- Year 2016
- NSF Noyce Award # 1035503
- First Name Osvaldo
- Last Name Soto
- Discipline Mathematics
- Presenters
Fred Griesbach, Brynn Sanderlin, and Osvaldo Soto, Math for America San Diego, University of California, San Diego CREATE
Need
As teachers encountered the Common Core State Standards (in California) they need support understanding its two-sided nature – namely, the content standards and the mathematical practice standards. Lockwood and Webber (Ways of Thinking and Mathematical Practices in Mathematics Teacher, Feb. 2015) expressed the potential of the DNR theoretical framework to help teachers address and overcome difficulties related to understanding and implementing the dual nature of the CCSS. Math for America San Diego’s summer PD and onsite support were intended to synergistically address these issues.
Goals
Math for America San Diego intends to bolster teachers’ knowledge base: knowledge of mathematics, knowledge of pedagogy and knowledge of student thinking (in the sense of Shulman, 1986) through summer professional development in which teacher-participants actively engage in mathematical problem-solving enabling deep pedagogical discussions grounded in mathematical experiences. Additionally, in an effort to help participants translate summer institute experiences to their own local teaching environments (classrooms, departments, etc.). Teachers received onsite support, opportunities to collaborate and growth opportunities through conference presentation support and encouragement. This work has been guided by Harel’s DNR-based Instruction (as a theoretical framework).
Approach
Our goal is to present snapshots of the work we have done in the summer institutes and the various forms in which they have been translated into our own classrooms. We will discuss our experiences in solving these problems and transitioning them into lessons that address mathematical practice standards (ways of thinking, a critical construct within the DNR framework) while incorporating content standards.
Outcomes
We will present a selection of problems that we have encountered in our summer institutes and considered (variants of) in our own instruction. We will provide commentary on the value of the problems in developing our own content knowledge, as well as their pedagogical value to our own teaching practice.
Broader Impacts
Impacts of the program are described with respect to the following audiences:
Mathematics Education Research Community – Harel and Soto have published (and are preparing) several journal articles and book chapters using the data set collected at summer PD.
Practicing Teachers / Multiple teachers, schools and school districts have received various forms of PD through Math for America San Diego fellows and support providers. Fellows have prepared conference presentations at NCTM and our local affiliate (CMC – South). Several master teaching fellows have become administrators, impacting district level curriculum and professional development discussion-making. Fellows have developed and shared resources for instruction derived from experiences at the summer institute and during on-site support sessions.
