Knowledge for Algebra Teaching for Equity (KATE) Project

The Knowledge for Algebra Teaching for Equity (KATE) Project was funded by the National Science Foundation in September 2011. This research project enriches the education of STEM teachers by using emergent technology to provide pre-service middle school mathematics teachers early teaching experiences that address topics in algebra and equity. In particular, the research team at Texas A&M University is using Second Life and other technologies to structure carefully planned learning experiences for pre-service teachers. Virtual technologies are used to provide pre-service teachers practice in presenting and assessing problem solving activities in a virtual classroom with diverse populations. Researchers hypothesize that technology enriched strategies have the potential to deepen pre-service teachers’ understanding and effectiveness in teaching emerging algebra concepts to diverse student populations.