Preparing TAs To Teach Reformed College Algebra at the University of Missouri

So far, Math 10A and 10B have been piloted three times; the first trial was taught by experienced graduate students. We immediately realized that it was ineffective to train the teaching assistants in new content and methods as the semester progressed. If we were to succeed in our reform efforts, it was necessary to offer our graduate student teachers adequate training in content, methods, and technology prior to the semester. With the support of MU's General Education Program Committee for the Improvement of Undergraduate Education, the Department of Mathematics was granted funding to conduct a training program for ten graduate students. The training lasted three full weeks in August and continued with weekly meetings and additional workshops during the fall semester.

Student Teacher Training
All workshop participants went through extensive training in the use of the TI-85, and the Calculator-Based Learning unit. Participants prepared and conducted various CBL experiments. The TI-LINK-85 software was also used to insert calculator-generated graphics into word processing documents, and to store, retrieve and edit TI-85 programs. Additional mini-courses were offered in using Microsoft Excel, e-mail, Internet access, and the creation of a web page. In addition to the above, all participants who did not have previous exposure to Mathematica were introduced to the latter and taken step-by-step through many of its features. All workshop participants were asked to read the Explorations in College Algebra textbook. As a group, they discussed the content chapter by chapter.

The highlight of our workshop was a visit by Dr. Linda Kime. We were delighted when Dr. Kime accepted our invitation to join us in Missouri and guide our group through a series of talks, group discussions, and hands-on activities. She led the group through the whole textbook, providing guidance on how certain sections should be approached, while demonstrating how the customized course software was to be incorporated and used throughout the course. We solved and discussed problems from the text, and under her guidance performed several key explorations using TI-85 and customized software. She explained the mathematics reform movement, the philosophy and approach of Explorations in College Algebra and how the text differed from traditional college algebra texts. She made the participants assume the roles of students and make presentations, demonstrating what a student-centered classroom was like.

During the last phase of the workshop, the teaching assistants learned to develop a day-by-day syllabus for the two college algebra courses that would be piloted in the fall of 1996. This included the creation of student projects and worksheets for various in-class activities involving technology. This activity helped everyone focus on the importance of time management and the amount of material they could realistically cover in a semester. By the end of the workshop, it was quite obvious that the group felt confident and was looking forward to a new experience in teaching.

Throughout the fall semester of 1996, we met for an hour every week to discuss weekly objectives, adjustments to the original daily syllabus, adequate time for covering various topics and student progress. Supplementary materials in the form of in-class activities or homework were added in both courses to meet departmental guidelines, and test objectives and questions were discussed until we reached consensus regarding the content of the common exams we gave. Informally, those who taught either course met daily to compare notes and teaching techniques or to work together in developing their lesson plans. At the beginning of the semester, while introducing Math 10B students to Microsoft Excel, teachers spontaneously paired up to assist each other in the computer labs.

The extensive training that our graduate student teachers experienced not only built their skills in the use of technology, but provided them with hands-on experience and models to follow. It built their confidence and gave them the chance to preview, plan, and prepare what and how they were to teach. The collaborative spirit that resulted from the summer workshop was unprecedented. In view of the success of the 1996 summer teacher workshop, the mathematics department at MU is expanding its training to include twenty new graduate teaching assistants who will be involved next fall in the teaching of the fifty sections of Math 10A and Math 10B combined.

Summary
Today's college algebra teachers have to deal not only with non-traditional content that involves realistic applications of mathematics imported from other disciplines, but also with new approaches to classroom management, lesson planning, and the use of programmable graphing calculators, computers, various software packages, and CBL units. If we are to succeed in improving the quality we would like to see implemented in the teaching and learning of our undergraduate students, especially in large universities, our graduate student teachers must receive adequate training. We owe our undergraduate students a quality education which can be partly achieved by offering them not only the right learning environment, but a curriculum that meets their future math needs, and, above all, quality teaching.