SNPrime Article

Exploring patterns and examining their relationships is the talk of the class among preservice teachers at three Wisconsin institutions of higher learning.

Preservice mathematics education classes at Edgewood College, UW-Platteville, and UW-Whitewater are using “It’s a Perfect Fit,” a Mathline lesson designed for elementary students and then getting online to discuss their analyses of the lesson. Karen Thomas of UW-Platteville is teaming with Linda Uselmann, Edgewood College, and Phil Makurat, UW-Whitewater, to determine which online activities of their college students relate to the lesson.

The PBS-produced videos provide illustrations of standards-based mathematics teaching at the K-12 levels. “My students are always surprised at the sophisticated mathematical thinking displayed by second graders as illustrated in the Mathline video,” says Karen Thomas, a mathematics education professor at UW-Platteville. The preservice teachers are benefiting from their professors using the PBS Mathline videos in their courses to demonstrate reform-based mathematics teaching and learning.

This is the third year for the Networking Project to Improve Mathematics Education (NPRIME), a WECB Online program for preservice educators at state colleges and universities. NPRIME is funded through the University of Wisconsin System Eisenhower Higher Education grant program. In the first year, NPRIME’s focus was the creation of a course syllabus for incorporating Mathline videos in preservice courses. PBS published the syllabus in June, offering it for sale on a nationwide basis.

More than 180 preservice students representing ten campuses across the state are getting online with WECB Online to discuss and reflect about their math education lessons in conferences moderated by their respective professors. Using FirstClass conferencing software, they access the ECB server for asynchronous conversations with their peers across the state.

The preservice teachers also have an opportunity to discuss aspects of their chosen vocation with experienced teachers in the field through NPRIME. The program is coordinating an “Adopt a preservice teacher” with previous Mathline and WASDI Line participants. Using pattern blocks.

They connect with the preservice students online, answering questions and coaching them on preparing for student teaching. Preservice teachers also are able to talk to all WECB Online users through the Commons Conference. And, they’re taking advantage of their new access to seasoned voices - having mentors in the field is a rare opportunity available on college campuses. For example, one student poses a question about the reality of standardized testing vs. other avenues of assessment while another comments on the positive merits of grading homework.

Below is a sample of a thread of messages initiated by an Edgewood preservice teacher asking about calculator use in the Mathline Bulletin Board. Notice the diversity of responses, including one from another preservice teacher:

Hi everybody,

I was wondering if some of you could share your experiences on the pros and cons of using calculators in the classrooms at different levels. Thanks

An Edgewood Preservice Teacher

Hi! Welcome to Mathline.

I teach high school and use a variety of different calculators for a variety of different problems. I try to teach the kids that it is a tool to use and then use that tool to get at the math that is being taught.

There are times when I've walked by a student using the calculator to do simple computation and taken it away from them and told them to think, while other times they can use it to check their best-fit lines using the regression capabilities. It forces you to rethink how you assess students since the calculator is capable of doing most of the math for them.

What do others have to say?

I try to teach the kids that it is a tool to use and then use that tool to get at the math that is being taught.

I agree. I teach 5th grade, and the students use the calculator as a tool for difficult computations when solving problems. We do mental math activities frequently and find that many times we can find answers more quickly mentally than with a calculator. The students are often surprised at this.

Ditto. When I taught 7th grade, I would allow students to use the calculator to check work but they had to show all the work. If we were learning something new or difficult I would let them use the calculator as I didn't want them to get so hung up on the math that they were losing the concept.

That is the same strategy I used with seventh and eighth graders. We had a "calculator up" or "calculator turned down" times during the class periods.

I read that on the TIMSS Repeat, kids who used calculators did better that those who didn't at the 8th and 10th grade levels, but not at the 4th grade level. This reinforces earlier research that it is the fourth grade and under where students develop number sense, etc.

As a special education assistant working towards my special ed degree, it is always a challenge to decide how much the calculators are hurting or helping the students. For the most part, I feel that if kids do not know the simple math facts by age 12, calculators at least allow them to feel good about the homework they are doing.

When they are taken away, the stress and the negative comments about how "stupid" they think they are really start to come out. So I guess, overall, I am pro-calculators in the classroom. This is coming from working with middle school students.

Student NPRIME: A head start for preservice math teachers