Use the language of mathematics to explore diversity in kindergarten.
Browse
Evthokia Stephanie Saclarides, Brette Garner, Gladys Krause, Claudia Bertolone-Smith, and Jen Munson
Learning to teach mathematics is a complex endeavor, requiring sustained focus and time. Yet time is especially scarce in elementary teacher education programs, where preservice teachers (PSTs) learn all content areas. Through a collaborative self-study, five teacher educators identified three time-related tensions in elementary mathematics methods courses: (a) teaching mathematics content and pedagogy; (b) connecting theory and practice; and (c) promoting social contexts in teaching mathematics. To address these tensions, we offer three design principles and illustrative examples: (a) addressing multiple goals for each course component; (b) developing PSTs’ dispositions over time; and (c) building on PSTs’ strengths to develop understanding of mathematics. We present a reflection tool to assist mathematics teacher educators in designing their courses to maximize their instructional time.
Douglas H. Clements, Shannon S. Guss, and Julie Sarama
Learning trajectories help teachers challenge children at just the right level for their best learning.
Amanda T. Sugimoto and Heidi Meister
The authors draw on collaboration with a group of teachers to describe how three-act tasks could be (re)designed and implemented for online synchronous and asynchronous learning, identifying technological factors that teachers might consider.
Jennifer Ward and Victoria Damjanovic
This department provides a space for current and past PK–12 teachers of mathematics to connect with other teachers of mathematics through their stories that lend personal and professional support.
Sabrina De Los Santos Rodríguez, Audrey Martínez-Gudapakkam, and Judy Storeygard
An innovative program addresses the digital divide with short, engaging videos modeling mathematic activities sent to families through a free mobile app.
Crystal Kalinec-Craig, Emily P. Bonner, and Traci Kelley
This article describes an innovation in an elementary mathematics education course called SEE Math (Support and Enrichment Experiences in Mathematics), which aims to support teacher candidates (TCs) as they learn to teach mathematics through problem solving while promoting equity during multiple experiences with a child. During this 8-week program, TCs craft and implement tasks that promote problem solving in the context of a case study of a child’s thinking while collecting and analyzing student data to support future instructional decisions. The program culminates in a mock parent–teacher conference. Data samples show how SEE Math offers TCs an opportunity to focus on the nuances of children’s strengths rather than traditional measures of achievement and skill.
Esther M. H. Billings and Barbara A. Swartz
Hala Ghousseini, Sarah Lord, and Aimee Cardon
Kindergartners are capable of engaging in reasoning about mathematics and justifying their thinking using several resources.
