Curriculum Constructs and Assessment: Mathematics
Course Description
This course explores the mathematics classroom, curriculum, and teaching and assessment strategies. Participants identify the educational needs of students by exploring current instructional theory, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, and social issues that impact the mathematics classroom. The course also helps prospective educators develop skills in selecting and adapting instruction for diverse student populations. The course will also emphasize classroom management skills as they relate to mathematics instruction.
Topics and Objectives
History and Trends in Mathematics Education
- Analyze the development of mathematics education and how it relates to the contemporary classroom
- Analyze the characteristics of a professional mathematics teacher
Teaching Strategies
- Establish strategies for creating an effective learning environment
- Develop effective strategies for small group instruction
- Analyze effective motivational techniques for mathematics students
- Create a lesson plan incorporating cooperative learning strategies
- Implement strategies for teaching effective lessons through the use of problem-solving techniques
- Use questioning techniques that develop students' higher order thinking skills
- Implement writing across the mathematics curriculum
Unit and Lesson Planning
- Construct an instructional unit
- Develop effective and functional lesson plans
- Apply standards to lesson plans
Technology in the Classroom
- Investigate effective uses of graphing calculators and mathematics software in the classroom
- Develop plans for utilizing computers in the mathematics classroom
- Analyze appropriate uses of the Internet in the mathematics classroom
Assessment
- Evaluate the characteristics of an effective mathematics assessment
- Compare and contrast assessment strategies, including traditional and authentic assessment
- Develop the skills for constructing open-ended assessments
Mathematics Enrichment
- Develop methods for enriching mathematics curriculum
- Develop plans to implement extracurricular activities in mathematics classrooms
- Utilize community and parental resources
Diverse Teaching Strategies
- Explore alternative teaching strategies to assist students in understanding mathematical concepts and their application
- Describe appropriate modifications for special needs students
- Apply contemporary learning theories to understand how different students learn mathematics
