Mathematics Preservice Course Materials: Adapting Inservice Materials to Preservice Environments

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Trying to improve preservice courses can be challenging, especially finding materials that provide prospective teachers with insights into classroom practice. Over the last few years, high quality, practice-based inservice materials have become increasingly available. Although contexts differ, these inservice materials hold great promise for preservice as well. This conference will help preservice educators consider the issues in effectively adapting inservice materials for use with preservice teachers.

Who should attend?
Preservice educators who design and teach content and methods courses for prospective teachers K–12

Who leads the conference?
Mark Driscoll, Education Development Center
Judy Mumme, WestEd
Nanette Seago, WestEd
Margaret Smith, University of Pittsburgh
Laura Van Zoest, Western Michigan University

What Will I Receive?
Conference participants will:

• Consider some of the issues in adapting inservice materials effectively
• Share ideas with other preservice educators
• Gain experience with the design and intent of a series of inservice materials
• Consider cases of both productive and non-productive adaptations
• Work with colleagues to develop potential adaptations for specific preservice situations

The conference will use three sets of highly acclaimed inservice materials as examples of practice-based materials that have been successfully adapted for use in preservice:

Fostering Algebraic Thinking Toolkit is a set of professional development materials that helps mathematics teachers in grades 6-10 learn to identify, describe, and foster algebraic thinking in their students. Underlying the Toolkit is a core belief that understanding how mathematics is learned is fundamental to good mathematics teaching.

Improving Instruction in Algebra: Using Cases to Transform Mathematics Teaching is a set of narrative cases and related materials that encourage teachers to construct knowledge central to teaching by engaging in activities that are built around artifacts of classroom practice, providing opportunities for teachers to learn about practice from the actual work of practice. The narrative cases provide the opportunity to analyze how teacher and student interactions in the classroom influence what students learn and the instructional tasks invite teachers to explore important mathematical ideas.

Learning and Teaching Linear Functions is a video case modular curriculum designed to highlight mathematical knowledge for teaching algebra (specifically linear functions) such as keeping one’s eye on the mathematical trajectory, choosing and using various representations of mathematics, using student contributions effectively, and interpreting and responding to perceived student errors and unexpected student methods.

Although these are each aimed primarily at the middle grades, they represent a genre of practice-based inservice materials that can be considered for adaptation to preservice at any grade span.

What Is the Cost?
The cost for a comprehensive set of course materials, the professional development, most meals, and three nights of accommodations is $300 per participant. (Materials alone are valued at more than $300.) Registration deadline is May 15, 2007.

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