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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Jan. 7, 2013) — Milligan College is the recipient of a $54,000 grant that will provide free training and three hours of free graduate school credit for 24 local math teachers.
The Improving Teacher Quality (ITQ) Grant Program is a federally funded program that provides grants to public and private higher education institutions. It is administered in Tennessee by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Milligan is one of only nine projects selected statewide.
Milligan’s “Teaching Math Matters” grant is focused on helping secondary (grades 9-12) math teachers better integrate the Common Core mathematical content into their instruction. The program will provide teachers with hands-on opportunities to practice and refine their mathematical teaching skills and equip them with effective strategies for instruction.
“The main focus is helping math teachers be stronger so the students will be stronger,” said Dr. Lyn Howell, chair of Milligan’s education area.
Milligan partnered with the Carter County Board of Education and Unicoi County Board of Education to offer the grant, but secondary math teachers at any local public or private school are welcome to register for the program.
“Teaching Math Matters” participants will attend a pre-assessment meeting this spring and a seven-day workshop in June 2013. A post-assessment takes place over the course of fall 2013 and concludes in early December.
“The participating teachers also will come away from this with a bound copy of the word problems they and their fellow participants created during the summer workshop,” Howell said. “Since they are creating the material, the problem sets will be grounded in the local community and will address problems that their students will find familiar and relevant.”
There is no cost for participants. They will receive a stipend, and all of their materials, including textbooks and graphing calculators, are provided. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive three hours of graduate credit to apply as elective credit toward a master of education (M.Ed.) degree at Milligan.
Milligan offers two M.Ed. programs—the initial licensure program (for students seeking teaching licensure) and the advanced program.
The advanced program is for already-licensed teachers who want to add endorsement areas or prepare for board certification. This program is offered fully online or in a traditional face-to-to face classroom setting. The 36-credit-hour advanced program integrates theory, action research and reflective practice and is designed to increase both the quality and quantity of the educational experiences for teachers in professional education.
“The ‘Teaching Math Matters’ program stands by itself as a wonderful opportunity for professional development for secondary math teachers, but it also can be a catalyst for those who are interested in pursuing an M.Ed.,” Howell said. “It’s an opportunity to work with Milligan’s fine education faculty and get three credit hours out of the way at no cost.”
Registration is currently under way for secondary math teachers who are interested in the program. To learn more, call Karen Hill at 423.461.8927.
For more information about Milligan’s M.Ed., visit www.milligan.edu/MEd.
