community. Having a hybrid mathematics/mathematics education experience and having come from a department of mathematics, I see myself as not only becoming an active, constructive, and dedicated member of my department, but of playing a role in building relationships and collaboration between my department and the mathematics department. I see my research interest as one such opportunity; I see myself actively helping the Graduate Mathematics Teaching Assistants (GMTAs) both in our department and in the mathematics department better prepare for and adapt to their teaching responsibilities, becoming more effective mathematics instructors. Ultimately, I would like to develop our GMTA training programs into longitudinal programs with the power to shape GMTAs’ practices, thus preparing them for future teaching responsibilities. I also see myself becoming an important member of the research community, particularly in my field, which is new and growing, through networking and collaborating with peer researchers.
To progress toward these objectives, I want to accomplish the following goals by March 2006 (listed in order of priority):
1. Meet regularly with my mentors.
2. Become actively involved in the preparation for and unfolding of our department’s GMTA preparation programs this year.
3. Develop and refine Calculus III materials that can be easily used in cooperative learning or team-based learning classrooms, making it easier for other instructors to teach in nontraditional ways.
4. Carry-on and incorporate dialogue with colleagues (outside of BYU) in my future research directions.
5. Regularly participate in activities with my fellow department members, such as weekly devotionals and faculty meetings.
6. Open a dialogue with Dr. XXX and others involved in the mathematics department’s GMTA preparation programs, becoming familiar with the programs and activities that they currently use to prepare their GMTAs.