June 15, 2007. More than 2,000 elementary mathematics educators in Texas will be trained using videos produced by the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL) as part of a project to improve the mathematics preparation of teachers nationwide. In May 2007, Math Teks - a partnership among Wireless Generation, Texas A&M University, and Columbia University- held workshops for 100 staff developers representing all 20 Texas Regional Service Centers and more than 20 Texas school districts. This group of 100 is expected to train an additional 20 educators each using the same approach.

The CCNMTL project, Video Interactions for Teaching and Learning (VITAL), is an interactive learning environment for courses in early childhood mathematics education developed in collaboration with Herbert P. Ginsburg, Jacob H. Schiff Foundations Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College. With the support of a $2.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation, VITAL will serve as a platform to disseminate curriculum for teachers, video demonstrations of children engaged in mathematical activities, and activities that make use of tools for analyzing and writing about video.

"We are delighted that VITAL is already making a national impact on teacher professional development. The interest of the Texas State Education Authority is an early indication of the significance of this project," added CCNMTL Executive Director Frank A. Moretti.

CCNMTL staff taped more than 100 hours of video at pre-kindergarten and elementary classrooms across New York City and in New Jersey. The videos show children at play, children talking about mathematics with researchers, and teachers leading classroom lessons. The videos are organized according to content areas derived from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards, which track the developmental progression of children. The modules created by Wireless Generation and its university partners will train educators in identifying the mathematical development of children and appropriate pedagogical strategies, guiding student understanding, and developing assessment strategies to inform instruction.