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Math Ed Forum Meeting Minutes
March 24, 2001
Present:
Pat Rogers, Gord Doctorow, Doug McDougall, Mary Lou Kestell,
Mary Beam, Cheryl Turner, Walter Whiteley, Ysbrand de Bruyn, Stewart
Craven, Alison Gibbs, Ed Barbeau, Sheila Bassett, Chris Suurtamm, Shirley
Dalrymple, Gila Hanna, Enid Haley, Claire Burnett, Peter Taylor, Eric
Muller
Regrets:
Bradd Hart, Lynda Graham, Miroslav Lovric, Lynda Colgan, Geoff
Roulet
1. Welcome
2. Reports from Task Forces
a) Mathematics Teacher Preparation: Walter Whiteley
-task is to increase the number of students enrolling in mathematics
faculties of education
-Co-ordinate information gathered from various sources
-faculties are increasing their numbers by decreasing the entrance qualifications
-we need to shift to in-service because teachers will have less qualifications
-disappointing results in trying to arrange meeting with Faculties of
Education across the province (wanted to meet with math departments
across the province but the response was so low that it had to be cancelled)
-will use the web site for potential students regarding the qualifications
required to get students thinking about becoming teachers
-the problem is the number of applicants with the required qualifications
-the admissions process is to increase the numbers in the areas of PJI
and at the Senior Level in areas with gaps such as Computers and French
rather than in math
-we want more students into the math stream
-we need to speak to students who are interested in becoming teachers
to convince them to think about teaching math
-we should address, in particular, the secondary schools and to contact
the students at the university level
-we need courses that appeal to everyone in first and second year level
and we need to loosen the requirements for some courses
b) Secondary - Tertiary/Transition Committee: Ed Barbeau
-waiting for Data management information as we need a good
description of the course and we want to target specific institutions
to think and focus on Data Management
-the problem is that students need to have an idea of what they want
-the paper descriptions doesn't seem to be working ; we want to create
a session with University people and teachers around some materials
about the new course
-the time may not right because we need teachers presenting materials
around the new grade 11 courses
- this would have impact
-this will be a multi-year process; many aspects will not happen all
at once, students aren't going to look like the ideal yet
-we need first year courses for students who do not have a background
in math
-Universities have two kinds of courses a) prep courses for further
math studies and
b) cultural math for students studying education the primary level
-we need to send the message over and over again
c) 12U Data Management : Shirley Dalrymple
-prepared a report of the key ideas around the course and
we are currently sharing it with publishers
-we will be field testing some materials and we are trying get ready
for OAME
-we will try to send an article to the gazette around the course
-Stats Canada is a cooperative member of the task force and is trying
to open up to education resources, especially Estat (there is a way
to link to the TI83)
-TV Ontario has a 13 part series designed for education in statistics
called "Against All Odds" the email address will be forwarded to the
Forum
d) On-Line Mathematics Courses: Stewart Craven
-want to move forward with a symposium on On-line math; our
planning is around the issues, who's invited, what it should look like
-we have decided on a Public forum on Thursday evening, a symposium
on Friday and Saturday -participation will be by invitation only, we
will invite people according to a range of categories and will include
people who have concerns from all perspectives including MOE, School
Boards, Universities, etc
-On-Line course are becoming prevalent, we need teacher Education
-there is an E-learning evolution report in Industry Canada
-there are critical issues being expressed at the University level,
OSSTF, and T DSB, things are happening at MOE also and so it is a significant
issue
-TDBSB is working on projects around on-line learning, there are issues
around on-line materials -Stewart shared his perspective, he will provide
a handout of a list of resources that will be attached to the minutes
-Fields is booked on November 16, 17 for the On-line Symposium. TDSB
will co-host the event -we expect the cost to be reasonable and the
committee is moving forward. (Stewart will chair the committee in Gary's
Flewelling's absence)
Presentation: Mary Beam Education Ontario on ENOREO
Highlights:
This is an open conference and is very interactive. They have experience
with contact teachers. There is opportunity to learn from your mistakes.
They can create portals to give pictures of the math community. A
handout provided additional information about the service. The strongest
group is elementary, but they do not approach the site from a single
discipline. Mary told us about the Marsville project which will culminate
on Saturday, April 28, at Exhibition Hall in the Exhibition grounds
and simultaneously across Canada at many locations starting at about
11:00.
Further discussion about on-line learning symposium:
-Thursday evening event will be called "The Peril the Promise" and
will include video highlights, a discussion of the issues and the
reality
-Administrators believe that it will be cost effective -discussion
will be around the real classroom vs. the virtual classroom, today's
student, and the teachers' role and how it is considered in the model,
and about who creates the course: technical people or teachers
-security for the course integrity is a concern, students need interaction
and not just a text
-equity is also an issue, hardware could be provided, but technical
problems are real and is support needed need to think about which
components are on line which components are not
- the Friday sessions will work with a panel and in groups and will
include a social activity
- the Saturday session will be around work groups and reporting, there
will also be some electronic participation
-our goals are to enlighten and influence policy makers, MOE, Boards
of Education, Publishers about the Perils and the Promise
-we have an opportunity through INURE to begin a project and continue
the discussion through a conference
-this will set the stage for the future, may produce a white paper
as to what these courses should be like
- there may be a second symposium to follow up this one and there
may be some projects that could begin right away
-we need to have some serious research on On-line learning
-OISE offered their venues
Meeting adjourned at 2 o'clock
-----------------------------------
From: Eric Muller [mailto:emuller@spartan.ac.brocku.ca]
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2001 10:17 AM
To: meforum@fields.utoronto.ca
Subject: Minutes of March 24th Forum Meeting
12. Other Business
-Gord Doctorow brought up the issue of more elementary participaion
at Forum meetings.
-we can't forget about the teacher shortage that will also be felt at
Fac Eds and universities in general
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