North Georgia College & State University

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

Course Syllabus

Fall 2009

General Information

Course Number: MAED 4101

Course Title: Methods and Materials for Secondary Mathematics Teachers

Credit Hours: 3 semester hours

Class Times: TR 8:00 – 11:05 a.m.

Withdrawal Deadline: Tuesday, October 13

Instructor: Dr. Dianna Spence

Office: Newton Oakes Center 213

E-Mail: djspence@ngcsu.edu

Phone: (706) 864-1808

Web: http://radar.ngcsu.edu/~djspence

Office Hours: MWF 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Text/Materials: Teaching Mathematics for the 21^st Century, 3^nd Ed., Linda Huetinck & Sara N. Munshin, Prentice-Hall Inc., 2008

Policies and Expectations

Academic Integrity:

All work submitted for credit is expected to be your own. Students are expected to adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy for the University: "On my honor, I will not lie, cheat, steal, plagiarize, evade the truth or tolerate those who do." Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy will be reported to the Academic Integrity Council in an incident report. Please refer to NGCSU’s Undergraduate Bulletin for additional details.

Withdrawals: You may withdraw with a grade of “W” any time on or before the withdrawal deadline.

Attendance: Attendance is required. Any student accruing absences for more than 14% of the scheduled class meetings (2 absences) will be dropped with a WF.

Excused absences:

For an absence to be excused, you must provide documentation of a valid extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, death in the family, traffic accident, etc.) If this documentation is not provided, the absence is considered unexcused. Whether or not an absence is excused will govern how missed assignments are handled, as outlined below in “Missed Work”.

Tardiness and/or early departures:

Students are expected to arrive on time and stay until class is dismissed.

If you miss part of a class, you will be charged with a partial absence. Each 15 minutes of class time is worth approximately 10% of your attendance for the day.

Missed work: Missed work will be handled as noted in the following grid, depending on whether the work was missed due to excused or unexcused absence. Note that all in-class activities, if missed, may not be made up under any circumstances. Excused absences only allow for more lenient grading of missed work.

Type of work	Unexcused Absence	Excused Absence
*In class* assignment	Grade of zero is assigned	Grade is not counted in classwork average
Homework *due*	See late work policy below	Full credit if submitted by next class; otherwise see late work policy below.
Micro Teaching	Grade of zero is assigned	Micro Teaching rescheduled for another day

Late work: Homework and assignments completed outside of class are due at the beginning of class on the designated due date unless otherwise specified. Assignments turned in late will be penalized 25% per day (see table below). In-class assignments are not accepted late.

Time of submission	*Highest possible* score**
By beginning of class on due date	100%
By 11:00 p.m. on due date	90%
By 11:00 p.m. one day late	75%
By 11:00 p.m. two days late	50%
By 11:00 p.m. three days late	25%
More than three days late	Assignment not accepted; grade is zero.

Evaluation and Grading:

Student performance will be evaluated through a variety of in-class activities, homework assignments, a final exam, and a course portfolio with a unit plan, evidence of professional development, and evidence of satisfactory performance in the field. The portfolio is considered a gateway assessment: To pass the course, minimal performance on all components and an overall score of C or better on the course portfolio is required. The final exam is open note and covers topics from assigned readings and class discussions. The student’s overall grade will be computed as follows.

Attendance/Participation 10%

Class and Homework Assignments 10%

Micro Teaching (Your Best 4) 20%

Course Portfolio 40%

Final Exam (Open Note) 20%

Letter grades are assigned according to the following scale:

Class evaluations: Class evaluations at NGCSU are now conducted on-line through Banner. Evaluation of the class is considered a component of the course and students will not be permitted to access their course grade until the evaluation has been completed. The evaluations will be accessible beginning one week prior to Final Exam week. Specific instructions will be made available when the surveys are activated.

Course Content and Resources

Description: A study and practice of techniques involved in the effective guidance and instruction of mathematics students in grades 7-12.

Course Content:

Instructional design, strategies, methods, materials, and activities appropriate for teaching mathematics in grades 7-12
Mathematics manipulatives and instructional technology for developing middle grades and secondary mathematics concepts
Formative and summative assessment techniques for mathematics instruction in grades 7-12
Application of knowledge gained from observing and assisting a cooperating teacher in a public school setting
Reflection on mathematics teaching practices

Course Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1) select appropriate mathematics manipulatives and instructional technology for developing student understanding of grades 7-12 mathematics content;

2) demonstrate proficiency in using mathematics manipulatives such as pattern blocks, algebra tiles, two-color counters, geoboards, color tiles, and snap cubes;

3) plan and present a variety of instructional activities, techniques, and lessons appropriate for grades 7-12 mathematics objectives and for students’ academic levels, learning styles, and diverse perspectives;

4) develop and revise unit and lesson plans that reflect objectives, procedures, assessment instruments, and scoring rubrics that are consistent with selected strategies, materials, and assessment techniques;

5) select, develop, and utilize various informal and formal assessment techniques for evaluating students’ understanding of mathematics skills, concepts, and generalizations that are appropriate for varied academic levels, learning styles, and diverse perspectives;

6) critique lesson plans written and presented by peers;

7) communicate mathematics content accurately and effectively for grades 7-12;

8) monitor classroom activities with varied levels of student/teacher discourse; and

9) reflect critically on teaching performance and the selection of instructional strategies and materials.

