OVERVIEW:
This course is not designed to simply show you the best ways of
teaching - even for a specific mathematics classroom this would be
impossible. Nor is this course a prescription for teaching math. The
purpose of this course is to explore the teaching and learning of
mathematics in grades K-8. The course will focus on discussing methods
and materials that have the potential to be effective in teaching
mathematics to elementary school students.
We will begin with the following premises:
1. We all have beliefs about how mathematics should be taught in
schools, and these beliefs are often based on our own experiences as
students.
2. These experiences should not necessarily be regarded as examples of
effective practice.
3. Important changes are occurring in what is known about the learning
and teaching of mathematics.
4. We must think critically about our own mathematics learning in order
to design appropriate experiences for our students.
The readings for this course, both required and optional, offer a wide
assortment of activities for classroom use. A theme that is central to
these readings is the idea that each individual must actively construct
his or her own understanding of mathematics. This view of learning is
also applicable to us as we seek to learn methods of teaching. Each of
us comes to this classroom with prior knowledge and experiences; thus,
we must all be cognizant and critical of that knowledge as we construct
our own understandings of how to teach mathematics.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2009). Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally (7th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 978-0-205-57352-3
OPTIONAL TEXTBOOK:
Burns, Marilyn (2007). About Teaching Mathematics, A K-8 Resource (3rd
Ed.). Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions. ISBN 978-0-941355-76-6.
FREE REQUIRED MATERIALS (browse or
download from WWW):
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000). Princliples and
Standards for School Mathematics ("Standards 2000"). Found at: http://standards.nctm.org/document/.
To order a hard copy, call 1-800-235-7566.
WA Essential Academic Learning Requirements: http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/default.aspx
COURSE OUTLINE:
Topics and Driving Themes:
What is mathematics? What does in mean to know mathematics?
What is effective mathematics teaching?
Review of "what's out there" in regard to elementary mathematics
curriculum materials.
Review of "what's out there" in regard to theories and recommendations
for elementary mathematics instruction.
The teaching of arithmetic ideas and operations on whole numbers,
fractions, and decimals; number sense; algebra; geometry and
measurement; probability and statistics.
The NCTM Standards and the Washington Essential Academic Learning
Requirements.
Assessment.
Pedagogy in relation to Curriculum.
Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge.
Constructivism.
The Theory of Reification.
Technology that can enhance the Teaching of elementary mathematics.
Technology that can change the very Nature of elementary mathematics.
Tutoring, Small Group work, and Whole-Class settings.
Questioning, and Responding to student questions.
Mathematical Applications.
Students as individuals.
Differentiated instruction.
Mathematical Problem Solving.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
The semester grade will be computed according to the following criteria:
Teaching Experience:
Each of you will be assigned to a classroom in one of the area schools.
The teaching experience for this course requires you to participate in
a brief instructional episode as part of this experience. You will
create lesson plans and deliver them to children in your classroom.
Your ability to show a positive impact on student learning will be
assessed by your lesson plans and reflections on your teaching. Details
of this activity are provided elsewhere.
Course Assignments:
Course assignments consist of reflective writing pieces requiring you
to critically analyze issues in teaching and learning mathematics, as
well as assignments that deal with the construction of sample
mathematics problems. A "classroom-focused" assignment will be
conducted in conjunction with all of your methods courses as well as
the Research Methods course. All assignments must be turned in on the
specified due date at the beginning of class. Late assignments will be
lowered one letter grade. All assignments should be typed. Details of
these assignments are provided elsewhere.
Professionalism & Class Participation:
You are expected to attend all classes and to conduct yourself in a
professional manner. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of
class. If you are late, it is your responsibility to notify the
instructor (after class) of your presence. If you must be absent from
class, please let me know before the missed session if at all possible.
Classes will only be worthwhile if we have all read the assigned
readings and are ready to actively participate in discussions about
them. Professional behavior in this course involves the following: (1)
willingness to participate in and add to the quality of the instruction
in this course, (2) your attendance and tardiness record, and (3) your
approach to course assignments.
Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is the cornerstone of the university and will be strongly enforced in this course. Any student found in violation of the academic integrity policy will be given an ZFZ for the course and will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. For additional information about WSUZs Academic Integrity policy/procedures please contact (360) 546-9573.
Professional Dispositions: This course is taught in accordance with the Early Warning System. Please refer to your program Handbook for a copy of that policy.
Disability Accommodation: Accommodations may be available if you need them in order to fully participate in this class because of a disability. Accommodations may take some time to implement so it is critical that you contact Disability Services as soon as possible. All accommodations must be approved through Disability Services, located in the Student Resource Center on the Lower Level of Student Services Center (360) 546-9138.
Emergency Notification System: WSU has made an emergency notification system available for faculty, students and staff. Please register at myWSU with emergency contact information (cell, email, text, etc). You may have been prompted to complete emergency contact information when registering for classes on RONet. In the event of a Building Evacuation, a map at each classroom entrance shows the evacuation point for each building. Please refer to it. Finally, in case of class cancellation campus-wide, please check local media, the WSU Vancouver web page and/or http://www.flashalert.net/. Individual class cancellations may be made at the discretion of the instructor. Each individual is expected to make the best decision for their personal circumstances, taking safety into account. Safety plan website - http://safetyplan.vancouver.wsu.edu/
Important Dates and Deadlines: The WSU academic calendar can be found at www.registrar.wsu.edu/Registrar/Apps/AcadCal.ASPX
