To everyone:


I admit, the title to this email is a trick question.  I am trying to lure
people with school-age children and people interested in education to come
to the talk I am giving next Tuesday.  This talk is about what teachers
need to know about math so they can teach it well to their
students.   [Yes, the talk is about mathematics and I know there are a lot
of math phobics out there.  Maybe you're one of them and you have probably
already stopped reading this email.  But if you haven't, think about
this.  Do you want your children to be math-phobic?  Do you want
math-phobic elementary teachers teaching your children (or your
grandchildren, as the case may be)?  If not, please keep reading.]

For instance, consider these problems:

1.  How many feet are in a mile?

2.  Suppose you buy a sofa on sale for 1/3 off. The sale price is
$360.  How much money do you save by buying it on sale?

The answers are at the end of this email.

Should future teachers know how to answer these questions?  Should your
children know how to answer these questions by the time they finish middle
school?  CAN future teachers answer these questions??  Come to my talk and
find out....


 From 0 to 60 in 15 Weeks: What Should and Can be Accomplished in Mathematics
Courses for Future K-8 Teachers

Tuesday, January 18, EMCS 422, 3:00 pm.


This presentation will include:

(a) a brief overview of national recommendations for mathematics content
courses for future teachers;

(b) results of a pretest/posttest study of future teachers' mathematical
knowledge; and

(c) a discussion of a course that develops a deeper understanding of the
mathematics that these students will soon teach.


This talk will be interesting to parents, educators, and others interested
in mathematics education in elementary and middle school.

***************************************

Answers:  (a)  There are 5280 feet in a mile.   (b)  You save $180.  [No,
$120 is not the right answer.]