Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Evaluations of Technology Tools for Mathematical Learning

2010 ◽  
pp. 258-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
Mathematics Lesson ◽  
Mathematical Learning ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
Technology Tools

Pre-service elementary teachers are faced with numerous technology tools which can be incorporated into their mathematics lesson plans. However, these teachers may not be experienced in evaluating technology tools for mathematical learning prior to using them. This chapter presents a reflective model for mathematics teacher educators. In a three-part activity, pre-service elementary teachers identify their criteria for evaluating technology tools, evaluate several technology tools according to their own criteria, and make recommendations for or against those technology tools. As pre-service elementary teachers reflect upon the criteria they feel are essential for evaluating technology tools, they begin to identify the specific affordances and limitations of the technology tools. This chapter describes this three-part activity by placing it within the context of a model for mathematics teacher education.

When Mathematics Teacher Educators Come Under Attack

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-74
Author(s):  
Rochelle Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The One ◽  
Historical Moment

We are in an interesting historical moment in mathematics teacher education. On the one and, there is greater realization within our field of the connections between systems of power and mathematics (O'Neil, 2016). We are starting to acknowledge how mathematics education can be viewed as dehumanizing for both students and teachers as well as what might constitute rehumanizing practices (Gutiérrez, in press). Our professional organizations are calling for teachers to move beyond simplistic notions of equity to understand these power dimensions and challenge the system on behalf of (and in community with) Black,1 Indigenous,2 and Latinx3 students in particular

Malawi mathematics teacher educators’ understanding of Lesson Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-59
Author(s):  
Janne Fauskanger ◽  
Arne Jakobsen ◽  
Mercy Kazima
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the challenges involved in introducing Lesson Study (LS) into teacher education in Malawi by studying mathematics teacher educators’ (TEs’) understanding of planning for LS. Design/methodology/approach This study is a part of a wider ongoing project designed to improve the quality and capacity of mathematics teacher education in Malawi. One of its components is professional development of all mathematics TEs in Malawi using an LS model. The units being analyzed comprise of the TEs’ written lesson plans and qualitative content analysis is the chosen analytical approach. Findings Based on the analyzed research lesson plans, the TEs have difficulty in focusing on their own learning parallel to the student teachers’ (STs’) learning, and struggle with predicting STs’ responses to tasks. In addition, there is a pervasive lack of emphasis on planned and focused observation of STs’ learning, as evidenced by a review of the research lesson plans. Research limitations/implications This is a small-scale study due to LS being introduced to Malawi teacher education for the first time and the need to test before possible upscaling. Practical implications The paper includes a description of mathematics TEs’ understanding of LS in an African context, which can be a valuable information for TEs who are attempting to use LS. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need to learn more about TEs’ understanding of LS worldwide.

Commentary: Should Mathematics Teacher Education Be Politically Neutral?

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew D. Felton-Koestler ◽  
Courtney Koestler
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
The Face

Many current and prospective teachers, policy makers, and members of the public view mathematics as neutral and objective, and they expect mathematics teaching and teacher education to be neutral as well. But what would it mean to think of mathematics teacher education as politically neutral? Below we consider some questions that we see as highlighting why mathematics teacher education cannot be neutral. We are not the first to raise these issues, but we appreciate the opportunity to discuss and reflect on them among a community of mathematics teacher educators. Although these questions have always been relevant, we see their importance growing in the face of the increased mathematization of our world and a highly polarized political landscape with a seemingly increased public acceptance of oppressive discourse and actions (Potok, 2017).

Taking Stock: MTE's Contribution to Building a Knowledge Base for the Practice of Mathematics Teacher Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Bieda
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educator

When you link to http://www.nctm.org/Publications/mathematics-teacher-educator/About-Mathematics-Teacher-Educator/ to learn about writing a manuscript for publication in Mathematics Teacher Educator (MTE), one aspect of the call for manuscripts that likely stands out is the importance of informing the practice of mathematics teacher education. This directive in the call raises questions such as What is meant by “practice” in the MTE call, considering Lampert's (2010) unpacking of the various ways scholars use this term when talking about teaching? Why do we need work that speaks to the practice of mathematics teacher education? How is mathematics teacher education a practice? Over a decade ago, scholars fervently debated whether teaching, more broadly, is a practice (see Noddings, 2003) and, certainly, the issue is not yet settled. Meanwhile, the demand facing mathematics teacher educators to better educate teachers means more support is needed for those doing the work; mathematics teacher educators continue to face increasing pressure to prepare teachers to engage in more “ambitious teaching” (Newmann & Associates, 1996) than what was expected nearly three decades ago.

