Tusculum College math and computer science program for area teachers kicks-off on Feb. 10

A new program designed to improve the skills of area high school math and computer science teachers will kick-off at Tusculum College on Friday, Feb. 10.

This marks the first workshop of the Tusculum College Python TEAM2 Project and will include a full-day workshop for computer science and mathematics teachers from 20 area high schools who will spend the day in the new Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math.

Tusculum College has received a $74,991 grant from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to fund the regional educational effort.

The Tusculum College Python TEAM2 project is designed to enhance the content knowledge, pedagogical skills and pedagogical content knowledge of high school mathematics and computer science teachers in the high-needs school districts surrounding Tusculum College’s home campus in Greene County and its instructional sites in Hamblen and Knox counties.

Participating educators will benefit from five on-site days of professional development in Tusculum College’s Meen Center for Science and Math along with a 10-month online credit-bearing course in the Python computer language. The content focus will be on the use of Python computer programming to solve mathematical problems. Participants will explore mathematical concepts, learn the Python programming language and develop programs to solve the kinds of problems they teach in their high school classrooms.

According to Dr. Tricia Hunsader, dean of the School of Education and professor of education, participants’ growth in content knowledge related to mathematics concepts, programming basics and the Python computer language will be assessed via a pre-test and post-test. Participant surveys will assess teachers’ perceptions of the learning experiences and their growth in content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and pedagogical content knowledge.

“The primary content objectives are to increase high school mathematics and computer science teachers’ knowledge of and practical skills in fundamental mathematical concepts directly applicable to computer programming, essential structures and algorithms used in object-oriented programming, the writing of Python code to solve mathematical problems and numerical methods applicable to the high school mathematics curriculum,” said Dr. Hunsader.

The program is a partnership among Tusculum College’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science within the School of Arts and Sciences, Tusculum College’s School of Education and regional high-need school systems, which include Greene County, Greeneville City, Hamblen County, Hawkins County, Jefferson County, Knox County and Washington County school districts.

THEC administers this federal program, which was established to provide grants for colleges and universities to develop and implement workshops for K-12 teachers in the areas of mathematics, science and humanities. The purpose is to establish a collaborative planning partnership between higher education and K-12 education for teacher preparation and continuing professional development. – See more at: https://www.tn.gov/thec/article/itq#sthash.VkHDDXu5.dpuf.