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EDUC 390

I. Course Title: Methods for Teaching Elementary Mathematics I

II. Course Number: EDUC 390

III. Credit Hours: 3 credits

IV. Prerequisites: EDEF 300, EDSP 361, and minimum 2.5 GPA

V. Course Description: 

In this course students will begin an inquiry into mathematics teaching and learning. Students will explore what it means to “do” mathematics, while investigating both what to teach and how to teach in the elementary pk-6 classroom. This is the first of two courses in mathematics methods for individuals seeking pk-6 teacher licensure.

VI. Detailed Description of Content of the Course:

A hands-on, real-world application approach with special attention to mathematical problem solving, communicating, and reasoning is stressed in this course. Students will examine their math attitudes and learn what it means to “do math” in the pk-6 environment.  Exploration of a variety of manipulatives, technologies, and strategies to support student learning and how to plan and assess math instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Additional topics include: properties of sets, counting, and cardinality; place value (base ten and other bases); number systems including natural numbers, and finite number systems; number and operations; representing and solving problems involving different operations; understanding and applying properties of operations and relationships between them; elementary number theory (primes, divisors, greatest common factor, least common multiple.

VI. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course:

This is a hands-on, activity, workshop-oriented experience in which you explore the teaching of mathematics, investigating both what to teach and how to teach it You will work with manipulatives and technologies to explore mathematics concepts, solve problems, and learn ways to teach mathematics content to children. Individual, small group, and large group mathematical investigations and problem-solving activities will be incorporated. You will investigate ways to represent understandings of mathematical concepts, communicate reasoning about mathematical ideas, and construct mathematical arguments. You will explore characteristics of a classroom environment conducive to mathematical learning by reading and discussing the importance of mathematical tasks, mathematical tools, the roles of teachers and students, and the assessment of mathematical understanding.

VII. Goals and Objectives of the Course:

Goals, objectives, and assignments address the Virginia Department of Education regulations for preparing early/primary and elementary educators and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards.

  1. Demonstrate a beginning understanding of the content and appropriate instructional materials for teaching the math content identified in the Blocks for Early Learning: Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds and Virginia Standards of Learning elementary in pk-6 including number systems, basic operations, ratio, proportion, and percent, algebra, geometry, measurement, probability and statistics.
  2. Explain the sequential nature of mathematics and the vertical progress of the math standards.
  3. Examine how personal beliefs and past experiences in mathematics can impact the teaching and learning of mathematics. 
  4. Explain the importance of promoting equity in mathematics education and how personal, cultural, or social biases in instructional materials and practices can impact student learning and success in the math classroom.  
  5. Practice making connections between mathematics and real-life experiences and other areas of study, particularly, English language arts, science, and social studies. 
  6. Compare and contrast paradigms of traditional, teacher-centered, drill-and-practice mathematics teaching and student-centered, constructivist approaches while recognizing new directions in the practice of teaching mathematics based on the results of the research on teaching and learning of mathematics.
  7. Develop a beginning awareness of the instructional needs of diverse learners (cultural, language, ethnic, gender, ability) in the elementary math classroom.
  8. Identify the 5 math processes – mathematical reasoning, problem solving, communicating mathematics, making mathematical connections, and using mathematical models- and begin using these to plan a variety of math experiences for diverse learners. 
  9. Identify and create opportunities for exploration of the contributions of different cultures toward the development of mathematics and the role of mathematics in culture and society. 
  10. Select and use appropriate manipulatives, educational and assistive technologies, and media to model, analyze, represent, and communicate mathematical ideas for diverse purposes and student populations. 
  11. Develop a repertoire of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate not only procedural skills but also students' conceptual understanding of mathematics (ACEI 3.2, 4, Cortland CF 12). 
  12. Define and model growth mindset and to explore what it takes to foster this in your teaching in mathematics.

VIII. Assessment Measures:

Students will be assessed using the following measures including, but not limited to: Interviews of pk-6 students in the field, planning and teaching math mini-lessons, group presentations, micro-teaching math lessons, reflections and journaling, and quizzes.

Review and Approval

August 2020

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