Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Paper 1: A Proposed Pedagogical Approach For Preparing Teacher Candidates To Incorporate (Academic) Language, Woong Lim, Lynn Stallings

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference

The edTPA is a performance-based assessment that aims to measure teacher candidates’ readiness for teaching. Beginning in the fall of 2015, this assessment will be a mandatory requirement for those seeking certification in Georgia. General agreement exists in the field of education about the basic knowledge and skills essential for beginning teachers to demonstrate in classroom teaching. Does edTPA measure the knowledge and skills essential for beginning mathematics teachers in particular? Assuming that edTPA can successfully measure that knowledge and skills for beginning teachers, the use of the assessment could be valuable.

One of the critical components of edTPA is …

Paper 2: Design Considerations For Visually-Aided Discussion Prompts: Emphasizing Mathematical Reasoning In Teacher Education, Anne Marie S. Marshall, Kadian M. Callahan

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference

The availability and familiarity of online discussion tools create new instructional options that teacher educators can use to foster prospective teachers’ understanding of mathematics. In particular, online discussion blogs provide an avenue through which teacher educators can press prospective teachers to explore mathematical concepts and share their mathematical reasoning with peers. Furthermore, by incorporating visual stimulations as a design component of these discussion blogs, prospective teachers can make sense of and respond to others’ ideas about mathematical concepts with greater clarity. This paper shares preliminary findings of a research study that examined the extent to which the design of a …

Paper 5: Caep, Nctm, And Secondary Mathematics Program Revisions, Dianna J. Spence

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference

Eight assessments were developed for CAEP (formerly NCATE) and NCTM recognition of our secondary mathematics program. These assessments include internship work samples, field evaluations, and candidate portfolios addressing content knowledge, pedagogical methods, and mathematics technology. Based on data collected from these assessments, alongside ongoing evaluation of the program, several curriculum and program revisions were implemented, including: 1) development of mathematics content-specific courses in classroom management, assessment, and secondary curriculum; 2) restructuring of a senior seminar course in mathematics education; and 3) an increased content focus in probability and statistics. The adoption of new NCTM standards in the CAEP review process …

Paper 6: A Mathematics Teacher’S Journey Of Identity Construction And Change, Anthony B. Stinson

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference

Despite some gains, improving mathematics instruction remains an area of concern in the United States. The implementation of the Common Core Standards and the challenge of teaching the 21st Century student require mathematics teachers to examine their pedagogy to determine if they need to change or improve their practices. This paper provides a personal account of my journey when determining my identity as a mathematics teacher and how constructing my identity helped in changing and improving my practices as a mathematics teacher. The study was done using autoethnography, a burgeoning research method, and identity theory. This study has the goals …

Paper 3: Differences In Beliefs Across A Series Of Four Mathematics Content Courses, Susanna Molitoris Miller, Caitlin Walkey

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference

College students often ask questions such as, “Why do I have to take this class? Is there a point to it?” For Early Childhood Education (ECE) majors these questions may often take on a slightly different form, wondering, “How can I incorporate this information into my classroom?” or “Do I understand this well enough to teach this to my students?” It is especially important for pre- service teachers to feel confident working with the mathematical content that they are learning and for them to believe that they can successfully teach that same information to a group of students. Swackhamer, Koellner, …

Introductory Texts, Georgia Association Of Mathematics Teacher Educators

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference

Coverpage

GAMTE Information

Letter from the President

Table of Contents

Paper 4: Do You See What I See? Deepening Teachers’ Understanding Of Linear Equations Through Student Interviews, Tamara Pearson, Kelli Nipper, Catherine Matos

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference

Many teachers have trouble transitioning their students between natural recursive thinking about the data and algebraic notation for representing linear functions (Zazkis & Liljedahl, 2002).

In this study, we interviewed eighteen middle school students to see how they used prior instruction to think about a geometric pattern and construct its corresponding linear equation. All students

were given the same task to complete and were questioned about their thinking during the interview.

We found that the recording of pattern recognition plays a substantial part in helping students recognize and write explicit patterns. By having students decompose the total perimeter into how …