Participants in this first session of MEWS are enrolled for two units of CSM credit, applicable toward professional development in the San Mateo Foster City School District.  Subsequent sessions will comprise courses whose design is guided by MEWS objectives and that are part of the permanent course offerings at CSM.  The title for the course in this first session is Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers, temporarily designated Math 680.  Duration of the course is approximately one academic year, i.e. from June, 2000 to May 2001. Under discussion are a second offering of MEWS for 2001-02, beginning in June, 2001, and a second CSM course which would follow Math 680. Both courses would be open to K--8 teachers from any school.    

Classroom time consists of a sixteen hour workshop during one week of summer followed by sixteen hours of workshops distributed through the following academic year.  During this first offering of the workshop, the summer workshop was on June 20 -- 23 at College of San Mateo.  Dates for the subsequent workshops, also held at CSM, are September 13 and November 8 in 2000, and January 24, March 14 and May 9 in 2001.

Workshop class activities are a combination of lecture-demonstration and collaborative activities.  Topics are from mathematics that underlies current K--8 curriculum.  Homework assignments and in-class collaborative time include activities that are parallel to learning activities in K--8 text material.  While some of the course content is offered through lecture, independent study and WWW resources, some also is presented through activities that are directly applicable to teaching of K--8 mathematics.

Classroom activity will be augmented by Internet-based communication.  Communication by e-mail is part of course activity during the academic year.  Participants will have access to a message board and homework will include use of Internet resources.