Education Commons^™

Parents' Experiences At A Mathematics Workshop Focused On K-2 Content, Abigail W. Wilkerson

Honors College Theses

Parents’ beliefs towards math have been shown to impact their children’s academic achievement in the subject (Elliott & Bachman, 2018; Maloney et al., 2015). With the constant changing of math standards, the math taught in today’s schools may be different from the way parents were taught math. This change can lead to feelings of discomfort or nervousness when the subject is brought up. A parent workshop geared towards helping parents better understand the way math content is being taught can help them to feel more comfortable with math and more prepared to help their children. To help combat this issue, …

Impact Of Designed Task-Based Interventions On K-8 Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge And Ability To Solve Measurement Unit Conversion Problems, Ha Nguyen, Tuyin An, Eryn Maher

Department of Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Converting two-dimensional measurement units presents challenges for K-8 preservice teachers (PSTs) (e.g., 9 ft2 = __ yd2). Place value deficiency, lack of understanding of metric system measurement units, misconceptions about relationships between measurement units, and uncertain knowledge of ratios have been identified as causes of student error in one-dimensional analysis (e.g., Livy & Vale, 2011; Morris, 2001; Southwell & Penglase, 2005). However, PSTs’ strategies for solving two-dimensional measurement unit conversion problems (MUCPs) and possible interventions for improvement are rarely investigated in research. The purpose of this study is to design and test a set of tasks that may help students …

Arts-Based Interdisciplinary Music And Mathematics Tasks: Exploring Conceptualizations Of Equitable Creative Learning In Teacher Education, Alesia Mickle Moldavan, Graham Johnson

Georgia Educational Researcher

Preservice teachers need opportunities in teacher education courses to explore arts-based interdisciplinary learning that can inspire connections between communities of practice and allow learners to integrate concepts and imagine creative possibilities. This study reports on preservice teachers engaged in a workshop on arts-based interdisciplinary music and mathematics tasks. Data included surveys, task-related artifacts, and participant observations to examine how preservice teachers conceptualize and engage in such tasks. Three resonating themes were identified, revealing that preservice teachers generally thought (a) music and mathematics are more engaging and relatable in interdisciplinary contexts than when taught alone, (b) interdisciplinary music and mathematics tasks …

Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives, Lisa Augustine-Chizmar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research is an experiment in perspective. Using the four commonplaces (Schwab, 1978), I practiced letting the Savannah River teach me what there is to know about the water, the land, the people, and the other entities that depend on ki through artistic, ethnographic, and ecopedagogical lenses. The ethnographic findings describe the social actors that depend on ki and give a voice to the River. The a/r/tographic findings display the River on a canvas map through two hundred years using paint, clay, photography, video, abstract acrylics, and fabric. Together, these methods contribute to a unique ecopedagogical journey. This word cloud …

Providing Virtual Mathematics Feedback: Connecting Research To Practice, David Glassmeyer, Mary Colclasure, Laura Alevy

Georgia Educational Researcher

Feedback is an essential form of communication between the student and teacher. Research has documented the importance of feedback in advancing student mathematical and critical thinking, with renewed recommendations to provide and use feedback in mathematical instruction during the era of COVID-19. Giving personalized feedback in an online environment can be a challenge – especially in a mathematics class. This article summarizes five core principles of feedback, associated strategies for mathematics teachers to provide students virtual feedback, and notes on how we have implemented these strategies in middle school mathematics classes.

Teaching Statistics For Social Justice - An Autoethnographic Research Report, Sheffield L. Dacia, Sierra Brooks, Basil M. Conway, Ha Nguyen

Georgia Educational Researcher

The following autoethnography was completed by two graduate students at University A learning to enact teaching for social justice while building content underpinnings in statistics at University B. The authors present a research base for teaching for social justice followed by a description of their lesson, observations during enactment, and reflection of change in beliefs about teaching for social justice afterward. Findings in this study are shared from the authors’ personal perspectives through the enactment of teaching a lesson for social justice in an undergraduate statistics course at University B. Implications provide encouragement that the inclusion of social justice topics …

The Effects Of Schema-Based Instruction On Solving Mathematics Word Problems, Scarlet Hughes, Joshua Cuevas Dr.

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency with which students use math word problem strategies during and after schema-based instruction. It examines the extent to which students increase their ability to correctly solve word problems. It compares students’ attitudes toward mathematics problem solving before and after schema-based instruction. The study was conducted in a resource class with seven second-grade students on individualized education programs (IEPs). A single-subject research design was used. The schema-based instruction was implemented by the special education teacher in a small group setting. Students showed an increase in attempted and correct strategy use during …

Infusing Literacy And Math Into A Socio-Culturally Responsive Summer Science Camp, Alma D. Stevenson, Shelli L. Casler-Failing

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This presentation will describe a Summer Literacy in Science Camp conducted with students in intermediate and middle level at our local Boys and Girls Club. The students participated in reading and writing activities incorporating culturally relevant books, research, journal writing, innovative presentations, and daily science labs focused on the investigation of the surface and tap water in our community.

