College of Natural and Applied Sciences receives grant to offer skills development

 | 11/18/2005

Lipscomb University's College of Natural and Applied Sciences has received a three-year grant from the Tennessee Department of Education, according to Provost Craig Bledsoe. The grant, which totals $240,000, will be used to fund a developmental program to enhance Tennessee high school math teachers' mathematics content knowledge and teaching skills by developing and applying hands-on activities in geometry and statistical software programs.

The developmental program will include a two-week workshop during the summer entitled "Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of High School Mathematics through Active Learning and Concept Building." The workshop will be headed by Ben Hutchinson, dean of the college of natural and applied sciences at Lipscomb and project director of the grant, along with Randy Bouldin, assistant professor of math and Carroll Wells, professor of math. Bouldin and Wells will serve as statistics and geometry specialists.

The program will also include activities throughout the year to continue with skills development. Each participant will receive membership in the National Council of Mathematics Teachers and will be visited during the year by Candice McQueen, chair of the education department at Lipscomb and project evaluator.

The teachers will have access to an interactive website where they can discuss math problems and share personal classroom success stories. They will also participate in an annual spring reunion on Lipscomb's campus.

Twenty-four high school math teachers will be chosen to participate in the program from Franklin, Warren, Marion, Campbell and Grundy County High Schools as well as from Glencliff Comprehensive.

Lipscomb University has a distinguished record of providing Tennessee with quality mathematics teachers in middle and high schools as well as in colleges.

For more information about the College of Natural and Applied Sciences at Lipscomb, contact Hutchinson at 615.279.6042 or by e-mailing ben.hutchinson [at] lipscomb.edu.