On March 3-4, The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology will host two days of teacher training sessions for the Tau Beta Pi K-12 National Math and Science Initiative. The sessions will be coordinated by Dr. Jonathan Earle, leader of the Tau Beta Pi K-12 National Math and Science Initiative, and will be attended by more than 80 Rapid City School District high school, junior high and elementary school math and science teachers. Dr. Earle is the former associate dean for student affairs in the college of engineering at the University of Florida
"This is a national initiative that will be piloted here in Rapid City," Dr. Larry Simonson, Hoffert professor at the School of Mines and Tau Beta Pi president, said. "It is important for teachers to have another tool to more effectively present their material.
Historically, studies have shown that the mathematics and science skills of America's high school students fall short of those in other developed countries. In an effort to address this critical issue, Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, has developed the K-12 National Math and Science Initiative. The initiative will use hands-on, minds-on techniques to teach mathematics and science and to increase the number of students who successfully complete higher-level math and science courses prior to graduation from high school. Specific goals are to have students complete algebra by eighth grade and calculus by 12th grade.
During the sessions, local teachers will be trained with the same hands-on projects that they will use to educate their students.
The sessions will be held in the Bump Lounge of the Surbeck Center.
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