Reform Context for Action Research

Problems of practice need a theoretical framework

Observing “problems of practice”

Through your daily teaching practice, you notice problems that reoccur.

These may or may not be obvious. Later today we will discuss examples.

In this course you will identify and design a study for a “problem of practice”

Example

“When I call on one student in the class, none of the other students pay any attention to what that student says.”

But that’s just human nature, isn’t it?

“Whew! Glad he didn’t call on me … “

Example, continued

“When I call on one student in the class, none of the other students pay any attention to what that student says.”

Can’t you just tell them to pay attention?

(Case closed) or is it?

NCTM Communication Standard

Instructional programs from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to—

• Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication • Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others • Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others; • Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely.

NCTM Communication Standard“When I call on one student in the class, none of the other students pay any attention to what that student says.”

• Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication • Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others • Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others; • Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely.

The problem becomes situated in a theoretical framework.

By “theoretical” I don’t mean “unproven” or “abstract”

A theoretical framework can be established by a set of agreed upon standards. In this course, we use the NCTM Process Standards as our framework.

(But are these really “agreed upon?”)

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Since 1920, MissionThe National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education, providing vision, leadership and professional development to support teachers in ensuring equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students.

NCTM STANDARDS: The established reference for government funding and commercial textbook development. (We don’t have government textbooks.)

Not everyone agrees with NCTM

You should be familiar with “Mathematically Correct” and other groups, including regional groups such as in this news item:

Mother objects to teaching techniques.By JANESE HEAVIN of the Tribune’ s staff Published Tuesday, September 4, 2007

A critic of Columbia Public Schools’ math curriculum will take her concerns to a national math panel this week.Michelle Pruitt is on a waiting list to speak Thursday at the National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s public hearing

Parents for Real Math

at the Eric P.Newman Education Center on the Washington University campus in St.Louis.Pruitt represents Parents For Real Math, a group of parents who share concerns about Columbia’s K - 5 math curriculum, known as Investigations in Numbers, Data and Space.

"I feel like I’m representing the parents," Pruitt said."I don’t know if they’re being heard on any level, local or national."

A new national advisory grouphttp : // www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/index.html

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

NMAP reports:

National Mathematics Advisory PanelLearning Processes Task GroupProgress ReportMiami Dade College, Miami, FLJune 6, 2007

Contributing MembersDave GearyDan BerchWade BoykinSusan EmbretsonValerie ReynaBob SieglerJennifer Graban, staff

A possible alternative framework?

Completed to DatePrinciples of learning and cognitionMathematical knowledge children bring to schoolMath learning in whole number arithmeticSocial, Motivational, and Affective Influences on Learning

Social, Motivational and Affective Influences on Learning

An interesting commentary

http://mathpanelwatch.blogspot.com/

MathPanelWatch

The purpose of this blog is to keep interested people informed of the deliberations of the

Department of Education's new Mathematics Panel.

Back to the subject of “reform”

Are you teaching “reform math” ?

What is this? How long has it been happening? (At least 17 years).

What is “re - formed” ?Content -- instructional practice … ?

Look at NCTM “Focal Points”

The Curriculum Focal Points are the most important mathematical topics for each grade level.They comprise related ideas, concepts, skills, and procedures that form the foundation for understanding and lasting learning.

Some people have seen the Focal Points as a step back toward

“basics.”Focal Points, says NCTM president Francis "Skip" Fennell, "is not a new version of the Standards." It is not a back - to - basics document, Virginia Warfield, a consultant on Focal Points, told a think tank in Washington. NCTM executives wrote letters of protest to newspapers whose coverage portrayed the document as a new departure.

The NCTM Process Standards can be our definition of

“Reform”You can teach “BASICS” within this framework:• Problem Solving• Reasoning and Proof• Communication• Connections• Representation

Your action research will be situated within the framework provided by these standards

• Problem Solving• Reasoning and Proof• Communication• Connections• Representation

Discussion