Our Grant Proposal

It occurs to me that some people might be interested in reading our grant proposal that we wrote for Fund for Teachers. We wrote a different grant last year to go to Thailand, but it wasn't accepted. We put it together pretty quickly and it wasn't well researched. This year, I think we wrote a pretty good proposal, but most of the credit goes to Marie for actual writing and putting everything together. The short, choppy sentences are probably mine.
-Morgan


COMPETITIVE--well suited for competition. From the Latin root competere--to seek together; to strive together.

Americans have always been players. In the worlds of sports, economics, and even space exploration, we have set specific goals and made sure we were competitively "in the game." In fact, we are accustomed to leading the way and to winning. Recently, however, our educational marks have put us "on the bench."
Our inner-city students face the challenges of second-language acquisition, of garnering parental support and involvement, and of class sizes restrictive to differing learning styles. It all mounts to seemingly impossible odds. However, Singapore's educational system is resoundingly beating the odds. The last three consecutive Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) reports, which is a respected standard of international achievement, have ranked Singapore as a math powerhouse (Garelick, Barry, Education Next 2004, 4) Comparatively, the United States ranked 16th, among the lowest of all industrialized countries. Singapore's results were earned despite having a class size average of 38; despite having 57% of students who "seldom" or "never" speak the language of the test at home, and despite having less parental involvement time at the school (www. timss.bc.edu). In addition, Singapore's girls tend to significantly outperform boys. How can we compete? It is going to take the root definition of competitive--seeking and striving together--in order to put us "back in the game."
Because of this data, Singapore's math has amassed a lot of attention. This former British colony is a small citystate in Southeast Asia on the Malaysian peninsula. Since 1970, its economy has burgeoned from $300 GDP per capita to $25,000. This growth is due in part to its educational policies. The country modified these in the 1980s to build up its labor force and to create technical skills unavailable elsewhere in the Third World. A study of Singapore math conducted by the American Institute for Research for the U.S. Department of Education (released January 2005) concluded, "What the United States needs overall are the sound features of the Singapore Mathematics system."

This paradigm is a slim, streamlined approach that emphasizes the basics of mathematics. The textbooks contain few graphics, no games, and no calculator problems. It promotes problem solving utilizing student's diagrams and core concepts. In America, the texts flourish among home-school groups, but only a handful of public schools have tried adopting the textbook. Because the math is more advanced and the manuals are written for teachers who generally have a much deeper understanding, the program has been intimidating and slow to take off in the US. Additionally, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics urges educators to look "beyond the textbooks" to see what the lessons from Singapore are. We desire to do just that. We want American children, and specifically Houston children, to compete.

When thinking about your teaching practice, what would you like to learn?
Both of us serve the same neighborhood population. The students often feed into the other's classroom. We collaborate personally and professionally on a continual basis. Our observations are that young children are zealous about mathematics and concept exploration. However, as they mature, kids become fearful of math and doubtful of their own abilities. We are met with,"math is my worst subject"; "My mom isn't good at math and neither am I"; and "I hate math." How can we imbue a passion for math and a boldness to attempt problem solving fearlessly? How can we create a generation equipped with globally competitive math skills if the foundation is so tenuous?

What are the key questions you want to explore?
1. How do Singapore & Southeast Asia achieve such stellar mathematical results?

2. Why do factors such as class size, gender, and language acquisition not have the same deleterious effects in Singapore as they do in the US?
What teaching strategies allow for such a large student to teacher ratio?
Is gender discrepancy addressed or are cultural influences impacting performance?
How is the language barrier bridged?

3. What are some pedagogical strategies we can import to our classrooms that impassion children about math?

4. How does cultural structure support and/or enhance performance?

5. How can we demonstrate Singapore's success to challenge and motivate both American students and teachers of mathematics?

What challenge or passion inspires your proposed fellowship?
Survival requires change. In a quickly changing world economy, the future is driven by countries able to innovate. Cutting-edge industries and, in fact, all industries, require mathematical knowledge. For the US to hold its lead as an economic world power, the work force must be a math contender. Sadly, these math skills are often lacking in our students. On the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), math scores are consistently and significantly lower than scores for other subjects. Clearly, we must make a stronger effort to improve students' mathematical knowledge. We assert that US should strive to be first in math and not 16th.

Our fascinating questions not only pose inquiry into pedagogy and teaching strategies, but also opportunities for cultural investigations and habits of mind. Moreover, we are committed to providing equivalent learning opportunities for our children. It is a cultural imperative. We aspire to look beyond the current trends and incorporate other strategies. Knowledge and experimentation will contribute to results. A melding of East meeting West may afford synergy that equates to success.

