Chrystal Dean

Organization/Institution
Appalachian State University
About Me (Bio)
Chrystal Dean is assistant professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Appalachian State University. She received her B.S. in Mathematics/Secondary Education and her Master's degree in Instructional Technology from Appalachian State University. After teaching mathematics and science for four years to fulfill her NC Teaching Fellows obligation, she earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Vanderbilt University. Prior to coming to Appalachian State University, she was on faculty at Clemson University for three years. She teaches courses in mathematics education and action research in the undergraduate and graduate programs. Her research interests focus on the development of professional mathematics teaching communities and the means of supporting their emergence and concurrent learning. Currently, this focus encompasses the development of online professional teaching communities.
Keywords
Professional Development

Science and Mathematics Integration for Literacy Enhancement (Project SMILE)

Appalachian State University
09/15/2009

The goals of STEM instruction are to educate a populace that is scientifically and mathematically literate and who can solve real-world problems by applying science and mathematics. This exploratory project is designed to study the effectiveness of professional development focused on the integration of mathematics and science instruction, mediated by technology tools, to improve middle school teachers' ability to teach scientific inquiry and mathematical problem solving.