MTH 545 - Developing Mathematical Ideas, Numbers and Operations

(Cr: 3)

This course is designed to deepen teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in the Number and Operations mathematical strand. The content of this course supports standards-based mathematics programs. Teachers will explore the base ten structure of the number system, consider place value in computational procedures, and examine how concepts of whole numbers reappear when working with decimals. Through activities such as reading cases about elementary mathematics in classroom settings, viewing videotapes, doing mathematics, analyzing student work, and reading current research applicable to these issues teachers will learn more mathematics content for themselves, recognize key mathematical ideas with which students are grappling, appreciate the power and complexity of student thinking, analyze activities to uncover the mathematics students will learn from it, define and select mathematical objectives for their students, and learn how to continue learning about children and mathematics.