This professional materials development pilot project will develop materials to support the professional development needs of the NSF-supported middle school projects. Project VITAL (Video Interactives for Teacher Analysis and Learning) will produce a pilot CD-ROM and accompanying print support materials to address teaching for mathematical understanding at the middle school level.
The intent of the project is for teachers to watch, question, and reflect on video from classrooms implementing reform-based curricula, to examine student and teacher materials, and to "listen to and reflect with implementing teachers, students, parents, curriculum developers, and math educators." Project partners include the Institute for Research on Learning, the Show-Me Center from the University of Missouri, EDC's K-12 Mathematics Curriculum Center, MarshWorks, and Quality Evaluation Designs. Other collaborators include the NSF-supported Middle School Mathematics curriculum projects, other projects, and local middle school teachers.
