Mathematics

Teaching STEM with Robotics: Design, Development, and Testing of a Research-based Professional Development Program for Teachers

Principal Investigator:

To lower the barriers in STEM disciplines for students, using evidence-based research, we designed and conducted a professional development program that built middle school teachers' capacity to use hands-on robotics and engineering design as the curriculum focus. Through summer workshops, teachers learned to: build and program LEGO robots; create and implement standards-aligned robotics-based STEM lessons; and develop, practice, and examine optimal pedagogical approaches for STEM learning using robotics.
 

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Video in the Middle: Flexible Digital Experiences for Mathematics Teacher Education

Principal Investigator:

The Video in the Middle (VIM) project is creating forty asynchronous two-hour modules in which a video clip is at the center as teachers take part in an online experience involving mathematical problem solving, video analysis of classroom practice, and pedagogical reflection. A RCT study was conducted in February/March 2020 with 68 teachers randomly assigned across the three delivery formats Self-paced: 29, Locally facilitated: 19, VIM facilitated: 20) to examine the VIM PD impact.

Co-PI(s): Catherine Carroll and Bob Montgomery, WestEd

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Talk is the Ticket to Teaching Math to English Learners

This article describes one mathematics professional development program designed to support all K-5 students' engagement in productive mathematical discussions, in particular emergent multilingual learners.

Malzahn, K., Sztajn, P., & Heck, D. (October, 2019). Talk is the ticket to teaching math to English learners. The Learning Professional, 40(5).

Author/Presenter

Kristen Malzahn

Paola Sztajn

Daniel Heck

Year
2019
Short Description

This article describes one mathematics professional development program designed to support all K-5 students' engagement in productive mathematical discussions, in particular emergent multilingual learners.

Decomposing Practice in Teacher Professional Development: Examining Sequences of Learning Activities

In this paper, we analyze a PD design, examining its activities and the sequencing of professional learning tasks. We use a theoretical framework typically used in pre-service teacher education to understand the design of one PD program. Our overarching goal is to theorize about how to design PD and sequence professional learning tasks for practicing teachers.

Author/Presenter

Paola Sztajn

Daniel J. Heck

Kristen A. Malzahn

Lara K. Dick

Year
2020
Short Description

In this paper, authors analyze a PD design, examining its activities and the sequencing of professional learning tasks.

Controlled Implementations: Teaching Practice to Practicing Mathematics Teachers

In this chapter, we use the Framework for Teaching Practice (Grossman, et al., 2009) as a conceptual tool for analzying the design of professional development. Although initially developed to examine the education of prospective teachers, we contend that this framework is appropriate for analyzing and supporting the design of professional development. The framework consists of three elements: decompositions, representations, and approximations of practice.

Author/Presenter

Paola Sztajn

Lara Dick

Reema Alnizami

Dan Heck

Kristen Malzahn

Year
2020
Short Description

In this chapter, authors use the Framework for Teaching Practice (Grossman, et al., 2009) as a conceptual tool for analzying the design of professional development.

Activating Math Talk: 11 Purposeful Techniques for Your Elementary Students

Many mathematics teachers agree that engaging students in high quality discourse is important for their conceptual learning, but successfully promoting such discourse in elementary classrooms—with attention to the needs of every learner—can be a challenge. Activating Math Talk tackles this challenge by bringing practical, math-specific, productive discourse techniques that are applicable to any lesson or curriculum.

Author/Presenter

Paola Sztajn

Daniel Heck

Kristen Malzahn

Year
2021
Short Description

Activating Math Talk is a resource for promoting high-quality math discourse in grades K-5. The content of the chapters and discussion questions within are meant to spark conversations among teachers, teacher leaders, administrators, and education faculty about how to get all students, in particular emergent multilingual learners, talking about math in productive ways. It presents both a theoretical and practical lens and offers useful frameworks, techniques, and other supports for mathematics instruction.

Understanding the Role of Lesson Study in K-12 Mathematics and Science Teacher Education

Principal Investigator:

This working conference brought together 34 science and mathematics teacher educators from 25 institutions across 17 states and territories. Our purpose was to collaboratively build knowledge about utilizing lesson study as a mechanism to support pre-service teacher learning. We discussed essential features of lesson study, design features of teacher education programs that enhance or inhibit lesson study practice, and the implications of lesson study for partnership with schools and colleagues.

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STEM Sea, Air, and Land Remotely Operated Vehicle Design Challenges for Rural, Middle School Youth

Principal Investigator:
STEM SEALs builds collaborative partnerships between North Florida College and local middle schools to bolster STEM pathways for students in this region. It involves the development of inexpensive, rigorous, and versatile design challenges to expose rural middle school students to high quality STEM experiences. Researchers study the feasibility and efficacy of these experiences to promote greater awareness of STEM pathways, increase readiness for STEM study; and generate student identity as STEM-able, STEM-skilled, and STEM-belonging.
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Strengthening Mathematics Intervention Classes: Identifying and Addressing Challenges to Improve Instruction for Struggling Learners

Principal Investigator:
The SMI project's goals are to: 1) study the current landscape of mathematics intervention classes at the middle grades, and 2) create PD to strengthen intervention teachers' practices for supporting students with mathematics difficulties/disabilities.
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The Power of Interviewing Students

A teacher uses formative assessment interviews to uncover evidence of students’ understandings and to plan targeted instruction in a mathematics intervention class. Authors present an example of a student interview, a discussion of the benefits and challenges of conducting interviews, and actionable suggestions for implementing them.

MacVicar, T. J., Brodesky, A. R., and Fagan, E. R. (2021). The power of interviewing students. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 114(6), 436–444.

Author/Presenter

Theresa J. MacVicar

Amy R. Brodesky

Emily R. Fagan

Year
2021
Short Description

A teacher uses formative assessment interviews to uncover evidence of students’ understandings and to plan targeted instruction in a mathematics intervention class. Authors present an example of a student interview, a discussion of the benefits and challenges of conducting interviews, and actionable suggestions for implementing them.