Online Modules for Professional Learning INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES July 7 8 PARTICIPANT VERSION 1.0
The New Mathways Project New Mathways Project Overview The New Mathways Project is a systemic approach to student success and completion through implementation of processes, strategies, and structures built around three accelerated mathematics pathways and a supporting learning frameworks 1 course. The project is guided by four fundamental principles: 1. Multiple pathways with relevant and challenging math content aligned to specific fields of study 2. Acceleration that allows students to complete a collegelevel math course more quickly than in the traditional developmental math sequence What s in This Document NMP overview 2 3. Intentional use of strategies to help students develop skills as learners 4. Curriculum design and pedagogy based on proven practice An introduction to the NMP online professional learning series How to get documentation of participation Through a collaboration with the Texas Association of Community Colleges, the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin has received the support of all 50 community college districts in Texas to develop resources for colleges implementing these principles. These resources include implementation tools, policy and research briefs, curricular materials, and professional learning content for faculty and staff. For more information about the NMP and these resources, see http://www.utdanacenter.org/mathways. Introduction to the NMP Online Professional Learning Series The NMP Online Modules are intended to support professional learning at local campuses. As of the release of Version 1.0 of this guide (fall 2014), four modules are available. We will continue development to create a suite of modules for three audiences: Mathematics faculty Learning frameworks and student success course faculty Staff (advisors, tutors, administrators) who support implementation of the NMP principles This guide is specifically for the modules intended for faculty. 1 Learning frameworks courses are college-level courses that combine elements of student success courses with research-based content from learning psychology to help students develop the skills, attitudes, and beliefs to become successful learners. Page 1 of 7
The New Mathways Project Promoting Active Learning The modules for faculty focus on strategies to support active learning 3 in the classroom and while these modules use Dana Center NMP course materials for discussion and to demonstrate concepts the modules are designed to support faculty using any curricular materials. In other words, these modules focus on the pedagogy, not on the course materials. The Dana Center promotes active learning as a set of pedagogical strategies grounded in evidence. The general concept of active learning is articulated in eight NMP curriculum design standards. 4 These standards describe curriculum designed to promote deep learning and a lasting conceptual understanding through having learners engage actively with core ideas in meaningful contexts. Course content that meets these design standards will provide learners with opportunities for sense making and support for persevering through complex tasks that require reading, writing, and technology use. The Design and Suggested Use of These Online Modules The module design is grounded in evidence-based practices for supporting effective adult learning. Professionals are most likely to develop new skills and change current practice when they: Actively engage with colleagues and with the content Practice and reflect on new learning Engage in reinforcing structured learning activities over time. 5 The modules provide information about high-impact pedagogical practices and suggestions for implementing them. To help participants engage with this content, the modules are designed to be used by small groups of faculty in a collaborative setting. Discussion prompts and activities help connect and expand concepts. Classroom video, interviews with students and faculty, and samples of student work connect the abstract ideas to real classroom practice. To create the appropriate collaborative environment, we recommend that faculty: 3 For information about the research base for the NMP, see http://www.utdanacenter.org/highereducation/higher-education-resources/new-mathways-project-evaluation-and-research/newmathways-project-annotated-bibliographies 4 The NMP design standards are available here: http://www.utdanacenter.org/wpcontent/uploads/nmp_curriculum_design_standards_sept2013.pdf 5 See, for example, Sharan B. Merriam, editor. (2001 Spring). The New Update on Adult Learning Theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, no. 89. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Page 2 of 7
The New Mathways Project Form a learning community of four to twelve people who are committed to participating in sessions and implementing new learning and skills. Appoint a facilitator for the group. Set a schedule of regular meetings. For example, the group might choose to meet monthly. Facilitator Responsibilities The facilitator has two main responsibilities: Organize session logistics and Lead the sessions to promote learning for all participants. If groups decide to divide these responsibilities between two people, we recommend explicitly defining the responsibilities and documenting them in writing. Specific tasks for the facilitator are outlined in the facilitator version of these notes. We strongly recommend selecting a facilitator who has experience in leading discussions in collaborative settings. Participant Responsibilities Each participant is responsible for contributing to a positive, collaborative, and productive learning community. These communities will establish their own norms for behavior within the community. We believe it is also valuable to establish these specific responsibilities for participants. 1. Commit to active participation in a learning community: o Attend each session. o Review prereadings before the session. Bring electronic or print copies to the session. o Participate fully in the sessions by contributing to discussions and supporting others in contributing. o Between sessions, practice and reflect on new skills and learning. o Share insights and questions from practice with your colleagues in the learning community. Page 3 of 7
2. Promote an inclusive environment: The New Mathways Project o Encourage each participant to share ideas. o Check to make sure that all group members have access to the materials and are following the discussion. o Ask questions if you are confused. 3. Promote productive discussions: o Try to understand each idea presented and ask questions to help speakers make their ideas clear. o Ask for evidence (e.g., Why do you think that? How do you know?). o Ask for limitations (Is that always true?). o Try to connect to what has been said previously and build on or improve those ideas (e.g., I think X is important, but I think it helps to also consider Y). o If you disagree with ideas that were shared, be sure to provide reasons and evidence. Structure of the Modules The modules are designed to be experienced in a specific order. The topics of the modules are interconnected, and later modules work on the assumption that participants have discussed and engaged with (or practiced in their classrooms) the content from earlier sessions. To include time for interactive discussions and activities, module sessions are intended to run for 90 minutes. An icon marks recommended timespans for the interactive portions of the session. If your group follows these recommendations, it should be able to complete the session in 90 minutes. Most modules have prereadings for participants to complete before the session. These readings may include background information, sample curricular materials, or samples of student work used in the module. The preparatory materials and handouts of the slides used in the modules may be downloaded from http://thetexasnetwork.org/mathways. Page 4 of 7
