Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School
CI 4030
Spring 2011
Block 434 (Wilkes), TR 10:00am – 11:50am ED 113A
Block 432 (Watauga), TR 2:30pm – 4:20pm LLR 221
Instructor: Dr. Chrystal Dean Office Hours:
Office: 209A Edwin Duncan Hall Tuesday: 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Office Phone: 262-8009 Thursday: 12:00pm – 2:30pm
Home Phone: 266-5862 Friday: 9:00am – 11:00am (electronic)
Email: Others by appointment
Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to help you, as a pre-service elementary teacher, construct a comprehensive understanding of effective mathematics instruction in grades K-6. This course covers both mathematics content and methods for teaching elementary mathematics. This course focuses on the principles, methods, and materials of elementary school mathematics instruction. Mathematics curriculum in the state of North Carolina is prescribed in the Standard Course of Study and you will become familiar with this course of study as we explore what should be taught in grades K-6 and strategies concerning how it should be taught. http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/math/Kto5.FINAL.13May08.pdf
Much of the content included in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (COS) is informed by the document, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, which was developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics http://www.nctm.org and is a document that we will examine in the course. There are four mathematics content strands emphasized in the North Carolina COS: number sense, numeration & numerical operations; spatial sense, measurement, & geometry; patterns, relationships & functions; and data, probability & statistics. The theme of problem-solving is emphasized throughout the strands. Your courses at ASU follow these strands.
Course Goals:
Goals for the course span across several interrelated areas. You will probability notice that they are stated as areas you are “beginning to" learn about since these are areas that you will continue to work on during your elementary education program and ones that teachers work on improving across their careers. Students in Teaching Mathematics in Elementary School should progress toward the following goals:
Understanding Mathematics to Teach: You will begin to expand your understanding of mathematics as it relates to spatial sense, measurement, and geometry and expand your perspective about what mathematics is and what it means to learn to teach mathematics.
Understanding Yourself as a Learner of Mathematics: You will begin to examine yourself as a learner of mathematics. This will enable you to compare and contrast the kinds of instruction you experienced throughout your schooling to the approaches to teaching that you want to develop. Learning to pay attention to your own learning experiences in mathematics will help you articulate, challenge, and revise your assumptions about teaching and learning mathematics.
Understanding Children as Learners: You will begin to learn how children’s mathematical knowledge, skills, and dispositions develop over time. You will learn to think about ways to adapt planning and instructional strategies to the learning needs of diverse individuals and groups.
Establishing and Managing an Equitable Community of Mathematics Learners: You will begin to explore what it means to create a mathematical learning community that fosters mathematics learning for all students, taking into account their gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language use, special needs, and personal qualities. You will examine ways in which particular classroom discourse patterns and particular tasks influence diverse learners as they learn mathematics.
Understanding Yourself as a Colleague: You will have many opportunities to work with peers throughout this course. Collaborating in a variety of professional activities and reflecting on your participation will initiate you in collaboration with colleagues across your career.
Those who can, do. Those who understand, teach. –Shulman
Central Questions for the Course:
Knowledge of Mathematics: How did/do I learn mathematics? How do I improve in the mathematics content that I will be expected to teach (K-6)? What kind of learning in mathematics will I need to continue to pursue across my career?
Expectations of Children: How do learners construct mathematical understanding? How do diverse students learn mathematics? Do I know how to create a learning environment that supports all students?
Knowledge of Pedagogy: What implications do recent research and theories in mathematics education have on classroom practices? What goals, materials, discourse patterns, and tasks will facilitate learning in mathematics?
NCDPI Standards:
Your instruction and experiences in this course will help you begin to meet several of the North Carolina Department of Instruction standards for elementary education teachers.
NCDPI Standard 2: Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students
NCDPI Standard 3: Teachers know the content they teach
Elementary Education Specialty Standard 2: 21st Century Teacher candidates have the knowledge and understanding of mathematical conventions and processes skills relative to: Number sense, numeration, numerical operations, and algebraic thinking; spatial sense, measurement and geometry; patterns, relationships, and functions; and data analysis, probability and statistics.
