Designing and Delivering Professional Development consists of a one week summer session experience for those who are responsible for professional development activities for secondary school mathematics teachers. This would include, among others,

• mathematicians;
• university mathematics educators;
• mathematics supervisors;
• leaders from the PCMI Professional Development and Outreach (PDO) groups. 

This session is connected to the first week of PCMI's Secondary School Teachers Program.

Partnerships among higher education mathematicians (the PDO Directors), curriculum coordinators/supervisors and classroom teachers who are attached to a PDO site have the potential to make a positive impact on student achievement.  The fundamental question addressed by this group will be: What structures best support the professional development of teachers participating in PDO sites so that they have the capacity and motivation to deliver purposeful, professional development to their peers locally, regionally and state wide?  Additional questions that might be considered:  What are effective methods for engaging classroom teachers in professional development that can have a major impact on their classroom teaching and learning?  What content would be most helpful in impacting teachers' understanding of mathematics they are asked to teach?  The participants will discuss different aspects of selected current models for professional development and how these might work in a PDO partnership.  Discussions may include involving mathematicians, lessons learned from TIMSS, reflecting on Lesson Study, or selecting a specific mathematical concept for driving the professional development.

Participants will attend the morning sessions of the Secondary School Teachers Program.  The first morning session engages participants in doing mathematics collaboratively, and the second morning session is focused on reflecting on practice.  The DDPD group meets alone for one session in the afternoon.

Who may apply/attend?

Current or potential PDO site directors and all curriculum coordinators/specialists are invited to participate in this program, which meets this year during the second week of the PCMI Summer Session, July 13-18, 2008.  All mathematics supervisors and specialists may apply to the program, but we especially invite applications from supervisors and specialists working near an existing PDO.  Leaders of existing PDOs are strongly urged to attend.  Also, leaders of groups that anticipate applying to be a PDO are encouraged to apply.

PCMI is always interested in forming new Professional Development and Outreach groups and invites teachers or university faculty to consider forming such a group for future involvement in PCMI.  For information on how to apply, such groups should contact Catherine Giesbrecht, PCMI Administrator, at 801-363-1673, or by email:  giesbrec@ias.edu