Arguing About Science: Empowering Students And Developing Issue-Based Pedagogies Through Debate, Cynthia Deaton, Jacquelynn A. Malloy

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This presentation will guide 4th-12th grade educators to engage students in using content area knowledge to solve real-world problems. Using an adaptation of policy debate, learners use facts and evidence gathered through their participation in Science and Engineering Practices to create resolutions to place-based issues that are occurring in their own communities.

Applying Quantitative Reasoning To Clarify Arc Measurements, David Glassmeyer, Daniel Barton

Georgia Educational Researcher

The importance of reasoning quantitatively is reflected in both mathematics education research and mathematical standards for K-12 students. In this article, we detail how a quantitative reasoning framework can be used to help differentiate two quantities we have found students often struggle with: arc length and the measure of a central angle. We argue that taking the time to define all four components of a quantity can support students’ understanding of theorems involving these quantities.

Introduction And Remembrance, Amanda Wall

Becoming: Journal of the Georgia Association for Middle Level Education

Introduction to the issue and remembrance for Dr. Lounsbury

Quaranteaching In The Time Of Covid-19: Exemplar From A Middle Grades Virtual Classroom, Amanda Woods, Stacie K. Pettit, Christi Pace

Becoming: Journal of the Georgia Association for Middle Level Education

The COVID-19 pandemic dropped educators across the world straight into remote learning with little time to prepare. As some have inevitably struggled, other middle grades educators have overcome beginning hurdles to not only survive, but thrive amidst this new challenge. One teacher in particular, despite being in her first year, has found innovative ways to connect and motivate her middle grades students in a virtual environment. This article extends the steps, tips, and resources article (Author 3, Author 2, & Barker, K. S. also in this issue?) to provide a personal example of the successes (and yet still challenges) that …

Perceptions Of The Impact Mathematics Support Classes Have On Student Achievement, Cordaryl Charles Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many students today struggle with mastering grade-level mathematics standards. School leaders have implemented mathematics support classes as a possible solution; however, not all students are showing significant improvement. The challenge is determining an effective mathematics support class that has the most positive impact on student achievement. As a result, the purpose of this research study was to examine the perceptions of principals, mathematics teachers, and mathematics support teachers on the impact mathematics support classes had on student achievement. This study employed a qualitative case study research design that consisted of one overarching research question and three sub-research questions that framed …

Supporting Middle School Students In Tier 2 Math Labs: Instructional Strategies, Emily C. Bouck, Jiyoon Park, Mary Bouck, Jim Alspaugh, Stacey Spitzley, Angela Buckland

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Response to Intervention (RtI) has become a common support system for students; yet, no universal RtI model exists, especially for mathematics and specifically at the middle school level. This article focuses on a specific model for delivering Tier 2 mathematics supports and services at the middle school level: math labs. Evidence–based and research–supported interventions are discussed that support the delivery of Tier 2 services within a middle school math lab RtI structure. A fictionalized vignette, drawing from multiple actual cases, is presented to highlight the use of a Tier 2 math lab within a middle school setting.

Stem Conference 2019, Stem Conference

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

Conference Program with all presentations

Curriculum Integration: Twenty Questions- With Answers, Gert Nesin, John Lounsbury

Becoming: Journal of the Georgia Association for Middle Level Education

This is a digital edition of the book Curriculum Integration: Twenty Questions- With Answers, first published in 1999 by the Georgia Middle School Association.

ISBN-13: 978-0967508108
ISBN-10: 096750810X

Introduction, Amanda Wall

Becoming: Journal of the Georgia Association for Middle Level Education

Introduction

Relationship Between Required Corequisite Learning And Success In College Algebra, Amy D. Smith

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

This study sought to answer if a relationship existed between required corequisite support and success in gateway College Algebra courses. Complete College America and Complete College Georgia initiatives over the last ten years have sought ways to increase access to higher education with high progression and completion rates. Efforts such as the Momentum Year in University System of Georgia schools utilize developmental corequisite courses for gateway English and Mathematics to ensure early success and progression. This study used a chi-squared test to analyze two groups of new freshmen and their success in College Algebra—one group who participated in corequisite learning …

An Introduction To Using Geographic Information Systems (Gis) In The Classroom, Lisa K. Millsaps

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

This interactive session will focus on examples of using GIS in multiple K-12 classroom setting, including but not limited to teaching climate change, history, natural hazards, and literature. Geographic information systems, or GIS, is an online mapping tool, used globally in a variety of professions (e.g., emergency management, city planning, engineering, scientific labs) – that is accessible and beneficial to use in the K-12 classroom! GIS helps us visualize, question, analyze, and interpret real data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends. Participants will not only walk through a demonstration of GIS’ use and potential, they will partake in and practice …

Augmented Reality Chemistry: Transforming 2d Molecular Representations Into Interactive 3d Structures, Derek Behmke, David Kerven, Robert Lutz, Julia Paredes, Richard Pennigton, Evelyn Brannock, Michael Deiters, John Rose, Kevin Stevens

