PBS TeacherLine Course Syllabus

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1 1 Title Fstering Cperative Learning, Discussin, and Critical Thinking in Elementary Math (Grades 1-5) Target Audience This curse is intended fr pre-service and in-service grades 1-5 teachers. Curse Descriptin This curse presents mdel elementary math lessns and activities that incrprate cperative learning, critical thinking, and prblem slving enhanced by tday's classrm technlgy. Learners will explre sftware and Web activities specifically designed t supprt cllabratin and prblem slving within the math curriculum, and help students meet the Natinal Cuncil f Teachers f Mathematics (NCTM) Principles and Standards. The NCTM Principles and Standards fr Schl Mathematics state, "Cmmunicatin is an essential part f mathematics and mathematics educatin." Activities will be explred that help students rganize and cnslidate their thinking, cmmunicate their ideas clearly t thers, analyze and evaluate the ideas f thers, and use the language f mathematics t precisely express mathematical ideas. At the end f the curse, learners will develp ne technlgy-integrated lessn plan ready fr immediate implementatin that addresses ne tpic in the math curriculum using teamwrk, discussin, and critical thinking. Instructr/Facilitatr See instructr/facilitatr sheet Credits T be determined by cllege r university Gals By the end f this curse, learners will: Understand hw cperative learning, cmmunicatin, and critical thinking can increase student learning f mathematics. Analyze math lessns t identify the critical-thinking skills and strategies develped. Incrprate higher-level thinking questins int math discussins. Use technlgy t teach mathematics lessns incrprating cperative learning, discussin, and critical thinking. Develp lessns that incrprate features f successful cperative learning and prblem slving in cntext. Outline f Assignments A summary f curse cntent and assignments is utlined belw:

2 2 Sessin 1: Cllabratin, Discussin, and Critical Thinking Define their prfessinal gals and expectatins fr this curse. Explain their prir knwledge and experiences with cllabratin, inquiry, and critical thinking skills. Reflect n classrm practices and math lessns incrprating teamwrk, discussin, and critical thinking. Discuss cperative learning with nline classmates. Cperative Learning, by David A. Dckterman, Ed.D. Watch vides "Using Elementary Graphing Prgrams" Reflect in jurnal Analyze their wn expectatins fr this curse by setting prfessinal gals. Analyze their prir knwledge f this tpic by respnding t the fllwing: What are ways that yu have incrprated cllabratin, discussin, and critical thinking int yur elementary mathematics classrm? What were the challenges? What were the successes? Participate in nline discussins Intrduce themselves t their fellw learners in the Virtual Café What are the benefits and/r challenges t cperative learning? What have yur experiences been? Cmplete activities and assignments Cmplete the Pre-Curse Evaluatin Survey Sessin 2: Thinking and Talking Abut Math Reflect n hw students think critically in the classrm Identify the critical-thinking skills and determine hw they apply t mathematics Determine ways t incrprate critical thinking int mathematics lessns Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Cunts, by Peter Facine (pp. 1-6) Strategies fr Teaching Critical Thinking, ERIC/AE Digest (Ptts, 1994) Watch vides Engaged with Technlgy" Meeting the Standards Technlgy and Critical Thinking Explre Web sites NCTM Standards fr Schl Mathematics NCTM Principles and Standards fr Schl Mathematics Cmmunicatin

3 3 NCTM Principles and Standards fr Schl Mathematics Cmmunicatin Standard fr Grades PreK-2 NCTM Principles and Standards fr Schl Mathematics Cmmunicatin Standard fr Grades 3-5 Reflect in jurnal Hw d yu define critical thinking? Hw d yu knw when yur students are thinking critically abut an issue? Hw culd yu implement these "hallmarks" f teaching critical thinking in future math lessns? Participate in nline discussins Hw d the critical thinking skills described in the article relate t mathematics? What is the relatinship between critical thinking and cmmunicatin in mathematics? Sessin 3: Prblem Slving and Cperative Learning Identify cmpnents f successful learning Determine the critical-thinking skills that are essential fr students t successfully slve mathematical stry prblems Examine lessns using Interactive Grup Sftware and the Internet Determine the benefits f using technlgy fr prblem slving and cperative learning Create and peer-review a technlgy-based math activity that applies the three cmpnents f cperative learning Harvard Educatin Letter Putting Cperative Learning t the Test Watch vides Interactive Grup Sftware: Fizz & Martina s Math Adventures Explre and analyze either f the fllwing Web activities Lemnade Stand Lemnade Stand Game Explre Web sites Aunty Math Reflect in jurnal Hw d yu feel abut cperative learning in yur math classrm? Write yur initial thughts abut using cperative learning as a strategy t teach math. Participate in the nline discussin Pst the descriptin f yur technlgy-based math activity frm the Cperative Math Assignment. Then, peer-review anther learner's activity. Cmplete activities and assignments Cperative Math Assignment Sessin 4: Using the Web fr Teamwrk

