The yearlong (Fall-Spring) Math Matters block of courses allows for logistical and conceptual integration of content, pedagogy, and field experiences for prospective elementary teachers. Heaton and Lewis teach an 18-hour block of courses with Heaton having responsibility for 12 hours of pedagogy and field experience and Lewis having responsibility for 6 hours of mathematical content. Students meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the same campus classroom for their mathematics and pedagogy classes. Both semesters, they also spend Mondays and Wednesdays in a practicum experience at Roper Elementary School. Heaton has been working on teacher education and mathematics education with the Roper principal and teachers for the past five years. Thus, Math Matters students benefit from a yearlong practicum under the guidance of cooperating teachers with experience as elementary school mathematics teachers and as mentors for future teachers.

Math Matters students take Math 300 in the fall and Math 301 in the spring. These courses are offered in place of the required courses, Math 200 and Math 201, with the 300 level numbers reflecting the added challenge of these courses. Math 300 focuses on number and number sense and Math 301 on geometry.

At UNL, math methods, CURR 308, is a one-semester course. To facilitate a two-semester pedagogical experience focused on mathematics, Heaton teaches CURR 351 in addition to CURR 308. CURR 351 is typically a generic pedagogy course designed around the topics of classroom management, cooperative learning, and constructivism. When linked to Math Matters, its curriculum is taught by situating it in the context of mathematics. Thus students take a yearlong, integrated math methods/pedagogy course while formally registering for CURR 351 in the fall semester and CURR 308 in the spring.

Heaton and Lewis meet their students in the same classroom back-to-back. To bypass the UNL room-scheduling problem this arrangement poses, they use a resource room whose schedule is controlled by the math department. The courses meet from 8-10:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Usually Lewis teaches first, followed by Heaton. Lewis and Heaton are present for most of both classes.

For the first two years, students have been recruited< LINK TO JEANETTE NORMAN'S COMMENTS> into Math Matters. Students typically have done well in Math 203, have high GPA’s, are interested in becoming an outstanding mathematics teacher, and are willing to make a commitment to the high expectations and challenges of this project. While this pilot project is aimed at helping a select group of students with special interest and expertise in teaching mathematics become outstanding elementary teachers, the long term goal is to take what is learned from this special project with a small number of students and adapt it to create an integrated math content, pedagogy, and field experience for all students in the elementary teacher education program.