A Mathematics Concentration for Pre-service Elementary School Teachers: An Existence Proof and New Conjectures
Critical Issues in Education: Teaching Teachers Mathematics
May 31, 2007 10:55 AM to 11:45 AM
Speakers:
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Abstract: |
For over 30 years the mathematics department at the University of Illinois at Chicago has offered a
mathematics concentration for undergraduates who are preparing to become elementary school teachers
(grades K-9 certification). A set of four courses has been designed to give students the opportunity to study a
mathematical subject at the college level: geometry, number theory, calculus, and integrating mathematics and
science. A significant feature of three of the courses is that students have the opportunity to practice methods
of teaching. The current curriculum for one of these courses, Introduction to Calculus and the Graphing
Calculator, centers on a collection of 150 questions that take the students on a journey through calculus while
suggesting methods they can use to teach each other the subject. Student teaching activities include
presentation of material, design of group activities, and assessment of both student and teacher performance.
While answering these calculus questions, students come to see the many ways that middle school
mathematics provides a foundation for further mathematical study
We offer this approach – practicing teaching while learning new mathematics -- as one possible way to
increasing the content and pedagogical knowledge of perspective teachers. We also pose the question -- what
is an ideal mathematics concentration and how would we know it if we saw it? |
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