2006-2007

St. Francis Xavier University

Elementary Mathematics Methods - Education 412

Broad Course Outcomes:

In this course students will:

• Develop strategies, including the use of manipulatives and technology, to assist in learning and instruction;
• Explore the critical issues of process, content, and assessment, in elementary mathematics;
• Understand the vision for mathematics education as outlined by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and demonstrated in the Atlantic Canada Curriculum;
• Critical analyze current research in mathematics education and its implication for classroom teaching.

Materials:

The official text for this course is Van de Walle, J. & Folk, S. (2005). Elementary and middle school mathematics: Teaching developmentally. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Canada Inc. This is available at the bookstore and is a resource that you will use throughout your teaching career.

Other important documents you will want to have access to:

NCTM (2000). Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

This is available on-line at http://standards.nctm.org/ where you can sign up for a 120 day free trial. Fill out the form and you will be sent an email with your access information. You will need to follow the link in the email to access the log-in page rather than going back to the link above; this seems to be the only way it works. We will be using this document extensively during the first semester.

Nova Scotia Curriculum Documents for Grades P to 6

These documents are available to be borrowed from my office and are also available in the resource center. Many students may wish to have copies of their own. These can be ordered for free from the Nova Scotia Department of Education on their website at www.ednet.ns.ca (Click on Document Depot è Curriculum & Textbooks è Curriculum Documents for NS Schools è Curriculum Documents: MATHEMATICS (Download/ Order On-line) and choose the ones you want to add to your cart, put in your information and they should arrive in a reasonable amount of time). You may also want to order copies of A teaching resource: Primary, A teaching resource: Grade 1, and A teaching resource: Grade 2 also available through this site. Watch for Grades 3 to 6 coming soon.

The new texts being used in grades 3 to 6 in the province are on reserve in the resource centre. You should take some time to familiarize yourself with these new resources.

University Policy on Academic Integrity

St. Francis Xavier University values academic integrity. Please familiarize yourself with the policy in section 3.9 of the academic calendar. Any infractions will be dealt with according to this policy.

Elementary Mathematics Assignments

Mathematics Resource Binder (40%) Due February 28, 2007

You will be expected to create a resource binder for elementary mathematics education. This will include:

¦     A statement of your philosophy of mathematics education for elementary students.

¦     A curriculum planning component including:

o       A Unit Plan for a specific grade level (Format will be given in class at a later date)

o       An assessment plan for your unit including any assessment tools you will use.

o       Two consecutive lessons from another grade level and a different strand than the unit;

o       At least two additional lesson plans each from different grades and different strands than the above two parts.

¦     A reflective writing component including:

o       At least 5 personal reflections (one page double-spaced) on readings or activities from class. Try to focus these on a variety of topics and activities to show the breadth and depth of your own learning.

¦     A Problem Solving Component that will include:

o       A collection of 10 to 15 good problems for various grade levels that you find throughout the semester with comments on what grades and strands they best apply to;

o       At least three to four samples of  your own problem solutions from work we have done in class along with some brief reflections on the process and product.

¦     A resources component that could include:

o       Activities and games for elementary mathematics education

o       Lists of interesting web sites

o       Manipulatives or BLMs of manipulatives

o       Technology guides and resources

o       Posters

o       Any other additional resources that you feel are interesting or would enhance your teaching.

Group Assignment: Developing Math Centers (30%) Due Dates February 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, & 26, 2007. (Each group will be assigned a date at random).

You will be assigned to a group during the first week of class and each group will be randomly assigned a grade level. As a group you will work together to determine a specific unit from your assigned grade level and compile the specific curriculum outcomes for that unit. You will then develop 8 to 10 centers to accompany this unit along with the accompanying instructions and evaluation sheet for teachers.

You will then be given an hour of class time to present your centers to the rest of the class and have them engage in a few of the activities.

Manipulatives Competency (20%) March 5, 2007

You will be given a series of tasks to complete within a set amount of time to demonstrate your ability to model mathematics using two colour counters, base ten materials, cuisinaire rods, geoboards, fraction factory, pattern blocks and fraction blocks, and linking cubes. Further details will be given in class at a later date.

Class Mark (10%)

Your class mark comes from attending regularly, being prepared for class each day, and participating in discussions, as well as DOING mathematics while in class.

Reading Schedule

Your reading schedule will be posted on the website for this class. Readings will also be announced in class. Any PowerPoint files, handouts, resources, and so on used in class will also be posted here to download and use. You should check this site often.