By Cynthia McIntyre
http://www.teachscape.com1
1-877-98TEACH (988-3224)
A series of online and blended courses developed by the Concord Consortium for elementary and secondary math teachers is available from our partners, Teachscape and PBS TeacherLine.
Seeing Math courses are based on video case studies, using videos of real teachers in real classrooms or afterschool settings. The focus of each video is teacher-to-student and student-tostudent interactions, including teachers’ questioning strategies that elicit student thinking and help make that thinking explicit. Additional video commentaries from math specialists highlight areas of student misconceptions and insights. Activities using interactive software provide course participants with a math challenge, so they explore the same content as students in the videos. Participants are asked to observe carefully their own processes as they work towards a mathematical solution; they share their processes in discussions with colleagues, and are thus exposed to a wider framework for understanding different problem-solving approaches, including those used by their own students.
“As I reflected on (struggled with) my own solutions to the broken calculator, I was aware of my own levels of thought and realized the value of such a learning activity in my classroom. The notion that there are many viable strategies that cause deeper thoughts about the math takes math instruction away from rote algorithms and toward critical thinking and application.”
Seeing Math Elementary uses blended communities of practice (with both face-to-face meetings and online activities and discussions) to reflect on video case studies. The courses aim for depth rather than breadth in skill and content areas; they concentrate on concepts from the NCTM standards that are typically difficult to teach or to learn, including fractions, division with remainders, and using data to make predictions. Two courses look at pedagogy, including formative assessment and questioning strategies. An overview course considers foundations of effective math teaching. Teachscape customizes its program for schools and districts to ensure success.
http://teacherline.pbs.org2
1-800-572-6386
“I have heard over and over that a reflective teacher is an effective teacher. Well, this course demanded deep reflections and got it. Many times I had to dig deep to come up with my responses to the assignments— deep mentally and physically into the night! But I think the reward is worth it: I am coming out with a bag full of great teaching ideas scraped together from great teachers and specialists, online interactive tools, tons of ready-to-go activities, and a deepened understanding of algebra!”
Seeing Math Secondary online courses comprise the core units of a first-year algebra curriculum, covering linear and quadratic functions and equations, plus data analysis and proportional reasoning. Courses employ powerful tools, including videos of students and a national expert in math education, a content-rich math activity and interactive software for solving math challenges, plus threaded discussions guided by trained facilitators. PBS TeacherLine, which received funding from a Ready to Teach grant from the U.S. Department of Education, offers Seeing Math Secondary courses.
Cynthia McIntyre (cynthia@concord.org3) is Director of Communications & Online
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Document Location: http://www.highwired.net/publications/newsletter/2006-spring/courses.html
Last Updated: 05/26/2006
Copyright © 2008, The Concord Consortium. All rights reserved.