Elementary Math Education at CSUN--TNE

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Elementary Math Education at CSUN--TNE

• Hillary Hertzog, Nancy ORode
• Elementary Ed
• Sister Rita Basta, Jerry Gold, Joel Zeitlin
• Mathematics

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Math Content courses for K-6

• Math 210-Number Operations
• texts then Billstein, Sowder,
• now Parker Baldridge, Beckmann
• Math 310-Geometry, Probability Statistics
• texts Billstein, Sowder ? Beckmann

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Focus Goals

• PCK Pedagogical Content Knowledge
• MKTMathematical Knowledge for Teaching
• CSUN focus
• Conceptual procedural understanding
• Engage candidates in explanation, discourse
• Multiple representations connections
• Solve demanding problems

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Measuring Success

• Ball/Hill survey of MKT
• Advantages
• already developed
• scaled (in-service teachers, z-scores)
• reliable
• valid
• correlated with in-service teachers higher pupil
  gains
• Drawbacks
• Time convenience (online?)
• Not all sections participate

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MKT Reporting Domains

• Number Operation
• CK Content knowledge
• KSC Knowledge of students content
• PFA Patterns, functions algebra
• Geometry
• CK Content knowledge

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Sample MKT Question N Ops CKhttp//sitemaker.u
mich.edu/lmt/files/LMT_sample_items.pdf

• Mrs. Harris was working on divisibility rules.
  She told her class that a number is divisible by
  4 if the last two digits are divisible by 4. One
  of her students asked her why the rule for 4
  worked. She asked the other students if they
  could come up with a reason, and several possible
  reasons were proposed. Which of the following
  statements comes closest to explaining the reason
  for the divisibility rule for 4? (Mark ONE
  answer.)
• Four is an even number, and odd numbers are not
  divisible by even numbers,
• The number 100 is divisible by 4 (and also 1000,
  10,000, etc.)
• Every other even number is divisible by 4, for
  example, 24 and 28 but not 26
• It only works when the sum of the last two digits
  is an even number.

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MKT Results for Geometry
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MKT results for Numbers Ops
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Sample scatter plot F05 N O CK
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Boxplot of gains N Ops F 05 CK
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Statistical SignificanceF 05 N Ops CK
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Impacting how we teach

• Study Group
• View videos of selected instructors using Ball
  Video Protocol
• http//sitemaker.umich.edu/lmt/faq_about_video_co
  des
• 2. Look at low score MKT items (teaching to the
  test?, markers vs. content?, items not publicly
  released.)

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Long term considerations

• What is the effect of 1 or 2 content courses 2 or
  3 years later?
• Do our graduates teach the way we think we are
  training them to?
• Institutionalizing practices
• The Answer

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The Answer

• Work with our colleagues in Elementary Ed so that
  we both are offering coherent, coordinated, well
  reinforced and cognitively demanding classes (and
  later experiences) for our teacher candidates.

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Teacher Preparation Options

• Undergraduate blended program
• Freshman Option (for entering freshmen)
• Junior Option (begin work in junior year)
• Earn BA in Liberal Studies and preliminary
  credential
• Fifth year program

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Math Methods

• Taken after math courses, before student teaching
• Focus on four essential components of
  mathematics
• Problem Solving
• Student Explanations
• Representations
• Connections

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Student Teaching

• First semester 8 weeks Lang Arts/Math with
  seminar
• Second semester 9 weeks all subs with seminar
• Placed in public school classrooms some schools
  long-time partners
• University supervision conducted mostly by
  part-timers retired public school personnel
• Minimum of five observations each semester

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Needs Analysis Study

• To what extent is subject matter content and
  PCK emphasized in the lesson planning/observatio
  n/reflection cycle in student teaching?
• Analyzed 120 random sets of written observation
  notes by university supervisors
• Found that feedback on quality of subject
  matter and PCK was extremely limited.

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Development of Field Support Materials

• Asked supervisors to identify preferred subject
  areas volunteers worked with math methods
  faculty
• Developed subject specific field support
  materials for student teachers and supervisors
• Lesson Planning Teaching Guide
• Reflection Sheet
• Observation Guidelines
• Observation Protocol

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05-07 Study of Undergraduates

• Administered MKT survey at end of math methods in
  05-06
• Tracked student teachers who had experienced Math
  310 courses with treatment instructors
• Placed those students in designated st. tchg.
  seminar sections and placed with identified
  supervisors in 06-07 . Those students used
  support materials others did not.
• Administered MKT survey at the end of student
  teaching to all student teachers

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Table 1 Means (z-scores) of MKT Geometry
Measures for Three Groups of Pre-Service Teachers
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Table 2 Means (z-scores) of MKT Number and
Operations Measures - Knowledge of Students and
Content - for Three Groups of Pre-Service
Teachers
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07-08 Research Studies

• Math courses continuing to develop teaching and
  MKT surveys given in more sections
• Longitudinal study continuing with second set of
  student teachers will now have MKT scores from
  both math courses
• Use of field support materials expanding to more
  supervisors
• Follow-up study of nine first year graduates