College of Education and Human Services Educational Studies

Seton Hall University

Spring 2013

EDST 2005

Methods of Mathematics Education

Course Description:

Math Methods is designed for those who will become elementary school teachers of mathematics. It is designed to help you facilitate children’s mathematical concepts and skills, as well as problem solving techniques. In the process it will challenge your thinking and further stimulate your own interest in mathematics. It is expected that you will increase your knowledge of the NCTM Standards and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Mathematics Standards. More specifically you will become familiar with the five curriculum content standards (numbers & operations, geometry, measurement, data analysis, and patterns and algebra) and the five process standards (problem solving, reasoning & proof, connections, representation, and communication). The goal of this course is to provide teachers an opportunity to (1) become knowledgeable of fundamental skills and concepts related to mathematics topics and learner outcomes; (2) develop teaching strategies and appropriate assessment techniques related to mathematics instruction; and (3) discover and/or enrich the enjoyment of learning and teaching mathematics.

Performance Objectives: Participants will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the content and process standards as outlined in the NCTM and New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards through open-ended quizzes and field application.
  2. Demonstrate number sense by solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems in many different ways other than the standard algorithm and explain strategies and impacts on student learning through reflective sessions.
  3. Demonstrate the use of problem solving skills by participating in problem solving experiences and explaining the strategies used.
  4. Create a two day lesson sequence based on assessments given after the first lesson.
  5. Adapt a lesson found in an elementary textbook to reflect the NCTM standards and meet the needs of diverse learners.
  6. Use knowledge of math topics through the development and teaching of an interactive math lesson that corresponds with the field experience math curriculum and meets the diverse needs of all students.
  7. Adapt a math lesson found on the Internet or in a textbook for diverse students to meet a specific characteristic of diversity. .
  8. Design a cooperative learning activity using a selected format and identify the importance of cooperative learning and the key elements and values involved.
  9. Show an understanding of alternative assessment by creating their own authentic assessment activity to accompany a lesson plan, such as, a journal entry, an open-ended performance task, student self-assessment, student portfolio entries and designing a rubric to evaluate student understanding.
  10. Use the Internet to find lesson plans, activities, math resources, and mathematics organizations to enhance their teaching and demonstrate this by created an annotated bibliography of mathematics related web-sites.
  11. Assess students understanding and reasoning after viewing a video-taped lesson.
  12. Reflect on their practice by writing a reflection paper after teaching lessons in class and during field placement by keeping a log of reflective sessions.
  13. Use math manipulative materials and calculators to create their own understanding of math concepts and design mathematics lessons that utilize these manipulative materials.

Learning Activities:

This course is about children learning mathematics. Teaching mathematics is both a challenging and stimulating endeavor because there are significant changes taking place in mathematics education. New insights, new materials, and, of course children who are growing up in a very different kind of society, dictate a very different approach to teaching mathematics. This course is designed like a workshop so that candidates can experience many of the same activities they will be using in their own classrooms. You will be expected to assume the role of teacher and learner. The approach to mathematics that we will use is an active one, where you will be engaged in problem solving activities that are discovery-oriented and open-ended. This active, student centered approach requires the use of manipulative materials and technology. You will discover that collaborative learning promotes active learning and that the individual contributions of group member’s help to teach one another in unique ways other than teacher-directed. Communication will also be an important part of the learning process. You will be expected to participate in an ongoing dialogue on math education, while keeping a record of your work in your mathematics’ learning log.

In this course, we will work on developing mathematics knowledge that is useful for teaching. The mathematics that we have selected has two major strands, one that is typically thought of as “content” - topics, ideas, procedures in specific mathematical domains, and a second strand that centers more on the particular mathematical thinking, skills, and reasoning involved in the mathematical tasks that teachers do.

