MTH 211 Elementary Math I Fall :40 18:30, Tues/Thurs, 307 Neuberger Hall

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1 MTH 211 Elementary Math I Fall :40 18:30, /, 307 Neuberger Hall Instructor Dr. Steven Boyce (Steve) sboyce@pdx.edu Office Location: 325 Neuberger Hours: 16:00-16:30 and 18:30 19:00 Tue/Thu, or by apt. Materials Course Website: then find our course Books: Bassarear Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers (6 th Edition) Other Materials: 3- Ring Binder to organize Homework Common Core State Standards available online at NCTM standards available online sign up for the 120 day free online access. NAEP data base National library of virtual manipulatives What This Course is About Elementary school teachers need a great deal of specialized knowledge in order to teach elementary mathematics well. This knowledge is different from the knowledge needed to be a successful math student, or to be successful in a job that requires math. To teach math well, teachers need specialized knowledge that includes (but is not limited to Knowledge of how to represent mathematical ideas in multiple ways Knowledge of the reasons behind common rules and procedures Knowledge of K- 8 mathematics that enables them to examine and make sense of children s solution methods to problems Knowledge of how children think about and do mathematics The primary goal of Math 211 is for you to continue to develop your teaching- specific, specialized knowledge of the processes involved in K- 8 mathematics, through your reflection on your own engagement in these mathematical processes in the course. Process Standards Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Model with mathematics. Use appropriate tools strategically. Attend to precision. Look for and make use of structure. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. 1

2 Math 211 focuses particularly on the following mathematics domains: Content Standards Counting and Cardinality Operations and Algebraic Thinking Numbers and Operations in Base 10 Goals for the Course As mentioned above, the primary goal of this course is for you to continue to develop specialized knowledge of mathematics. Related and additional aims are as follows: a) Develop your ability to justify the "why" behind K- 8 math. b) Develop your ability to represent mathematical ideas in multiple ways and to make connections between those representations. Physical Manipulatives and/or Drawings Mathematical Symbols (e.g., 2 + 5) Verbal Explanations (spoken or written) c) Develop your ability to communicate about mathematics (written and out loud). d) Develop your ability to interpret and make sense of others' (including children's and your peers') mathematical ideas. e) Improve your confidence in your ability to do math, and reduce your math- related anxiety. f) Develop your ability to identify and articulate what you do and do not understand. g) Develop your ability to approach math problems with a productive disposition. h) Help you see mathematics as an enjoyable subject that is based on reasoning, exploration, discovery and sense- making. How We Will Work Together to Accomplish These Goals In class, we will explore and discuss mathematics in small groups and as a whole class. We will analyze children s mathematical thinking by watching videos of children doing mathematics and by looking at samples of children s written work; we will work with physical manipulatives to explore problems; we will share and analyze multiple solution methods to a problem; and we will practice communicating our own ideas and questions, and understanding our peers ideas. As the instructor, I will assess your understanding using both informal and formal techniques (elaborated in the Course Requirements section below). 2

3 Outside of class, you will work towards the goals of the course by completing homework assignments that will include: reading sections from the textbook, completing learning exercises from the textbook, reading articles from Teaching Children Mathematics and other relevant publications (all provided on D2L or available from the library), participating in online discussions with your peers (also on D2L), and reading about the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. General Expectations Certain aspects of this course will not be graded explicitly, but they are expected of every student. These expectations are: Because this is a 4 credit class, it is expected that you will set aside at least 8-12 hours per week for studying and completing homework assignments outside of class 1. This is a demanding (and also interesting!) course, and you should plan your schedule accordingly. If you need to be absent, it is expected that you me as soon as you know you will be missing class. You are still responsible for turning in all assignments when they are due (except if you make special arrangements with me ahead of time). It is expected that you will seek help outside of class if you need it. Resources available to you are: o Me (during office hours or by appointment) o The tutoring table o Other students in the class It is expected that you will come to class each day with an attitude that facilitates your own and others learning. It is expected that you will contribute to a non- judgmental, respectful, encouraging classroom environment in every way that you can. Course Requirements Attendance & Participation (10%) You are expected to attend every class, to arrive on time, and to participate in and contribute to class. An absence will affect your attendance grade, regardless of the reason for the absence. Your participation in our class activities and discussions is absolutely essential, not only for your own learning but also for the learning of your peers and the overall success of our class. Should you have to miss a class (for any reason) it is your responsibility to make up any missed work (preferably before you come back). To this effect please exchange contact information with some classmates so you can contact them for notes/updates. Each absence (for any reason) will result in the loss of 2% of your final score. Sharing your ideas and questions, as well as responding to those of your classmates, is critical. You should come to class prepared to discuss/present the assigned material and to 1 3

