Thatcher Presenter at Global TeachNet Workshop
SALISBURY, MD--Dr. Debra Thatcher, associate professor of education in the Samuel W. and Marilyn C. Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies at Salisbury State University, was a featured presenter at a Washington, D.C., workshop sponsored by the Peace Corps Association’s Global TeachNet Project.
The workshop, "A World of Numbers and Hypotheses," provided a multicultural, global perspective on the teaching of science and mathematics for K-12 classroom teachers. By studying the work of several ethnomathematicians, Thatcher helped elementary school teacher participants understand that the "universal" language of mathematics has many dialects.
Thatcher also worked with Dr. Larry Shirley, professor of mathematics education at Towson University, Dr. Victoria Kuntz, chemistry educator and researcher, and EllaJay Parfitt, science/health department head at Southeast Middle School in Baltimore and president-elect of the Maryland Association of Science Teachers. As a team, the presenters guided the teacher participants in analyzing and interpreting data related to the global issues of agriculture, urbanization and education. "This was a powerful experience for the teachers," said Thatcher. "The teachers examined global issues in a new way, challenged their own understanding of the issues, and learned strategies for data analysis to use with their students."
For more information on Global TeachNet, visit their Web site at www.rpcv.org/pages/globalteachnet.cfm.