scholarly journals A review of research trends in mathematics teacher education

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 129-145
Author(s):  
Mario Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
New Research

This article presents a literature review in the field of mathematics teacher education research. The review focuses on identifying the main research trends in this field, that is, the main research topics that the mathematics teacher educators’ community is currently addressing, and the main theoretical concepts used to study these topics. One of the contributions of the review is that it identifies new research trends that have not been previously reported. Some of these trends are online mathematics teacher education, and the design and role of tasks in mathematics teacher education. Una revisión de las tendencias de investigación en la formación de profesores de Matemáticas Este artículo presenta una revisión de la literatura en el campo de la investigación en formación de profesores de matemáticas. La revisión se centra en identificar las principales tendencias de investigación en este campo, es decir, los principales temas de investigación que la comunidad de formadores de profesores está abordando actualmente, así como los principales conceptos teóricos usados para estudiar esos temas. Una de las contribuciones de esta revisión es que se identifican tendencias de investigación que no han sido reportadas previamente. Algunas de estas tendencias son la formación online de profesores de matemáticas y el diseño y rol de las tareas en la formación de profesores de matemáticas.Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10481/15312Nº de citas en WOS (2017): 3 (Citas de 2º orden, 3)Nº de citas en SCOPUS (2017): 6 (Citas de 2º orden, 4)

Promoting Active Learning in Mathematics Teacher Education

2017 ◽  
pp. 269-284
Author(s):  
Rukiye Didem Taylan
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Pedagogical Content

Teacher educators have a responsibility to help prospective teachers in their professional growth. It is important that teacher educators not only teach prospective teachers about benefits of active learning in student learning, but that they also prepare future teachers in using pedagogical methods aligned with active learning principles. This manuscript provides examples of how mathematics teacher educators can promote prospective teachers' active learning and professional growth by bringing together the Flipped Classroom method with video content on teaching and learning as well as workplace learning opportunities in a pedagogy course. The professional learning of prospective teachers is framed according to the components of the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Park & Olive, 2008; Shulman, 1986). Implications for future trends in teacher education are provided.

Research and Teacher Education: In Search of Common Ground

1994 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 608-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Cooney
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Effective Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Fundamental Question ◽  
National Council ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Educators

Most mathematics educators are involved in the practice of teacher education at some level. Indeed, the field of mathematics education is predicated on the assumption that someone has to be educated to teach mathematics in our schools. This raises the question of what it means to be educated in o rder to become a teacher of mathematics. What kinds of knowledge do teachers need to become effective teachers of mathematics? What sorts of experiences are needed for teachers to acquire this knowledge? A fundamental question for mathematics teacher educators is how the field of teacher education can be conceptualized so that programs and activities can be created to assist in the acquisition of this knowledge. Given the high visibility of standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) (NCTM, 1988, 1991, in press), a question of interest to many is, What does it take to develop teachers who can move the field toward realizing these standards?

Editorial: Tools as a Catalyst for Practitioners' Thinking

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-7 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Practicing Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Support Students

The word tool has many different meanings. The definition perhaps most relevant to mathematics teacher education is “something (as an instrument or apparatus) used in performing an operation or necessary in the practice of a vocation or profession” (http://www.merriam-webster.com). Mathematics teacher educators use a variety of tools in both conducting research and supporting the preparation and professional development of teachers. In research, we use tools (e.g., observation protocols, assessment instruments, surveys) to collect data that will inform the question that is under investigation in a particular study or set of related studies. In designing and conducting professional education experiences for preservice and practicing teachers, we use tools to provide a scaffold for teacher learning–a structure that allows them to do something that would otherwise be challenging or even impossible to do (e.g., a guide for analyzing instructional tasks, a protocol for lesson planning, formative assessment lessons). Tools can also be used to communicate a standard or shared understanding of practice across the community of mathematics teacher educators, particularly practices that have been shown to support students' learning. According the National Academy of Education(1999, p. 35),

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