II Project Description
In order to look "beyond the textbooks" we wish to travel to Singapore and Southeast Asia for four weeks for several facets of investigation. First, we plan to spend two weeks observing in primary school classrooms in Singapore. Mr. Liu Jing from the Ministry of Education in Singapore (www.moe.gov.sg), helps facilitate connections with his local schools. There are several centrally-located schools including Farrer Park and River Valley that will be amenable to a visit during July. Luckily, Singaporean schools are taught in English and are in session then. Their willingness to open their doors and share their data may help shed light on their scores. Full immersion into the schools' programs will help us see how teaching practices differ, how language is addressed, and how gender differences are approached. The extended stay will also be helpful since Singaporean math lessons are not one-day windows, but formally take days. A week at each school should give varied access to different classes, ages, and grades that utilize the curriculum and program.

The above schools were selected due to their achievements and their proximity to budget hotels and transportation. We hope to stay close to the schools to explore their community and culture first hand. Because the city is so diverse, it seemed important to explore their micro-communities. These schools emphasize unity and celebration of differences. Their vision is that of an inviting school committed to bringing out the best in every individual. We feel this could easily translate into the diversity of the Houston area.

For our third week, we plan to attend a graduate program offered through the National Institute of Education (www.nie.edu.sg/gprica). For optimum content, one team member hopes to attend Open-ended tasks in Mathematics Instruction and Assessment while the other member attends Teaching Mathematics through Problem Solving: Hands on Activities for the Primary Grades. Since educators in Singapore must complete one hundred hours a year in professional development, options for seminars abound. The National Institute of Education is responsible for the training and professional development of all educators in Singapore.

Additionally, we hope to study the incredibly diverse ethnic culture created in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur with a short visit. It is on the same peninsula only a short train ride from the citystate of Singapore. The proximity allows for another perspective of culture and mathematics education success as they ranked 10th in TIMSS. A visit to Kuala Lumpur is additionally valuable experience because of the melding of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and as well as a wide variety of indigenous groups. Religions include Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist, Hindi, and Christian. This melding of cultures is celebrated through their crown jewel, the National Museum, in which we will spend time. This divergent richness could only favor broadening of our perspective and understanding as Houston and its people are also culturally and religiously diverse.

III Teacher Growth & Learning

How will your fellowship help you to address your key questions?

1. How do Singapore and Southeast Asia achieve such stellar mathematical results?
Our proposed fellowship immerses us in Southeast Asia's and especially Singapore's educational experience. The classroom observation and, ideally, interaction allows first-hand knowledge well beyond that offered by a training or inservice program. Curriculum approach is demonstrated in the truest of settings. We are not looking to adopt a textbook, but rather to understand an entirely different approach that may imbue a mathematical richness and depth. We have studied the data; we need the "know-how."

2. Why do factors such as class size, gender, and language acquisition not have the same deleterious effects in Singapore as they do in the US?
What teaching strategies facilitate a large student-to-teacher ratio?
Is gender discrepancy addressed or are cultural influences impacting performance?
How is the language barrier bridged?

We plan to investigate the above questions by being part of the system. The immediacy accommodates questioning of administrators, teachers, and even students where appropriate. Ideally, we hope to see different teachers, classrooms, and student demographics addressing gender and language questions. We are curious to see if the above issues are addressed or if the "system" ameliorates them. Observations and conversations will specifically address each of the areas of inquiry.

3. What are some pedagogical strategies we can import to our classrooms that impassion children about math?
Our graduate program in week three allows us to experience the same training that Singapore teachers receive. Working with the teachers allows a vision of cultural structural contribution to the "mathematical equation." We get to see the field in which the seeds are sown. As teachers share "notes" that might never be in a book or heard in a classroom, we will gain a much deeper understanding of the content and also the value.

4. How does cultural structure support and/or enhance performance?
Staying in the community and immersing ourselves in the experience fills in pieces and bridges gaps that a curriculum manual cannot. The communities' value and support of education is undeniably a factor. We also hope to note how the apparent diversity is celebrated and knit successfully. The opportunity to see two large and diversified cities demands genuine reflection upon our own.

5. How can we demonstrate Singapore's success to challenge and motivate American students and teachers of mathematics?
Singapore's story is certainly inspiring. Once these statistics were shared with friends and associates, we already have seen interest piqued. We are certain the data combined with implementation suggestions will positively impact both teachers and students. More rigorous standards require rigorous training and zeal. Our competitive nature will demand it. Our job becomes sharing our findings with as many as possible.