NCDPI Standard 4: Teachers facilitate learning for their students
Required Text and Resources:
CI 4030: Reconceptualizing Mathematics, Reasoning About Shapes and Measurement, by Judy Sowder, Larry Sowder, & Susan Nickerson [rental text, ASU Bookstore]
Elementary and Middle School Mathematics, Seventh Edition, by John A. Van de Walle, Karen S. Karp, Jennifer M. Bay-Williams [rental text, ASU Bookstore]
Additional readings will be assigned and will most often be available on AsULearn.
Readings may also be available online through the ASU libraries (http://www.library.appstate.edu/). Click on “reserves,” and then search by instructor (Dean).
Class website: Most class materials will be available via AsULearn http://asulearn.appstate.edu
***NOTE: You need to access this website directly!
The Math and Science Education Center (http://www1.appstate.edu/dept/msec/index.html) is located on the 2nd floor in Walker Hall. The Center has many journals available as well as other materials and manipulatives that will be useful to you as you prepare to become a teacher.
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives: http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/NAV/index.html
Attendance policy:
Learning is a social process. Thus, students are expected to attend every class and be an active participant in the classroom practices. Attendance will be taken every class meeting. In the event of an absence, students are to contact the instructor, arrange for a classmate to pick up any handouts, and turn in any work that is due. Absent students are responsible for any work announced in class and for all announced changes, additions, and deletions to the syllabus. Absence from class is not a valid excuse for failing to meet deadlines or fulfill course requirements.
Students can miss one class session without penalty. Each subsequent absence will result in a final grade lowered by one-third of a letter (e.g. B becomes a B-, B- becomes a C). Extenuating circumstances will be handled individually.* Two tardies/early departures constitute one absence. It is the student’s responsibility to ask the professor to change an absence into a tardy immediately after the class in which the tardy occurred. (No changes will be made on a later day.)
Given that full participation in all course activities is required, using cellular phones and pagers, including texting, is unacceptable. I expect to have your full attention.
*Please see me to discuss religious observances. The interim religious observance policy can be accessed at http://www.academicaffairs.appstate.edu/resources-forms
Evaluation:
Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School requires consistent planning, time management, and diligence on the part of each student for assignments to be completed on time and in a professional manner. Unless specified otherwise, all work must be word-processed, and assignments are due on the designated due date. When applicable, assignments may be turned in early but late work will not be accepted except under extenuating circumstances. Any late work that is accepted, regardless of circumstance, is subject to point deduction at the discretion of the instructor. Please note, refer to syllabus and class discussions for due dates, not TK20!
Naturally, this is a tentative assignment list. The professor reserves the right to make adjustments to better support the learning of the students. More details for each assignment will be given in class.
Content Topic Presentations (15%)
Assigned groups will present on course content topics throughout the semester. These presentations will include an activity in the Launch, Explore, Summarize format.
Weekly Assignments (5%)
These assignments could include but are not limited to in-class activities, homework problems, responses to class readings, and reflections on class activities. Throughout the semester, I will randomly collect these weekly assignments.
Tests (40%)
There will be two major tests which will cover both mathematics content and pedagogy. Students will be responsible for all course readings, activities, and discussions.
You must receive at least a C on the tests to pass the course.
Field Experience Diagnostic Interviews Assignment: Listening to Children and Reporting to Parents (20%)
Part 1: The Diagnostic Interviews
Part 2: Mock Parent-Teacher Conference
As a teacher, you will need to learn to pay attention to your students’ understanding of the concepts studied in your class and be able to adjust your instruction accordingly. This assignment assesses your ability to follow students’ geometric thinking as they work through mathematics activities. You will use provided geometry interview tasks for your student interview. In addition, your thoughtfulness reflecting on a mock parent conference will be assessed. You will receive a handout that clearly explains the requirements of this assignment.
Field Experience Mathematics Lessons: Planning, Teaching, and Reflection (20%)
During your full-time internship, you will teach a sequence of three mathematics lessons in your class. You and your collaborating teacher will confer concerning the mathematical content of these lessons. You will receive a handout that clearly explains the requirements of this assignment.
