June 16 - 20

Monday:

• Post: Metalesson
• Post: Submit in HTML an introduction to yourself. Include the following information: name, hometown, major and degree program, teaching experience (if any), what you hope to gain from this class.
• Post: Principles and Standards 2000 is a document that articulates national-type goals for school mathematics. In class, you will be assigned a section of the document to read and dissect. This document expresses principles and goals that are intended to guide school mathematics teaching for all students. Does this document reflect your experiences in mathematics classrooms? How so or how not? To what extent does this document reflect or differ from your own personal beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics? Be prepared to discuss the reading in class tomorrow. In your folder, prepare a short summary and reaction to what you've read--address the questions above.
• Present in class: In class today, we will peruse the MSTE website. There, you will find many activities, lessons, and Java applets designed for mathematics classrooms. Pick one and describe briefly how you could see using this resource in a math lesson

Tuesday:

• Post: Metalesson
• Post: In class today, we discussed two math concepts--division of fractions and "negative x negative = positive." Describe briefly how your group handled these concepts.
• Read: Brahier, Chapters 1 and 2 for tomorrow. Respond to the following questions.
• Prepare for Discussion: What are some problem-solving strategies that you tend to use or migrate towards when solving mathematical problems? Are there some that are more effective for you than others? Why do you think that this is so?
• Prepare for Discussion: Think about your own mathematical development in middle and secondary school. When you read Chapter 2 that discusses learning theories in mathematics, are there sections that "ring true" for the ways in which you learned mathematics as you look back? How so? How does your self-perception of how you learn mathematics compare with ideas presented here?

Wednesday:

• Post: Metalesson
• Prepare to teach: Work on your short mini-lesson to present in small groups on Thursday. Plan for no more than 12-15 minutes. We will discuss details in class on Wednesday and you will have time to work on plans for this presentation. Your lesson plan should be in your folder.
• Read and plan: Begin reading and working with your group to dissect one content standard and one process standard in the Principles and Standards 2000 by NCTM. No need to put anything written at this time in your folder.

Thursday:

• Post: Metalesson
• Teach in class: Be prepared to teach a short mini-lesson this Thursday (the same for each of the first 3 weeks). You will teach these mini-lessons in your small groups. The amount of time allotted for each person's "micro-teaching" will depend on the total enrollment in the course. I anticipate that the maximum time for each person will be 12 minutes.
  
  The lesson for the first week should incorporate some resource or method used/discussed in class, but can be at any grade level you choose and on any topic you choose. A Java applet from MSTE or from the Shodor Foundation would make an excellent source for a mini-lesson.
• Post: Respond to Question #5, Page 52 at the end of Chapter 2.
• Read: For Monday, Brahier, Chapter 5. There will be questions to answer on this on Monday night's homework. Also, read carefully your assigned section of the content and process standards from the Principles and Standards document. Work with your group to prepare your summaries, activities, etc. These will be due next Thursday in class.
• Post and prepare to present: Concept attainment activity: Select a concept in mathematics, e.g., 'closed polygons' was the example in the text. Now, create a short "concept attainment" activity that employs inductive learning by creating several examples and non-examples of this concept. However, do not identify upfront which are examples and which are non-examples. Be prepared to share this activity from your folder on Monday/Tuesday. Class members will try to discern what concept you are presenting by characterizing the common properties of examples. There is an example in the text on page 44

Friday:

• No class. I will post on Friday 5 problems similar to MacGyver Problems, and ask you to pick 3 to respond to over the weekend. We will do the same 3 problems at the end of the course.