How will this fellowship help you grow as teachers?
We are excited about the access to Singapore's educators first in the classroom and secondly as students in the graduate program. They are the "experts" that can go beyond a manual or a motto. Seeing is believing, doing is learning, and teaching is knowing. We are absolutely positive we can grow prodigiously (and probably painfully) as mathematicians as well as educators. The graduate program with the National Institute of Education will be first quality. Establishing a rapport outside of the classroom with elite professionals is a priceless opportunity. No doubt the face-to-face learning will match or exceed that of the sessions'. Additionally, with the current questioning and clamoring to learn about Southeast Asia's approach, we trust to be called to share our observations, experiences, and insights with others. Obviously, we won't be able to replace our current mathematics instruction with Singapore's. Melding our new-found knowledge with state standards and district expectations will demand integrity and ingenuity, creativity and sensitivity. We yearn for the task.

IV Student Growth & Learning

How will students benefit from your proposed fellowship?
What value will this experience add to your classroom?
This fellowship's three-pronged approach adds concrete physical textbooks and curriculum, intense teacher training and background knowledge, and increased cultural enrichment. We hope to mix the best of Asia with what we know is working for us. Students will be richer from the varied approaches. The visual and pictorial problem solving may be more approachable and less intimidating to children. If students taste success early, if they build a strong foundation, if they have opportunity and high expectations, they will be far more likely to excel. By stepping outside of our own framework, we hope to rethink how the entire subject is presented and make it more "user friendly," yet more rigorous. No doubt stronger math teachers make stronger math students.

We aim to foster global awareness among the students by utilizing Asian materials and sharing stories of Asian children's success. Setting examples of pupils learning outside of their native tongue surmounting obstacles or proving statistically that gender performance is a fallacy might meaningfully impact a child. We aspire to help mitigate some of our students' challenges.

V Benefits to School Community

How will your fellowship experience contribute to your school community's efforts to encourage students & improve learning?
Ideally, our fellowship will translates directly into increased performance statistically. The Southeast Asian approach encompasses a child's entire public career, so the technique can be utilized in all grades. Informal collaboration as well as training sessions and demonstrations will hopefully benefit our colleagues and their students. The fact that our students feed from one class to another allows for continuity and for broader exposure to students, teachers, and parents. The problem solving approaches will hopefully be applied by teachers, students, and parents far beyond their current experience.

Our fellowship would also provide further opportunities for us to grow as a team. We can help develop sound instructional strategies and share them with interested colleagues. We want to impassion fellow educators to make the United States first in math, not 16th. We are not resigned to mediocrity.

VI Documentation of Learning

How will you document and report on the impact of your experience to your students, your peers?

While in Singapore, our observations from the schools will be shared electronically through a blog. Students and colleagues become a part of the experience and it lends itself to more interaction. These may also be used in the future by other interested teachers or districts.

Upon returning home, our findings from the professional development courses can be shared with other educators via informal discussions and through more formal educator workshops.

Our cultural explorations and immersion can be shared electronically while in Singapore and afterwards through a compilation of cultural artifacts and pictures. We plan on a physical as well as virtual book or album to maximize access. This proposal also offers a concrete curriculum and textbooks that may be shared following allowable means. We also plan to write an article to be submitted for peer review to educational journals. We believe it is the sharing of our found knowledge that will address the question about impassioning fellow educators.

Additionally, we feel our experience and learning has the capability to be statistically substantiated on student test scores. While these may not be available immediately, within the first year, we can analyze data for student growth.

Budget Narrative

With an economy comparable to Europe's, Singapore is a relatively expensive city in Asia. If one avoids business-class hotels and flights, however, the expenses are generally equivalent to those in the United States.

Transportation from Houston IAH to Singapore's Changi airport comprises the bulk of our budget. According to various internet travel sites, air travel in July should cost approximately $1,650 per person. We have included funds for taxi and daily train fare on SMRT in Singapore ($105). After checking SMRT's fares and routes, we believe that each member of our team should need about $2.50 each day for train and bus fare. The round trip train fare to Kuala Lumpur on KTM is $200 for two. (Transportation Total: $3,605)

For budget hotel accommodations, we ask for $100 per night in Singapore and $75 a night in Malaysia. We checked numerous travel websites and found this budget hotel price possible with advance reservations. We checked with both the city and the NIE and, unfortunately, neither have a host family program in place at this time. (Lodging Total: $2,025)

Although the US State Department per diem for Singapore allow $104 a day for food and incidentals, travel guides such as Lonely Planet and Frommers suggest it can be done for as little as $30 a day in Singapore and $20 in Malaysia for food. (Food Total:$1,180)

The tuition costs for the graduate program at the National Institute for Education (NIE) is $260 per person. We request $70 for educational materials that will be sold through the NIE. Fortunately, internet access to update our blog is free in 5,000 wireless hotspots with wireless@SG in Singapore. In addition, we ask for $100 for souvenirs. (Tuition and Miscellaneous Total: $690) Total amount requested is $7,500.

Reflection is only powerful if it leads to action. We truly feel this proposal might be a catalyst for helping American children compete globally. However, it will literally take us all "seeking and striving together." Please help us do our part.