Grading Scale:
A = 94 -100% A- = 90 – 93% B+ = 88 - 89% B = 83 - 87%
B- = 80 – 82% C+ = 78 – 79% C = 76 – 77% F = Below 76%
In order to pass CI 4030, you must:
· Complete and submit all assignments and receive a satisfactory grade on each.
· Score at least a “C” (76%) on Test 1.
· Score at least a “C” (76%) on Test 2.
· Make at least a “C” or 76% for the overall course.
Academic Integrity Code:
As a community of learners at Appalachian State University, we must create an atmosphere of honesty, fairness, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of each other. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of an Appalachian degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form and will oppose any instance of academic dishonesty. This course will follow the provisions of the Academic Integrity Code, which can be found on the Office of Student Conduct Web Site: www.studentconduct.appstate.edu.
Violations of this code by teacher education candidates are regarded as particularly serious and may result in removal from the program.
Americans with Disabilities Act:
Appalachian State University is committed to making reasonable accommodations for individuals with documented qualifying disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you have a disability and may need reasonable accommodations in order to have equal access to the University’s courses, programs and activities, please contact the Office of Disability Services (828.262.3056 or www.ods.appstate.edu). Once registration is complete, individuals will meet with ODS staff to discuss eligibility and appropriate accommodations.
Any student whose disabilities fall within ADA should inform the instructor at the beginning of the term of any special needs or equipment necessary to accomplish the requirements of the course.
If you have any questions about plagiarism or ethical behavior, ask me!
PROVISIONAL Schedule for C&I 4030 - Spring 2011
Session 1 – January 11 / Review Syllabus
Introduction to Course
· NC SCoS
· NCTM Standards
Session 2 – January 13 / The van Hiele Levels of Geometric Thought
· Euclidean Geometry:
Points, segments, lines, rays, angles & planes
· Measuring angles
Session 3 – January 18 / Euclidean Geometry:
· Identifying & Naming 2-D Shapes
· Identifying Characteristics of 2-D Shapes
· Polygons—triangles
Session 4 – January 20 / Euclidean Geometry:
· Identifying & Naming 2-D Shapes
· Identifying Characteristics of 2-D Shapes
· Polygons—triangles
Session 5 – January 25 / Euclidean Geometry:
· Identifying & Naming 2-D Shapes
· Identifying Characteristics of 2-D Shapes
· Polygons—triangles
Session 6 – January 27 / Euclidean Geometry:
· Identifying & Naming 2-D Shapes
· Identifying Characteristics of 2-D Shapes
· Polygons-Quadrilaterals
Session 7 – February 1 / Euclidean Geometry:
· Identifying & Naming 2-D Shapes
· Identifying Characteristics of 2-D Shapes
· Polygons-Quadrilaterals
Session 8 – February 3 / Euclidean Geometry:
· Identifying & Naming 2-D Shapes
· Identifying Characteristics of 2-D Shapes
· Polygons
· Quadrilaterals
· Circles
Session 9 – February 8 / Euclidean Geometry:
· Spatial Visualization
· Area of Rectangles, Parallelograms, Triangles, & Trapezoids
· Perimeter
· Area and Circumference of Circles
Session 10 – February 10 / TEST # 1
Session 11 – February 15 / Euclidean Geometry:
· Spatial Visualization
· Viewing Objects from Various Perspectives
· 3D Computer graphics and geometry
Session 12 – February 17 / Euclidean Geometry
· Identifying & Naming 3-D Figures
· Identifying Characteristics of 3-D Figures
· Polyhedra, Prisms, Pyramids, Cylinders, Spheres
Session 13 – February 22 / Identifying Geometric Properties of Shapes and Solids
· Congruence,
· Similarity
· Symmetry
Session 14 – February 24 / NO CLASS
Social Studies Conference
Session 15 – March 1 / Transformational Geometry: Translations, Rotations, & Reflections
Session 16 – March 3 / Transformational Geometry:
Tessellations
March 7- March 11 / Spring Break
Session 17 – March 15 / Preparing for the Second Field Experience Assignment
Lesson Planning: Launch, Explore, and Summarize
Session 18 – March 17 / Transformational Geometry: Translations, Rotations, & Reflections