Preparing to Teach Mathematics with Technology Project, Led By University Distinguished Professor Hollylynne Lee and Associate Dean Karen Hollebrands, Wins North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics Innovator Award

NC State College of Education University Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Education Hollylynne Lee and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation Karen Hollebrands have been the leaders of a highly impactful project to prepare teachers to teach mathematics with technology that won the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCCTM) Innovator Award. 

The Innovator Award recognizes individuals or groups who have made outstanding and noteworthy contributions to mathematics education by founding, initiating, pioneering or developing a program in mathematics education that serves a region or the entire state of North Carolina. 

The Preparing to Teach Mathematics with Technology (PTMT) Project was selected as the 2024 group recipient.

“We are grateful to receive this award for the PTMT project. This recognition highlights the potential of the ways technology-based curricula can transform mathematics teacher education,” Hollebrands said. “Our work is very collaborative and includes dozens of individuals who have partnered with us, including graduate students, research associates, postdocs, co-principal investigators and technology-using mathematics teacher educators. Their knowledge, experience, insights and feedback have been crucial to our success.”

Over the years, there have been many faculty across four institutions who have contributed to the PTMT project: Professor Allison McCulloch, at UNC Charlotte, was formerly a faculty member at NC State and joined the project team in 2011. Two graduates from the Learning and Teaching in STEM Mathematics and Statistics Education concentration — Jennifer Lovett and Charity Cayton — joined the leadership team as principal investigators in 2018. In the most recent grant awarded in 2022, College of Education Assistant Professor Ruby Ellis and Friday Institute for Educational Innovation Director of HI-RiSE Gemma Mojica, along with alumna Kayla Chandler, have embarked with Hollebrands on another iteration of the project.

“PTMT was started as we re-envisioned what a course in our undergraduate math teacher education program could become. We knew that faculty at other institutions would greatly appreciate having research-based curricula materials to use in similar courses in their programs,” Lee said. “Little did we know that the first NSF grant, awarded in 2005, would launch an opportunity to build something that grew to be so impactful and widespread. Plus it meant that I got to work with one of my best friends on something we are both so passionate about!”

For the past two decades, the Preparing To Teach Mathematics with Technology Project has developed free, research-based curricula focused on the effective use of technology tools to enhance the teaching and learning of critical secondary mathematics topics, including algebra, statistics and geometry, while enhancing teachers’ ability to foster students’ mathematical thinking and authentic engagement with mathematics. 

The project, which has been supported by more than $4.5 million in funding from the National Science Foundation, has impacted more than 8,000 pre- and in-service mathematics teachers through coursework, professional development and massive open online courses (MOOCs). In addition, more than 400 faculty members from universities in 35+ states and at least 15 countries have interacted with PTMT through summer institutes held at NC State as well as workshops, webinars and newsletters. 

Over the course of the project so far, the team has produced more than 70 publications, more than 100 presentations, garnered five National Technology Leadership Awards and influenced eight separate graduate student theses or dissertations. 

“The PTMT project represents a pinnacle of dedication and innovation in mathematics teacher education, significantly impacting North Carolina and beyond. The project embodies the innovative spirit and sustained commitment that the NCCTM Innovator Award celebrates. Its comprehensive approach to enhancing mathematics education through technology has had a profound and lasting impact,” a NCCTM representative said upon presenting the award to the project team.