Required Text:

Math Matters: Understanding the math you teach, 2nd edition by Chapin and Johnson (published by Math Solutions)

AND

Classroom Discussions: Using math talk to help students learn by Chapin, O'Connor and Anderson (published by Math Solutions)

Materials:

Graph paper

Journal

Calculator

Ruler (with English and metric units)

Web Sites:

NJ Core Curriculum Math Standards;

NCTM (National council of Teachers of Mathematics

Course Requirements:

Attendance and class participation: Your participation in our class activities and

discussions is important not only for your own learning but also the learning of others. Sharing your solutions, undeveloped ideas, and puzzlements with the group, as well as responding to classmates’ ideas, statements, and questions, are all critical to our work together. As a teacher, you need to do more than understand your own thinking, or your own solutions to math problems––you have to be able to track on others’ thinking, figure out what others are saying, and determine whether and how they make sense mathematically. In our class, the “others” will be your classmates. But in the future, they will be your students. So listening to and interacting with others in our class is explicitly to help you develop mathematical dispositions and skills that matter for teaching. I expect you to attend every class, to arrive on time for a prompt start, and to participate in and contribute to class. If circumstances prevent you from attending class, please send me an email or call in advance. After the first absence, two points will be deducted from your grade for every absence and one point will be deducted for each lateness.

Assignment Policy: All assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. Assignments will be collected in hard copy and not emailed to professor. Printing must be completed before the 10 am start time of the class. Emailed assignments will not be graded. If you are absent from class on that day then you are required to email the professor the assignment and follow up with a hard copy the next time you are on campus. Each day that an assignment is late a half letter grade will be deducted from the final grade (for example, an A paper would become an A- after one day). Finally, journal entries will not be accepted late. If you are absent be sure to email the journal entries on the day that they are due.

Assignments:

Content Quizzes: During the semester you will be assigned readings and activities from the text Math Matters. The following class meeting you will be given a short quiz on the content from the reading. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped. If you are absent you will use this quiz as your dropped grade.20% of final grade.

Journal Responses: During the semester you will be assigned readings and activities from the text Classroom Discussions and videotapes of children working on math tasks and /or engaging in group discussions. You will be assigned journal entries to accompany these readings/videos using various formats. 10% of final grade.

Place Value Activity/Interview: The purpose of this task is to learn about how students understand and use ideas from place value. For this project you will choose two students from your field experience. You will plan to engage them in a place value task and ask them questions about their understanding as they work on the task. You will be given ideas for tasks in class. You will then write up a report describing what happened and your interpretations of the children’s understanding. Specific guidelines and a grading rubric can be found in blackboard. 15% of final grade.

Textbook Lesson & Reflection: This project engages you in teaching a lesson in your cooperating classroom. You will use the students’ textbook to help you write this lesson. This will be your foundation but you will use what you have learned from this class to create an interactive, student-centered lesson based on the five NCTM process standards. You will use what you have been learning about attending to mathematical content and practices, what it means to be mathematically proficient, and concerns for equity. It will also give you an opportunity to integrate your skills in developing the culture of your classroom and making sense of students’ thinking. 20% of final grade.

Math & Literature Small Group Lesson: You will write a lesson using the SHU format. You will introduce the lesson using children’s literature and then engage the students in an activity/exploration related to the story.

Introduction: Read a book that can be used to introduce the specific content and teach a mini lesson on the content addressed in objective

Development: Invite students to work on a problem solving task related to the story and addressing the mathematics taught in the mini-lesson.

Conclusion: As a whole class – have students present their solutions and strategies to the class and then summarize the key concepts addressed in the lesson.

If you decide to teach this lesson in your classroom, you will write a reflection and it will be counted as an extra credit assignment. 15% of final grade.

Final Exam: The course will conclude with a final examination designed to focus on your knowledge and skills for teaching mathematics. Consistent with the course goals of developing your proficiency as a beginning teacher of mathematics, this exam will ask you to demonstrate your performance in the main areas of the course. A week before the final examination, I will distribute a list of possible exam problems and tasks. 20% of final grade.

Grading and Evaluation

Your final grade will be composed as follows based on your performance of each of the course requirements. Specific details about grading criteria will accompany individual assignments and the exam.

Journal Entries / 10%
Content Quizzes / 20%
Place Value Activity & Interview / 15%
Textbook Lesson & Reflection / 20%
Math & Literature Lesson / 15%
Final Exam / 20%

Final grading breakdown:

93-100 = A 77-79 = C+

90-92 = A- 73-76 = C

87-89 = B+ 70-72 = C-

83-86 = B 67-69 = D+

80-82 = B- 63-66 = D

Students with Disabilities Statement: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Civil Rights Restoration Act, students at Seton Hall University who have a disability may be eligible for accommodations in this course. Should a student require such accommodations, he or she MUST self identify at the Office of Disability Services (DSS) Room 67, Duffy Hall, provide documentation of said disability, and work with DSS to develop a plan for accommodation. The contact person is Mrs. Linda Walter at 973-313-6003.