Time:

Thursday, 5 PM to 8 PM

Course begins September 19th and continues through December 12th with two Saturday sessions to be arranged

The Technology Center of DuPage (TCD)

301 S. Swift Road

Addison, IL 60101

Download a copy of the syllabus

  Assignments

1. Bi Weekly article review -- Students will be responsible for 8 reviews of articles about technology and algebra at their grade level. The articles can be in either or both of two categories: research articles or practitioner articles.
   1. Research articles -- A review of a research article should include an overview of the article (a few paragraphs) that discusses the research question, methods and conclusion. But the bulk of the review should address the potential impact of the article on your teaching and/or on the teachers you work with.
   2. Practitioner articles -- A review of a practitioner article (such as those found in Mathematics Teacher) should include a brief overview of the article and a discussion of whether or not it would fit within your classroom.
2. Project- Lesson Module. This is the traditional "Ken Travers assignment." That is, part of this course is building a repertoire of exemplary lessons that are available on the MSTE site. The lesson module must include an algebraic concept and some use of a digital technology. Ideally, this will be a Web page. (Don’t panic if you haven’t made a Web page. We will help.)
3. Weekly reading assignments: Readings from a journal or book chapter will be given each week. These readings will form the basis of the discussion for the following week.
4. A "math biography" of a student. More on this later.
5. Using technology with students. Each member of the class is responsible for piloting a technology-based algebra lesson with a group of students, and reporting the results.

  Topics Covered

• Working with graphing calculators and distance sensors (1 session)
• Expanding the calculator with small robots (1 session)
• The mathematics of global positioning (1 session)
• Using hand-held computers in the mathematics classroom (1 session)
• Working with spreadsheets and "worldware" programs (1 session)
• Geometer’s Sketchpad as a tool for exploring patterns and relationships (1 session)
• Electronic communication in the mathematics classroom: uploading files, using chat tools, email and video conferencing (1 session)
• Using Fathom to display data (1 session)
• Using sensors and probes with the computer (1 session)
• Connecting the research to practice (on-going aspect of the course with 3 full discussion sessions)
• Connecting multiple tools through lesson design (2 sessions)
• Presenting technology based modules (3 sessions)

  Rough Schedule

• 8 weeks of exposure to a variety of technological tools related to algebra.
• 8 weeks of working with the tools to create modules.
• Readings throughout the course on making connections between research and practice.
• The final six weeks will include time presenting unit projects and sharing work with the class