Expanding into more elementary schools

From the 4 original Maysville schools that served as an incubator for the project back in 1999, the Mobile Math Initiative has now grown to include 29 schools statewide. A total of 15 Mobile County schools are currenlty involved in the school-wide implementation as well as other elementary schools in Decatur City and Hoover City schools.

Dr. Pruet believes there is good reason to assist teachers in other parts of the state in implementing this highly successful concept.

"We want to work in other districts to develop a critical mass of knowledgeable educators who can influence state policy and practice so that we are all aligned throughout Alabama in our approach to standards-based mathematics education," she explained.

Encouraging students to learn to construct their own meaning to math is often a novel and not altoghether a comfortable approach for many seasoned teachers.

Becky Hider, a first grade teacher at John Will Elementary, was admittedly skeptical when her school was accepted into the first phase of Mobile Math's expansion.

"I must say, I did not go willingly," said Ms Hider, "but by the end of our first 2-week workshop, I was sold."

Hider wrote at the end of the first summer seminar. "My summer (practice) teaching experience will only change the ENTIRE way I approach math! Here's the picture I get - before, my children only got to taste the icing of the (math) 'cream puff'. Next year they will get to eat the icing, gobble the pastry, and then absolutely wallow in the custard filling. They'll own those babies!"

Since its inception in 1998, the Mobile Math Intiative has provided over 600 teachers and 64 principals with a total of 61,000 hours of professional development and impacted some 20,000 students to date.