WAUKESHA – The buzz at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha March 5-6 will circle around improving elementary education. Professors from public and private colleges and universities throughout the state will gather to discuss Mathematics Education of Elementary Teachers (MEET), while 100 some foreign language teachers in elementary through high school will be exchanging ideas on teaching techniques.
Founded five years ago by two professors at UW-Waukesha, MEET attracts college mathematics faculty engaged in preparing elementary teachers to impart math concepts to young children. “This was neglected for so long,” comments Kent Kromarek, one of the founders. Shubhangi Stalder is the co-founder and co-organizer.
The conference poses the question, “How can we prepare elementary teachers to teach for their students’ future rather than our past?” Dick Askey, professor emeritus from UW-Madison will address the group on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m., speaking on the PMET (Preparing Mathematicians to Educate Teachers) program and on how well Wisconsin has done on the mathematics part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). After meetings from 9:00 a.m. to noon and lunch on Saturday, Martha Alibali from the UW-Madison Department of Psychology will make a presentation to the whole group on “Understanding of Equality in the Elementary and Middle School Years: Concepts and Skills” at 1:30 p.m. in Southview Hall, Room 123.
FLES Fest (Foreign Language in Elementary Schools) is a one-day workshop March 6 to “Get Them Talking and Make It Meaningful: Guiding Communication through Content, Games, Pair Work, Drama and Music.” In its 16th year, this is the first time FLES Fest will be held in Waukesha. Paul Sandrock, who recently won a national award as the outstanding state Department of Public Instruction supervisor for foreign language, will offer the keynote address at 8:30 a.m. in Commons 101. He will speak about the new State requirements in professional development for language teachers.
Founders Mary “Duffy” Kasum, who teaches French and Spanish at UW-Waukesha, and Helena Curtain, an assistant professor of curriculum at UW-Milwaukee and former MPS Teacher, established this forum for foreign language teachers to support the work of elementary/middle school foreign language teachers, to provide a forum to share the most current teaching methodology in foreign languages, and to encourage them to network with each other. The conference also warmly welcomes high school foreign language teachers to participate in all conference sessions.
UW-Waukesha has the largest enrollment among the 13 freshman-sophomore UW Colleges campuses. For information about programs, admission, or financial aid, contact the Student Services office, (262) 521-5200, or visit the Web site at waukesha.uwc.edu.
|
