2007-2008

St. Francis Xavier University

Elementary Mathematics Methods - Education 412

Downlaod entire Syllabus as Word Document

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 required text for this course is Small, M. (2008). Making Math Meaningful for Canadian Students, K – 8  Nelson: Toronto. 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.

Attendance

Students are reminded that attendance is mandatory for all B.Ed. classes. If you are unable to attend class and have a legitimate reason for doing so, you should send an email prior to the class advising me of the reason why you are unable to attend. You will be expected to make up any missed work. If you accumulate two or more unexplained absences you will be reported to the B.Ed. chair.

Equity and Respect

The School of Education maintains a policy of equity and respect within the learning environment. All students are expected to promote a supportive and inclusive environment within the classroom and to treat peers with respect.

Elementary Mathematics Assignments

Note: All course assignments must be submitted in all classes before individual students are permitted to begin practicum. While individual excellence will be rewarded, it is expected that the class average of marks will normally fall between 78 and 84.

Multiple Representations Assignment (30%) Due: February 2 & 4, 2010 (Assessment Rubric)

The purpose of this assignment is to work with a colleague to create materials that potentially could be used in a professional learning context. You will be assigned a key concept in mathematics that be either challenging to teach or difficult for studentsto learn. You will explore this concept deeply. You will create a project in any form that you choose (web site, poster, booklet, etc.but NOT a paper) that addresses each of the key points listed below for this concept:

¦     Identify the pre-requisite knowledge required for a student to understand this key concept;

¦     Identify at least 3 concrete materials that can be used in the development of this concept and explain in detail, with accompanying pictures or models, how these materials would be used to develop this concept; (Concrete / Pictorial)

¦     Develop/ collect a series of good activities, story problems, and investigations that would help to deepen students understanding of the concept; (Contextual)

¦     Develop at least one clear relational explanation (the reason behind the rules) for the concept; (Verbal)

¦     List a variety of algorithms / procedures (traditional & alternative) that students might use for this key concept. (Symbolic)

You will work in pairs to complete this assignment and we will share our projects during class.

Group Assignment: Developing Math Centers (30%) (P, 1, 2, 3 present February 23, 2009; 4, 5, 6 present February 25, 2010). (More Detail and Assessment Rubric)

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 approximately 10-12 centers to accompany this unit along with the accompanying instructions and evaluation sheet for teachers. Your centers should incorporate different learning modalities, learning styles, and multiple representations. Additional instructions are provided on the attached sheet. You will then be given class time to present your centers to the rest of the class and have them engage in a few of the activities.

A Collection of Lessons (30%) Due March 4, 2010 (Assessment Rubric)

You will be expected to create a unit plan for elementary mathematics education. This will include:

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

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

¦     Two lessons from your unit plan developed in full.

¦     A list of resources you would use for the unit.

¦     One additional detailed lesson plan from a different grade and different strand than the unit. Note: If your unit is early elementary (P to 2), your alternate lesson should be from upper elementary (3 to 5), and vice versa.

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.