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Users may also wish to visit the Database Overview for
a general description of each of the features of this website.
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What is TE-MAT?
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What kinds of materials are reviewed in the TE-MAT database?
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Who reviews the materials in the TE-MAT database?
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What does TE-MAT offer professional development providers?
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Does TE-MAT include materials for classroom teachers?
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How do I search the TE-MAT database?
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What information is provided in the search results?
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What is the difference between the descriptor and keyword searches?
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How are descriptor codes assigned to the reviews of materials?
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How do I locate professional development materials for a specific
purpose or topic area?
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Why do the materials on my search results page show purposes that I did not select on the descriptor search form?
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How will the results of a search differ when I select "K - 12" vs. "no preference" in the Grade Level field?
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What happens when I enter multiple terms into one of the term entry boxes in the keyword search?
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How do I broaden a search when I get too few results?
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How do I narrow a search when I get too many results
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How do I order materials that I find in the TE-MAT database?
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Where can I find information about national mathematics and science standards?
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How can I recommend a material for the TE-MAT database?
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How can I comment on the TE-MAT database or specific reviews of
materials?
1. What is TE-MAT?
The TE-MAT (Teacher Education Materials) Project was funded through a National
Science Foundation (NSF) grant to Horizon Research, Inc. The purpose of
the project was to develop an online resource to support professional
development providers as they sought to enhance the capacity of pre-service
and in-service teachers to provide high-quality K-12 mathematics/science education.
The National Science Teachers Association assumed responsibility for the site
and the review process in December 2006. This searchable database of reviews
of materials is intended to increase the accessibility of materials and
encourage their effective use in the design, implementation,
and evaluation of professional development programs.
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Visit About TE-MAT to learn more about contributors to
the project, reviews of materials, and future directions of the project.
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2. What kinds of materials are reviewed in the TE-MAT database?
Materials selected for review in the TE-MAT database support the work of
professional development providers as they plan and implement programs for
pre-service or in-service teachers in K-12 mathematics/science education. To be
included in the TE-MAT database, materials must meet certain criteria. Note
that inclusion in the database should not be considered an endorsement of a
material. See Criteria for Inclusion for more
information.
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3. Who reviews the materials in the TE-MAT database?
TE-MAT reviewers are educators who have professional development experience
and content knowledge in the relevant domain of the material. Reviewers
have been drawn from a variety of contexts, including colleges and
universities, government education agencies, private education organizations,
and K - 12 school districts. The final review posted on the TE-MAT database
is the result of an extensive review process
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4. What does TE-MAT offer professional development providers?
Whatever your experience level as a professional development provider or
pre-service educator, we hope you will find usefual information about resources
and tools in this database to help you design professional development programs
to support mathematics and science teachers.
In addition to the searchable collection of reviews of professional development
materials, the database includes two other components for professional
development providers:
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A
conceptual framework
highlights
critical elements to consider in designing and implementing an effective
professional development program and links to relevant resources for each area.
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TE-MAT essays provide reflections of experienced
professional development providers on aspects of the design, implementation,
and evaluation of professional development for mathematics and science
teachers.
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5. Does TE-MAT include materials for classroom teachers?
While there are certainly materials of interest to teachers included in the
database, these materials were not selected or reviewed for the purpose of
direct use by classroom teachers. Materials were selected based on their
appropriateness as resources for mathematics and science professional
development providers. Teachers will find it useful to visit the
Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education,
which is a comprehensive information source that directly targets the needs and
interests of classroom teachers.
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6. How do I search the TE-MAT database?
The reviews of professional development materials may be accessed via two types
of searches: the Descriptor Search and the
Keyword Search.
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7. What information is provided in the search results?
After submitting a descriptor or keyword search, a search return list appears
that includes the following information:
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The total number of reviews that meet the search criteria;
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The title, author, publisher and copyright date for each material identified in
that search;
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A brief description of each identified material;
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The type of resource (print, video, kit, etc.); and
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A list of all the purpose descriptor codes that were assigned to each of the
identified materials as part of the review process.
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8. What is the difference between the descriptor and keyword searches?
The descriptor search uses a specific set of codes assigned to each review based
on purposes of the material, science or mathematics topic area,
and special features included in the material such as examples of
student work or summaries of research. The keyword search returns reviews that
contain one or more specific terms. So, for example, a search using the purpose
descriptor "assessing student performance/achievement" would return a
list of materials in which assessment was a major purpose. In contrast, a
keyword search using the term "assessment" would return a list of all
reviews that include the term, regardless of the context or extent of focus.
For more information, see About the Descriptor
Search, About the Keyword Search,
and TE-MAT Descriptors.
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9. How are descriptor codes assigned to the reviews of materials?
