Elementary Math Education at CSUNTNE

1
Elementary Math Education at CSUN--TNE

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

2
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

3
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

4
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

5
MKT Reporting Domains

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

6
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.

7
MKT Results for Geometry
8
MKT results for Numbers Ops
9
Sample scatter plot F05 N O CK
10
Boxplot of gains N Ops F 05 CK
11
Statistical SignificanceF 05 N Ops CK
12
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.)

13
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

14
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.

15
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

16
Math Methods

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

17
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

18
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.

19
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

20
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

21
Table 1 Means (z-scores) of MKT Geometry
Measures for Three Groups of Pre-Service Teachers
22
Table 2 Means (z-scores) of MKT Number and
Operations Measures - Knowledge of Students and
Content - for Three Groups of Pre-Service
Teachers
23
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