Curriculum Constructs and Assessment: Secondary Mathematics
This course explores the secondary mathematics classroom, curriculum, and teaching and assessment strategies. Participants identify the educational needs of secondary students by exploring current instructional theory, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, state standards, and social issues that impact the mathematics classroom. The course also helps prospective educators develop skills in selecting and adapting instruction for diverse student populations. The course will also emphasize classroom management skills as they relate to mathematics instruction.
Topics and Objectives
History and Trends in Mathematics Education
- Analyze the development of mathematics education in the United States and how it relates to the contemporary classroom.
- Analyze the characteristics of a professional mathematics teacher.
Teaching Strategies
- Establish strategies for creating an effective learning environment.
- Develop effective strategies for small group instruction.
- Analyze effective motivational techniques for mathematics students.
- Create a lesson plan incorporating cooperative learning strategies.
- Implement strategies for teaching effective lessons through the use of problem-solving techniques.
- Use questioning techniques that develop students' higher order thinking skills. Implement writing across the mathematics curriculum.
Unit and Lesson Planning
- Construct an instructional unit.
- Develop effective and functional lesson plans.
- Apply state standards to lesson plans.
Technology in the Classroom
- Investigate effective uses of graphing calculators and mathematics software in the classroom.
- Develop plans for utilizing computers in the mathematics classroom.
- Analyze appropriate uses of the Internet in the mathematics classroom.
Assessment
- Evaluate the characteristics of effective mathematics assessment.
- Compare and contrast assessment strategies, including traditional and authentic assessment.
- Develop the skills for constructing open-ended assessments.
Mathematics Enrichment
- Develop methods for enriching mathematics curriculum.
- Develop plans to implement extracurricular activities in mathematics classrooms.
- Utilize community and parental resources.
Diverse Teaching Strategies
- Explore alternative teaching strategies to assist students in understanding mathematical concepts and their application.
- Describe appropriate modifications for special needs students.
- Apply contemporary learning theories to understand how different students learn mathematics.
