CPR2
We are from the Departments of Mathematics and Computer Science and Information Systems at the University of North Alabama. This is an invitation to participate with us in CPR2 (Collaborative Partnership to teach mathematical Reasoning through Computer PRogramming), a project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM+C! The goals of the CPR2 grant are to investigate whether computer programming is an effective tool for teaching and learning generalization in 7th and 8th grade math classrooms. The CPR2 Instructional Model (IM) will help students come to understand, interpret, and even generate general or algebraic expressions. The team has developed an explicit method for teaching generalization that is intended for learners with no background in programming or formal mathematical argumentation.
We are looking 7th and 8th grade math teachers to participate in this research project.
Half of the teachers who participate in the research project will be randomly selected to attend our 2021 Virtual Summer Institute, where they will engage in 8 days of paid professional development (June 1 – 4, 8, 15, 22, and 29 from 1pm – 4pm CT) to prepare them to use our instructional method in their own classrooms. These teachers will participate in two additional paid sessions during the school year to support their classroom implementations each semester (Fall 2021 and Spring 2022). The anticipated time to cover a lesson is 3 – 5 days. Participation in all PD sessions is expected. These teachers and their students will complete data collection activities throughout project. The teachers in this group will have the opportunity to receive up to $1200 in compensation over the duration of the project.
The teachers not randomly selected to participate in the experiment, will be assigned to the control group and only be asked to complete assessment items. These teachers will receive compensation for each assessment and will also be given first priority at subsequent paid PD sessions during a summit in the summer of 2022. These teachers will have the opportunity to receive $530 in compensation over the duration of the project.
Teachers who are interested in participating in CPR2 need to email cpr2@una.edu to sign up. We will randomly divide registrants into two groups as mentioned above, then notify participants of which group they were randomly assigned to participate in.
If you have additional questions, feel free to contact cpr2@una.edu.
The CPR2 Team
(Janet Jenkins, Cynthia Stenger, and Jessica Stovall)