Instructional Methods:

This course will develop a mathematical and pedagogical knowledge base that fosters the development of the classroom teacher as a facilitator, decision maker, and leader through the use of a variety of:

· instructional strategies and methods including lecture, guided discussion, modeling, cooperative and collaborative learning groups, student presentations, individual and group projects, and hands-on activities;

· mathematics manipulative materials such as pattern blocks, algebra tiles, two-color counters, geoboards, color tiles, and snap cubes;

· instructional technology such as graphing calculators, CBR’s and CBL’s, TI-Graph Link, TI InterActive!, and web sites; and

· instructional materials, assessment techniques, and scoring rubrics that reflect the spirit of the NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, NCTM Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics, and NCTM Assessment Standards for School Mathematics and that actively engage students in the learning process.

Manipulatives and Technology:

As essential learning tools for the mathematics classroom, manipulatives such as algebra tiles, two-color counters, pattern blocks, tangrams, geoboards, and snap cubes; a graphing calculator such as a TI-83 Plus; data collection devices including the CBL2 and CBR; and mathematics software such as The Geometer’s Sketchpad and TI-InterActive! are integral components of this course.

Bibliography and Supplementary Reading:

· Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School (NCTM)

· Mathematics Teacher (NCTM)

· Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM)

· Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (NCTM)

· Assessment Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM)

· Navigations Series Grades 9-12 (NCTM)

· Addenda Series Grades 9-12 (NCTM)

· Addenda Series Grades 5-8 (NCTM)

· Mathematics Assessment, Myths, Models, Good Questions, and Practical Suggestions, J. K. Stenmark, Ed., NCTM, 1991

· Assessing Student Performance, Grant Wiggins, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993

· She Does Math!, Marla Parker, Ed., The Mathematical Association of America, 1995

· Multicultural and Gender Equity in the Mathematics Classroom: The Gift of Diversity, Janet Trentacosta & J. Kenney, Eds., NCTM, 1997)

World Wide Web Resources:

· National Library of Virtual Manipulatives – http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/index.html

· Project Interactivate – www.shodor.org/interactivate

· Wolfram MathWorld – http://mathworld.wolfram.com

· National Council of Teachers of Mathematics – www.nctm.org

· ENC Online: A K-12 Math and Science Center for Teachers – http://www.goenc.com

· TEAMS Mathematics Resources – http://teams.lacoe.edu/teachers/index.asp

· Math Nerds – www.mathnerds.com

· SOS Mathematics – www.sosmath.com

· Transformations – www.utc.edu/~cpmawata

· Intermath – www.intermath-uga.gatech.edu/

· Math Archives – http://archives.math.utk.edu

· Math Forum Internet Library – http://mathforum.org/library/

· Cooperative Learning – http://cspace.unb.ca/nbco/pigs

· Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (GCTM) – www.gctm.org

· Georgia Performance Standards – http://www.georgiastandards.org/

· Helping Your Child Learn Math – www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math

· Teachers’ Net Lesson Plan Exchange – http://teachers.net/lessons/

· Multicultural Pavilion – http://ww.edchange.org/multicultural/

· Texas Instruments – http://www.education.ti.com

· Key Curriculum Press – www.keypress.com

· Teachnology – http://www.teachnology.com/

Metacognitive Model & Teacher Education Program Competencies:

The NGCSU Graduate Mathematics Education Program prepares teachers to assume within the school community the roles of Decision-Maker, Facilitator, and Leader as identified in the metacognitive model. Twelve Teacher Education Program competencies reflecting the model are aligned to a specific role. Overlap into more than one role and mathematics course may occur. Current research and professional standards identify these competencies as important for effective teaching (NBPTS and ASCD Framework).

Decision-Maker	Facilitator	Leader
Assessment	Individual Differences	Ethical Perspectives
Planning	Subject Matter Knowledge	Reflection/Metacognition
Problem Solver	Communication	Professional Leadership
Methods, Materials, Resources	Classroom Management	Research & Evaluation

Disabilities and Accommodations:

North Georgia College and State University is committed to equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the instructor and the Office of Student Disability Resources. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Office of Student Disability Resources at 867-2782 or visit 122 Barnes Hall.