An NSF Graduate K-12 Project

Algebra Cubed

Cube Fellow Expectations:

· Attend a mandatory two week summer orientation (August 16-30) which includes an introduction to mathematics classrooms in the middle and high schools, your role in the school and the classroom, the Kentucky mathematics curriculum, and the culture of the students in those schools. The emphasis will be on a conceptual, NCTM standards based teaching approach. The orientation is given by project PIs and others from the schools.

· Spend a minimum of 15 hours per week during the academic year on the project as follows: 10 hours per week in the classroom(s) assisting teachers and students as a content expert and 5 hours in preparation, conferences with mentor teacher(s) and attending faculty meetings.

· Attend biweekly seminars during the UK academic year.

· Discuss classroom issues with the classroom teachers on a continuous basis.

· Keep an updated and detailed journal of all activities for the project. This activity should especially emphasize interactions with teachers and students in the assigned school classroom(s). Although journals will only be read by the PIs and you, when aggregated, this database will be used for seminar discussions, for reflective papers to be submitted, and for project reporting. Your journals are to be submitted electronically to the Project Director (Richard Millman) every other Friday.

· Submit a progress report monthly to the Project Director. This report should summarize significant accomplishments, reflect on difficulties, and include recommendations for the future.

· Plan conceptually based activities jointly with the Mentors, class test the activity, and present it at one of the Fellow seminars.

· Write up at least one lesson each semester that you have successfully developed and in a form that is suitable for publication on the ALGEBRA CUBED website (at least).

· Keep a log of your hours working with teachers. This log is to be submitted monthly to the Project Manager.

· Conduct yourself professionally, treat the teachers as colleagues and everyone with respect, and dress professionally when in the public schools. Do not engage socially with students at the schools.

· Recognize that the teacher is the individual in charge of the class and follow the teacher’s explicit directions.

· Abide by any school rules for guests and/or faculty at the school site assigned. This also applies to any specific protocol(s) for entering and leaving the school.

· Be willing to attend professional conferences (e.g. KYMAA, KCTM, NCTM, AMS, MAA, NSTA, etc.) and participate in other scholarly activities concerning ALGEBRA CUBED, as time permits, the expenses for such activities will be reimbursed according to UK policy by the ALGEBRA CUBED grant.

· Provide assistance and expertise in math content to other educators or classes at the middle or high school as requested by mentor teachers or project PIs, subject to workload considerations.

· Cooperate with those who are doing evaluation of the project and, should there be a visit by NSF officials, with them also.

· ALGEBRA CUBED activities follow the UK calendar, not those of the schools.