Teacher of the Year visits AIC
 |
| Michael Flynn |
SPRINGFIELD--Future teachers at American International College had a chance to work with one of the state's best teachers as Michael B. Flynn paid a visit to AIC. Flynn, the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year for 2007-08 worked with students in Barbara Dautrich's "Teaching Math Elementary and Early Childhood" class on Wed., April 2.
Dautrich, assistant professor of education at AIC, said Flynn's visit is timely because the teaching of math is now in the national spotlight. "The federal government in 2006, appointed the National Math Advisory Panel to make recommendations for teaching and assessing math based on the best available scientific evidence. There are experts who advocate a traditional, skills-based approach to instruction, while others argue in favor of the conceptual approach hailed by the constructivists," she said.
Flynn, a second grade teacher at William E. Norris Elementary School in Southampton, has gained recognition for his curriculum expertise in math. He use the newly popular "Investigations" program that teaches math with a hands-on approach and collaborative problem solving.
Flynn told the group it is important to get students involved in the learning process, but he recommends using a combination of approaches. "What I like about the new program, is how it combines the repetition and drills of the traditional approach, but also allows students to understand what they are learning," he said.
The 27 AIC students in the class, all teacher candidates for Initial Licensure, received a hands-on demonstration of the program and had the opportunity to try out a lesson.
Flynn teaches 2nd grade at the William E. Norris Elementary School in Southampton, where he engages his students in learning experiences such as raising salmon to release in a local river or designing rockets launched by air pressure.
American International College
1000 State Street
Springfield MA 01109
(800) 242-3142
inquiry@aic.edu