4 4 Analyze Internet lessns t determine the higher-level thinking and math skills they teach. Create student discussin questins fr Web prjects that require higher-level thinking skills. Determine the characteristics f effective Web prjects. Analyze and select Web prjects apprpriate fr develping student critical-thinking skills. Analyze and reflect abut the implementatin f a Web lessn in yur classrm. I Lst My Tth Characteristics f Effective Student Web Prjects Watch vides Web Prjects Explre Web sites Glbal SchlNet s Internet Prject Registry Telecllabratin Prjects Yu Can Jin MathMagic! Quality Assurance Guidelines fr Online Prjects frm Oz Prjects Let s Make a Deal Math: The Study f Prbability Slve It! (PDF taken frm Net Lessns) AppleWrks Charts & Graphs WalkThrugh Micrsft Excel Charts & Graphs WalkThrugh Create a Graph Reflect in jurnal Hw d yu encurage critical thinking and higher level thinking skills in yur classrm? List ne r tw specific activities and what either makes them successful, r hw they culd be imprved t deep student learning. Participate in nline discussins What questins wuld yu ask yur students, as yu lk at the data and graphs frm I Lst My Tth, t encurage higher-rder thinking skills and prmte discussins? Create tw questins and pst them. Be sure t read and think abut what yur classmates have written. D yu think their questins encurage critical-thinking and discussin? Cmplete activities and assignments Web-based Mathematics Assignment Sessin 5: The Next Step Create a technlgy lessn plan incrprating teamwrk, discussin, and critical thinking t teach math standards, and then teach and revise the lessn. Self-assess the lessn accrding t a rubric. Assess their learning in this curse by cmparing their prir knwledge and acquired knwledge. Analyze the learning experience in this curse by reflecting abut their prfessinal gals and expectatins. Reflect in jurnal Reflect n their acquired knwledge:

5 5 Have yu succeeded in learning abut the areas yu initially identified? Be specific. What is the mst imprtant infrmatin yu learned in this curse? What questins d yu still have abut fstering cperative learning and critical thinking? What new knwledge and/r techniques did yu learn that yu culd apply t yur practice? Reflect n their prfessinal gals and expectatins: Hw des this learning experience cmpare with yur gals and expectatins? Were there any prfessinal gals yu were unable t achieve? Why? Hw d yu plan t address these areas f prfessinal develpment in the future? Participate in nline discussins Pst the critical-thinking questins yu will ask yur students in the lessn plan and slicit feedback frm ther learners. If pssible, pst a reply t at least 2 learners wh teach at a similar grade level. Use the peer review guidelines fr yur respnse. Cmplete activities and assignments: Final Prject: Develp ne technlgy-integrated lessn plan that addresses ne tpic in the math curriculum using teamwrk, discussin, and critical thinking. Pst-Curse Evaluatin Survey Final Prject Learners will cmplete the final prject as fllws: The lessn plan can incrprate pre-existing Web prjects and curriculum sftware prgrams (such as the simulatins described in Sessin 3.) The lessn plan shuld: Include the NCTM Cmmunicatin Standard and math curriculum standards (NCTM r yur district standards). The standards addressed by the lessn shuld be easily accmplished by yur students and aligned with the technlgy used. Include clear and measurable bjectives, a valid assessment, and a cmplete prcess. The verall bjectives shuld be written in measurable terms, reflected in the lessn assessment, and clearly cmmunicated t the students. The lessn prcedure shuld prvide a thrugh explanatin f the steps needed t accmplish the lessn and evaluate student understanding and mastery f cncepts. Cntain an assessment that matches the learning bjectives; clearly addresses specific, measurable, and attainable gals; and allws fr multiple learning styles. Address hw yu will implement cperative grups and incrprate discussin and critical thinking. Fr instance, address the fllwing questins fr cperative grups: What cperative strategy will yu implement? Hw many grups f students will yu create? Hw will yu create the grups? Hw will yur classrm be arranged? Hw will yu allw fr multiple learning styles? Demnstrate use f resurces frm this curse. Fr example, yu might use a Web prject frm ne f the recmmended Web sites r a sftware prgram. Make sure that yu include all Web site addresses and sftware infrmatin as well as any ther resurces yur lessn plan incrprates. The descriptin f yur lessn plan shuld be created in a wrd prcessing prgram. Include critical thinking questins fr yur students. Include implementatin: nce yu have created yur lessn plan, implement it in yur classrm. Include self-assessing yur prject using the lessn plan rubric. Write a 2-3 page paper based n yur self-assessment, including the fllwing infrmatin:

6 6 the pedaggical strategies yu used in this lessn. a descriptin f what went well and what yu wuld change. the criteria yu used t chse the technlgy yu integrated int yur lessn. capture student cmments abut their learning experience. bservatins yu made abut yur students' learning frm the students' pint f view, discuss what areas they were having difficulties with and what areas they fund easier. Submit yur lessn plan and reflectin paper t the facilitatr. Schedule This curse is scheduled t take apprximately 30 hurs t cmplete readings, activities, vide, assignments, reflectins, and a final prject. The number f hurs identified fr each curse reflects time spent nline, but des nt reflect the ttal time spent cmpleting ffline cursewrk and assignments. All learners are different and learners will likely spend duble the indicated number f hurs cmpleting all cursewrk depending n learning styles and wrk habits. Requirements Learners are expected t: Cmplete all assignments. Maintain an nline jurnal. Participate and actively engage in discussins with fellw learners while cntributing t the scial cnstructin f knwledge. Be self-directed and self-mtivated. Ask fr assistance when they need it. Materials (hardware, sftware, plug-ins) Technical Requirements Wrd prcessr Internet service prvider Academic Dishnesty Plicy T be inserted by university institutin nly Evaluatin This curse is evaluated n a letter grade basis, and may be available fr graduate credit. See graduate credit details pertaining t specific graduate credit institutins.