Introduction

Extended learning courses in Number and Algebra for in-service Middle School Math Teachers have been taught at West Virginia University since 2002. The format of the courses has remained constant: a two credit hour mathematics course and a one credit hour corequisite Curriculum and Instruction course, part I of both Math and C&I taught in the fall semester and part II in the spring semester. Splitting the three hour content into a mathematics portion and a C&I portion is done to make clear the applicability of the mathematics. The courses were conceived as part of an initiative for in-service middle school mathematics teachers in the NSF funded statewide professional development initiative called MERIT (Mathematics Education Reform Initiative for Teachers). More recently the courses have been offered as part of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Making Middle Grades Work program, which is independent of the MERIT initiative, but has a similar philosophy and aims to meet similar goals of increasing capacity and teacher depth of knowledge at the middle school level. The courses are appropriate for in-service and pre-service middle school math teachers, but so far have proved to be of greatest use for in-service teachers.

The objectives of the courses are to increase knowledge and competence for middle school mathematics teachers in content and pedagogy related to the teaching and learning of number and algebra. For the two credit hour mathematics courses, the content portion means

• Improve understanding of basic concepts and skills in the area of number and algebra.

• View number and algebra from an advanced perspective.