Title: Establishing priorities in mathematics programs for prospective element ary school teachers - agreements and differences of opinion emerging from colla borative relationships
Speaker: Rosamond Welchman, Brooklyn College (CUNY)

Current school reform efforts require that elementary teachers have a different type of mathematical background than previously expected, with more depth and flexibility. College students who intend to be K-6 teachers learn about mathematics in varied and sometimes contradictory contexts - in Mathematics courses, in Education courses, and in school field placements. Benefits and difficulties result from asking faculty from these varied contexts to collaborate in the design of programs and curricula to meet the needs of reform. This session will present ongoing work of an NSF-funded project, the New York Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation , which aims to improve mathematics teacher preparation in a large urban area. The project is searching for rich contexts which can simultaneously enhance students' understanding of mathematics and pedagogy (at both adults' and children's levels). Examples build on commonly used mathematics manipulatives, children's literature, and games.