The New Mathways Project In general, the modules provide three types of activities. The first two types include discussions in pairs and are indicated by an icon of two people: Turn and Talk: Quick discussions between two people that are designed to quickly engage participants and surface initial ideas. These are not intended to be in-depth discussions. Think-Pair-Share: Participants first reflect on a prompt on their own, and then share their ideas with a partner. The facilitator then leads a discussion by the full group. This last step often includes a new prompt that deepens the discussion. These activities are intended to promote more in-depth discussion in the whole group by helping the participants build upon each other s thinking. The third type of activity is indicated by an icon of four people. Group discussions enable participants to discuss ideas with larger groups. These discussions will take place in small groups of three or four, depending on the size of the full group. Each module ends with lists of resources for further learning and suggestions for participants about practicing and reflecting upon the learning from the module. Documentation of Participation At the end of each module, instructions are provided for how to register to receive an individual Certificate of Participation for that module. Please allow six weeks for processing of the certificates. Page 5 of 7
Copyright and Acknowledgments The New Mathways Project Copyright 2015, the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin, with support from the Texas Association of Community Colleges All intellectual property rights are owned exclusively by the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Per our mutual agreement, the Texas Association of Community Colleges does not have rights to create derivatives. Unless otherwise indicated, the materials in this resource are the copyrighted property of the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin (the University) with support from the Texas Association of Community Colleges. No part of this resource shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means electronically, mechanically, or via photocopying, recording, or otherwise, including via methods yet to be invented without express written permission from the University. We use all funds generated through use of our materials to further our nonprofit mission. Please send your permission requests or questions to us at this address: Charles A. Dana Center Fax: 512-232-1855 The University of Texas at Austin danaweb@austin.utexas.edu 1616 Guadalupe Street, Suite 3.206 www.utdanacenter.org Austin, TX 78701-1222 Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The University of Texas at Austin or the Texas Association of Community Colleges. The Charles A. Dana Center and The University of Texas at Austin, as well as the authors and editors, assume no liability for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this resource. We have made extensive efforts to ensure the accuracy of the information in this resource, to provide proper acknowledgement of original sources, and to otherwise comply with copyright law. If you find an error or you believe we have failed to provide proper acknowledgment, please contact us at danaweb@austin.utexas.edu. This resource was developed in Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Pro. First release September 2014. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions for improvements. Please contact us at mathways@austin.utexas.edu or at the mailing address above. About the Dana Center The Dana Center develops and scales math and science education innovations to support educators, administrators, and policy makers in creating seamless transitions throughout the K 14 system for all students, especially those who have historically been underserved. We focus in particular on strategies for improving student engagement, motivation, persistence, and achievement. The Center was founded in 1991 at The University of Texas at Austin. Our staff members have expertise in leadership, literacy, research, program evaluation, mathematics and science education, policy and systemic reform, and services to high-need populations. For more information see www.utdanacenter.org. About the New Mathways Project The NMP is a systemic approach to accelerating student success and completion through implementation of processes, strategies, and structures based on four fundamental principles: 1. Multiple pathways with relevant and challenging mathematics content aligned to specific fields of study 2. Acceleration that allows students to complete a college-level math course more quickly than in the traditional developmental math sequence 3. Intentional use of strategies to help students develop skills as learners 4. Curriculum design and pedagogy based on proven practice Page 6 of 7
The New Mathways Project For more information about the New Mathways Project, see www.utdanacenter.org/mathways. For more information about the Texas Association of Community Colleges, see www.tacc.org. About this Resource The NMP Online Professional Learning Series modules are intended to support professional learning at local campuses. As of the release of Version 1.0 of this guide, four modules are available. This guide specifically addresses the modules intended for faculty. The modules use the NMP curricular materials as points for discussion but are designed for use with any curriculum based on the principles of active learning. These online modules can be accessed via the Texas Network for Teaching Excellence website, via http://thetexasnetwork.org/mathways. Acknowledgments We thank the faculty and students from the following NMP codevelopment colleges for granting us permission to film their NMP Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning and Frameworks for Mathematics and Collegiate Learning class sections during the 2013 2014 academic year: Austin Community College Gustavo Cepparo, Foundations Instructor Sharon Frederick, Frameworks Instructor Anne Praderas, Foundations Instructor Lone Star College Kingwood Stephanie Doyen, Foundations Instructor El Paso Community College Ivette Chuca, Foundations Instructor Temple College Debbie Gilmore, Frameworks Instructor Paula Talley, Foundations Instructor Development of this resource was made possible through the generous support of TG, with additional support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Greater Texas Foundation, Houston Endowment, Kresge Foundation, and the State of Texas. Project Leads Content Designers Video Production Editing & Production Amy Getz, manager of community college services, Charles A. Dana Center Connie Richardson, course program specialist, mathematics, Charles A. Dana Center Michael Davis, lead research specialist, University of California, Berkeley Mary Beth Orrange, SUNY distinguished service professor, Erie Community College Jane Saunders, associate professor, literacy, Texas State University STARLINK Training Network, an agency of the Texas Association of Community Colleges Marcos Molina, technical support manager, Texas Community College Teachers Association Ben Slamka, video editor Rachel Jenkins, consulting editor, Charles A. Dana Center Erica Moreno, program coordinator, Charles A. Dana Center Coral Southwell, copyeditor Phil Swann, senior designer, Charles A. Dana Center Page 7 of 7