Examining Mathematics Practice through Classroom Artifacts

Description
Teachers need to be able to diagnose what their students do and don’t understand about mathematics. This book helps teachers become more analytic about their students’ thinking by showing them how to use classroom artifacts to evaluate what is happening in the classroom.
Focusing on elementary through middle grades, Examining Mathematics Practice through Classroom Artifacts investigates what classroom artifacts are, how to interpret them, and ways to use these data to improve mathematics instruction.
Co-written by Nanette Seago, Project Director at WestEd, the book:
- Offers a guiding framework for working with mathematics artifacts that focuses on two essential elements—using artifacts to assess students’ mathematical thinking and students’ understanding of mathematical content
- Incorporates a variety of real artifacts and illustrations from elementary through middle grades including samples such as video, homework, interviews, lessons, worksheets, discussions, and transcripts
- Shows how teachers can gain a new perspective on their own classroom practice by using student work as a tool that informs instruction
- Develops teacher confidence in using classroom artifacts by offering a capstone Putting It All Together chapter, chapter exercises, study questions, sample completed worksheets, links to classroom practice, and pertinent commentary
- Includes references to Common Core State Standards in side bars and commentary sections in most chapters
Resource Details
Product Information
ISBN: 978-0-13-210128-8Copyright: 2012
Format: Trade Paper
Pages: 192
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
Praise for this Resource
“The book takes a qualitative view of a quantitative subject, which is not easy to do successfully. The discussion on the strengths of using habits of mind as a basis for lesson plan evaluation was very strong. I would use that idea as the basis for PD in my own school district.”
Julie A. Drewry, K-12 Mathematics Supervisor, Roanoke City Public Schools, Roanoke, VA“[This book] examined and delineated the thinking that needs to occur to develop mathematically strong instruction and to improve our analysis of students’ thinking. It shifted our attention from errors as merely mistakes, to errors that help us to identify strengths as well as weaknesses. How to interpret student thinking based on artifacts from the classroom, how to identify the mathematical “big ideas” in curriculum, how to ensure the rigor of our lessons, and how students represent their mathematical thinking as well as using errors to develop next steps are the key ideas of this manuscript. All of these topics are critical components of quality instruction.”
Jane Elizabeth Gillis, Math Cadre, Red Clay Consolidated School District, Wilmington, DE
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