Education 350 Policy, Spring 2008

Education 350: Teaching Mathematics, Grades 5-12

Spring 2008

Instructor: Martha Wallace:

Office Hours: click here for current schedule

OMH 103

x3408

email me

Class Meetings:

Class Work: 8:00 - 9:25 TTH

Outside Class Time Requirements:

10 hours in middle or high school mathematics classroom, arranged according to your schedule,

Required Texts and Other Tools:

Schoen, Teaching Mathematics through Problem Solving, Grades 6-12
Johnson, Every Minute Counts
PSSM: Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
NCTM, Curriculum and Focal Points
Graphing Calculator

Helpful Links:

In This Course You Will Learn:

How to look at the "big picture" of the mathematics you have learned and how to use that perspective to help your students learn mathematics.

Mathematical systems: origins, properties and operations, connections.
Components of axiomatic systems: defined and undefined terms, axioms, theorems, logical reasoning.
Multiple perspectives and representations of mathematical objects.

How your own perspective of and beliefs about mathematics can affect your teaching, and how the perspectives and beliefs of your students will affect their modes of learning.

Identify and ultiple mathematical worldviews held by your students and how they affect student learning.
Develop strategies for broadening the mathematical perspectives of your students.
Generate ideas for teaching the same content in different ways to reach different learning styles.

How to integrate your understandings of and previous learning in mathematics, educational psychology, and pedagogy to become an effective and inspiring teacher of mathematics.

Use the NCTM Principles and Standards and Minnesota Mathematics standards, to develop content priorities for your classes.
Understand the rational for inquiry-based learning and diffentiate between inquiry-based and direct learning teaching strategies.
Access and apply the research base for best practices in teaching mathematics to develop effective lesson plans.
Use professional literature and conferences to acquire teaching resources and develop effective instructional strategies.
Use community resources to help students connect mathematics to everyday life.
Develop plans and resources for differentiating instruction, to reach students with reading and learning difficulties as well as to provide meaningful mathematical enrichment for gifted learners.
Write and enact curriculum and assessment plans.

How to make mathematical connections for your students (and yourself).

Connections between concepts and procedures.
Connections between mathematics and other disciplines.
Connections between mathematics and daily living.

How to continue to grow as a user and teacher of mathematics

Resources for increasing your mathematical and pedagogical knowledge.
Opportunities to share ideas with other mathematics teachers.
Reflecting on the mathematics you are teaching and the process of teaching mathematics
Methods of observing and critiquing colleagues and being observed and critiqued as way of improving teaching effectiveness.

Course Requirements:

As a pre-professional course, this class will require substantial time and attention from you. You will be expected to treat this course as you would a professional responsibility and to meet the class requirements in a timely and professional manner. Completing all of the requirements in a timely and acceptable manner will earn you at least a B in the course. However, if you do not meet the requirements, you will earn a grade of C+ or below. (You must earn a B- or above in each of your professional education courses in order to begin student teaching.)

Complete all assignments listed below and others given in class.
Read and be prepared to discuss articles and handouts assigned.
Be prepared for and actively participate in all class activities.
Review at least 20 articles and books on teaching mathematics, at least two each week, and post your review on the web. Some of these reviews will be on topics of your choosing. Others will be on topics announced in class.
Report on a web search for resources on mathematics education.
Keep a journal of reflections and reactions to readings and class discussions,responses to questions posed in class, and solutions to problems. This is your reflective journal. You should write in it no less often than following every class period. If you do not have a specific prompt for your reflection, you should write whatever comes to your mind about teaching mathematics or about the class. Journals should be done on the computer and submitted electronically.
Spend approximately 10 hours assisting in a middle or high school mathematics class. Your experience should include preparing and teaching at least one lesson.
Prepare and present 2 mathematics lessons, at least one for your field experience class. Observe and critique all in-class microteaching lessons.
Prepare two teaching units: one from a sequential text and one from an integrated text. Each should be a problem-based teaching plan for a two or three week unit in high school mathematics. At least one plan should be on a topic that you will teach during student teaching, and ideally, both will be on the same topic..
Prepare a resource file that you will use when you are teaching your unit plans.
Prepare a Portfolio documenting your attainment of BOT requirements in mathematics.
Complete a take-home final.

Grade Components:


Component	Criteria	Percent of Grade
Class participation	Present, on time and prepared for every class activity, including microteaching. Has done assigned reading and other preparation and participates actively in discussions and activities.	20%
Field Experience and Micro Teaching	Evidence of careful and thorough preparation, both in content and in presentation. Attention to established principles of lesson planning, to standards for school mathematics, and to modifications needed for class circumstances. Evidence that the plans are different from plans presented in Education 330.	15%
Article Reviews and Web Search	Evidence of both wide and deep reading and thinking about issues and ideas in journals. Timeliness in reporting on readings and care in writing and posting reviews (including correct grammar, spelling, and web form).	25%
Unit plans and resource file	Attention to NCTM standards and principles for high school mathematics. Fit with possible student teaching assignment. Evidence of careful attention to principles of unit planning, including motivation, development, assessment.	15%
Portfolio of mathematics learning	Attention to principles of compiling and presenting portfolios. Evidence of care and thoughtfulness of selection of and reflection on artifacts presented.	5%
Reflective Journal	Evidence of timely, regular and thoughtful reflection on class work and experiences. Attention to each journal assignment made by the instructor as well as unstructured entries.	10%
Final exam	Evidence of strong understanding of topics covered in class as well as ability to find new information or think about new ideas.	15%

Disclaimer