4 apply it to your ongoing work in the course. If you struggle with an assignment please make sure to bring questions to class and/or to office hours. Readings & Reflection (10%): Readings: You will be asked to read and reflect on articles. The reflections may be individual assignments and/or participation in D2L discussions. Sometimes specific questions will be provided and sometimes I will ask you to reflect more generally. Each reflection should consist of a brief summary of the main points of the article and then your reaction/thoughts to the article. You may relate current readings to previous readings/experiences you had. Reflections: I will also periodically ask you to reflect on class activities, homework problems, textbook readings, other things. Homework Portfolio (20%): Textbook Readings will be assigned and I expect you actively read the text (highlight, work through problems within the text, pose questions, etc). If you have any questions to the text please make sure to note them down so we can discuss them. Problems and activities will be assigned during the term (assigned during class and/or as homework). You can work independently or with your peers, but you must write up your own solutions. Writing- up homework problems: For every homework problem, you should clearly explain your steps and your reasoning. For every problem, the use of pictures, mathematical symbols, and words (even complete sentences!) is encouraged. Questions to ask yourself are: "How can I explain why this solution works?" and "Could somebody else follow my reasoning if they read my write- up without talking to me?" You will be asked to organize your homework in a portfolio and be ready to submit it at any time for grading. What should my portfolio look like? Your portfolio should be a 3- ring binder that is large enough to hold the materials for all of the sections listed below. Each homework assignment should be clearly labeled and started on a new page. The reader should not need to guess about content or assignment. The assignment page should be printed out and filed with the appropriate homework. When will homework be collected? Homework may be collected occasionally during the term and a final folder will be collected towards the end of the term (see schedule for dates). Homework will be checked for completeness at the beginning of class. For grading purposes please start each assignment on a new page, label clearly which assignment you are working on, submit only legible and easy to follow solutions (there should be no guessing involved on my part). Ideally you print out each week s homework assignment pages and organize your portfolio around those. Quizzes (20 %) Quizzes: Brief announced and unannounced quizzes will be given throughout the term. Occasionally quizzes will be exact replicas of homework problems, other times problems will ask you to draw on what you learned to solve a problem. Should you miss a Quiz due to an absence please contact me no later than 6 pm the night before the next teaching session via 4

5 to let me know whether you want to come early the next teaching day so you can take a make- up version before class (this is the ONLY way to make up a quiz). Quiz Revisions: If you would like to improve a score that you receive on a quiz, you may correct your answers to earn up to half of the points back. Due dates for the quiz revisions are the class after I returned the quizzes at the beginning of class. Revisions have to be stand alone and easy to understand for you to receive credit. Revisions have to be handed in with the original Quiz but on a new sheet. The redo needs to include an explanation of what you missed on your first quiz to receive credit. Exams, Surveys (40 %) Midterm Exam (20%): Tentatively scheduled for October 29. Final Exam (Written and Online Survey) (20%): Scheduled for day, December 8. Part of this exam is a survey. You must receive a passing grade on the final to pass the class. Course Grades Grading: Grades will be calculated using a weighted average. You must receive a passing grade on the final to pass the class. You may check you grade with me at any time during the semester. Class Topics (tentative & subject to change) Day Class In- Class Topics 9/29 1 Foundations for Learning Mathematics 2 Foundations for Learning Mathematics 10/1 10/6 3 Foundations for Learning Mathematics 4 Foundations for Learning Mathematics 10/8 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 10/13 10/15 5 Fundamental Concepts 6 Fundamental Concepts Week 4 Week 5 10/20 10/22 10/27 10/29 7 Fundamental Concepts 8 Fundamental Concepts 9 Fundamental Concepts 10 Fundamental Concepts Week 6 11/3 11/5 11 Midterm Exam 12 Four Fundamental Operations of Arithmetic 5

6 Week 10 Week 9 Week 8 Week 7 Finals Week 11/10 11/12 11/17 11/19 11/24 11/26 12/1 12/3 12/8 13 Four Fundamental Operations of Arithmetic 14 Four Fundamental Operations of Arithmetic 15 Four Fundamental Operations of Arithmetic 16 Four Fundamental Operations of Arithmetic 17 Four Fundamental Operations of Arithmetic 18 Thanksgiving Break! 19 Extending the Number System 20 Extending the Number System Finals week Final Exam (3:30 pm 5:20 pm) 6

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