My First Blog

Well, I am new to blogging, but certainly not short of ideas.  I suppose I will begin with an introduction.  My name is Shari Beck, and I am currently a mathematics professor at Navarro College.  In this position, I work alot with future teachers at Navarro, at Texas A&M Commerce, and through Teacher Quality grants.  My passion is teaching, so naturally, I am interested in future teachers.

I recently completed my Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in math education at Texas A&M University (2010).  My dissertation research focused on the comparison of the performance of 3rd and 4th graders in a dual language program with students in regular education on the standardized test in Texas (TAKS Test at that time).  I was really interested in learning if the use of visuals possibly influenced scores and if the learning of a 2nd language possibly had an effect on scores.

I attend professional conferences focused on teaching mathematics at multiple grade levels, and I personally have 7 years of experience teaching at the high school level and 12 years of experience at the community college level.

I look forward to learning more about my followers as I embark on this new adventure!