NSTA staff and reviewers assign the purpose codes and topic area codes to
materials that have a major focus in the designated code areas;
the feature codes are assigned to any material that includes
one of the specified features. So, for example, a material must
have a major focus on "understanding how students learn" in
order to receive that particular purpose code. With even minimal
attention to detailed descriptions/examples of teacher work
(e.g., a few vignettes illustrating teachers' questioning
strategies as they probe for understanding) the material
would be assigned the feature code, "teacher work."
See TE-MAT Descriptors for detailed descriptions of each code.
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10. How do I locate professional development materials for a specific
purpose or topic area?
The place to begin a search for materials with a major focus on a specific
purpose (e.g., "deepening teachers' content knowledge," or "
understanding national standards") is to conduct a descriptor
search. Select from the "author's stated purpose" field the
purpose that best matches your area of interest. Similarly, selecting specific
science or mathematics topic areas (e.g., earth and space science or geometry
and spatial sense) from the "topic area" field will generate a list
of materials that have a major focus on that topic. Descriptor codes are
defined in the TE-MAT Descriptors section of this
website; these explanations can help users determine which purposes, features,
and topic areas most closely match their needs and interests.
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11. Why do the materials on my search results page show purposes that I did not select on the descriptor search form?
All designated purpose codes assigned to a particular material are listed on the search results page
(whether the descriptor or keyword search was used to identify those materials) and are also
found at the end of the reviews of materials.
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12. How will the results of a search differ when I select "K - 12" vs. "no preference" in the Grade Level field?
When "K - 12" is selected for Grade Level, the search return will include only reviews
of materials that reviewers designated as appropriate for all grade levels, K - 12.
Users should select "no preference" if grade level is not an important consideration;
this choice searches for materials without regard to designated grade level.
(Note that a similar principle applies when selecting choices in any of the descriptor fields.)
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13. What happens when I enter multiple terms into one of the term entry boxes in the keyword search?
When multiple terms are entered into a single term entry box, search results will include
reviews that contain the entire phrase. (It is not necessary to enclose the phrase in quotation marks.)
To search for multiple terms independently of each other, each term must be entered into a separate term entry box.
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14. How do I broaden a search when I get too few results?
There are a variety of ways to broaden a search when the initial search produced too few results.
Examples of ways you could broaden your search include the following:
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Use fewer fields in your search. For example, if you were searching for materials that focused on selecting instructional materials, and grade level and subject areas were not a critical feature, selecting "no preference" for those fields would broaden your results.
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Use a keyword search instead of a descriptor search. For example, if a descriptor search for materials that were assigned the topic code of "chemistry" produced too few results, you might conduct a keyword search using the term "chemistry" to locate materials that have a more limited focus in that area. (Note that the term would have to be included in the review itself or the title to be included in the keyword search results.)
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In a keyword search using two or more of the keyword boxes, select "or" from the linking pull-down menu rather than "and."
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15. How do I narrow a search when I get too many results?
Examples of ways you could narrow your search include the following:
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Designate choices in more fields. You could, for example, add a specification for grade level and/or subject area. Similarly, you could select descriptor terms from multiple fields (e.g., materials that have a particular feature such as "understanding how students learn" and also have a specified purpose such as "assessment").
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Add a term to a descriptor search. The descriptor search page includes a box to enter one or more keywords, which will limit the search to records that contain the designated terms. (The "record" includes the review itself, as well as the table of contents and bibliographic information.) For example, to locate materials that describe strategies for incorporating cooperative learning into mathematics/science classes, a user might select the purpose "improving classroom practice" then enter "cooperative learning" in the term entry box to narrow the results of the search to those records that include the term.
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In a keyword search using two or more of the keyword boxes, select "and" from the linking pull-down menu rather than "or." Selecting "not" will also narrow the search, by excluding reviews with the designated term.
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16. How do I order materials that I find in the TE-MAT database?
Use the "See Bibliographic Data, Contents, Etc." at the top of the review page. This provides detailed information, including how to order the material and its cost.
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17. Where can I find information about national mathematics and science standards?
A number of documents have been developed in recent years to bring national focus and
consensus on what students should know and be able to do upon completion of a sound
program in K - 12 science and mathematics. Direct links to the organizations that
disseminate nationally developed standards documents may be found on the
National Standards for Mathematics and Science Education page of this website.
Note that while standards documents themselves are not reviewed in this database,
there are a number of reviews of materials whose purpose is to help teachers
understand national standards. Reviews of those materials may be located by
conducting a descriptors search,
designating "Understanding national standards" in the field for professional development.
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18. How can I recommend a material for the TE-MAT database?
You will find instructions on how to recommend a material
by going to Contact TE-MAT and completing a
Material Recommendation Form.
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19. How can I comment on the TE-MAT database or specific reviews of materials?
We welcome users' feedback on any aspect of this database. You can let
us know what you think by going to
Contact TE-MATor sending an email using the
Email TE-MAT form.
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