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

Spatial reasoning is defined as the ability to generate, retain, and manipulate abstract visual images. In chemistry, spatial reasoning skills are typically taught using 2-D paper-based models, 3-D handheld models, and computerized models. Research has shown that increased spatial reasoning abilities translate directly to improved content knowledge. The recent explosion in the popularity of smartphones and the development of augmented reality apps for them provide, a yet to be explored, way of teaching spatial reasoning skills to chemistry students. Augmented reality apps utilize the camera on a smartphone to turn 2D paper-based molecular models into 3D models the user can …

Content And Instructional Practice: A Msp Project, Donna Mullenax, Janel Smith Dr.

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

Since October 2016, Armstrong Faculty have been working with SCCPSS teachers through an MSP-funded project. The CIP project focuses on math and science in 5th, 6th, and 8th grades. Design and implementation of the project will be discussed. Mid-project results will be presented, along with plans for Year 2.

Using Active Learning Strategies In Calculus To Improve Student Learning And Influence Mathematics Department Cultural Change, Melissa A. Dagley, Xin Li, Brian Moore, Erin Saitta, Jacquelyn Chini, Michele Gill

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

An interdisciplinary team of Physics, Education, Math and Chemistry faculty developed MATH-GAINS (Growing as Adaptive INstructors) creating an ecosystem where Mathematics faculty persistently and sustainably apply active learning strategies in their teaching of Calculus courses. As a result of implementation, MATH-GAI NS proposed to positively affect the wide-spread adaptation of active learning strategies by department faculty as well as student learning, retention and graduation of over 900 students annually. The objective of the session is to provide attendees details on: how the project was conceived and implemented, instruments, research methodologies and active learning strategies used, examples …

Visualizing Geometrical Counterexamples Using Digital Tools, Tuyin An, Ha Nguyen

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

In my study about pre-service secondary mathematics teachers’ (PSMTs) understanding about the nature of theorems in geometry, I noticed that it was challenging for the PSMTs to visualize and draw counterexamples to disprove the given mathematical statements. The use of the dragging feature of some digital tools, such as The Geometer’s Sketchpad (GSP), in teaching and learning proof and reasoning has been widely discussed and become an ongoing research trend. In this conference session presentation, I will introduce the background of the use of dragging feature in dynamic geometry environment and present two examples showing how this feature could be …

Integrating Lego Robotics Into A 5th Grade Cross Curricular Unit To Promote The Development Of Narrative Writing Skills, Shelli L. Casler-Failing, Mete Akcaoglu, Valerie Woodrum, Valerie Morris, Jay Mcneely

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

This unit was designed to promote the development of narrative writing skills among 5^th grade students through the use of LEGO robotics. The students learned how to construct and program robots, write and present a proposal to complete a mission, and connected the learning to their personal experiences with Hurricane Irma. After learning the basics of building and programming robots, they were presented with a scenario similar to the impact of the bomb drop in Hiroshima – a city in ruins with survivors in need of supplies. Students took the role of engineers to work in pairs to create …

Using Creative Writing To Facilitate Science Learning, Alma D. Stevenson, Ph.D, Lacey D. Huffling, Ph.D

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

This session will be led by a literacy educator and a science educator, who worked collaboratively to create, implement, and refine science lessons during a week-long summer program for middle grade (6^th – 8^th) migrant students. The presenters created culturally responsive NGSS lessons that were infused with multiple literacy strategies culminating in a creative writing, where students incorporated the vocabulary and concepts learned, using storyboarding and Google Slides.

Participants will engage in the mini-lesson and have a brief discussion on the components of the lessons based on NGSS, culturally responsive teaching, and literacy integration. Examples of student …

Selecting, Sequencing, And Connecting: Using Technology To Support Area Measurement Through Tasks, Strategies, And Discussion, Eryn M. Stehr, Ha Nguyen, Jia He

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

This session supports grades 3-5 mathematics teachers and coaches in considering how technology in the classroom can be used to support "low threshold, high ceiling" tasks and productive discussion. In this session, participants will interact with and share resulting strategies from an online task designed to: be open to multiple levels of strategies, reveal misconceptions, and support students in developing more sophisticated conceptual understandings of area measurement. We will present a sampling of strategies created by teachers (who were pretending to be elementary students) in past activities. Participants will select and sequence these strategies to align with chosen learning outcomes. …

Assessment Of Practice-Focused Middle School Science Modules, Sunni H. Newton, Jessica Gale, Meltem Alemdar, Stefanie Wind

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

AMP-IT-UP is an NSF-funded K-12 program intended to promote math, science, and engineering learning through STEM integration-focused curricula. As part of this program, one-week modules were designed to teach specific science practices within the context of the appropriate grade-level content. Nine science modules were created, one focused on each practice (practices are data visualization, experimental design, and data-driven decision making) at grade levels 6, 7, and 8. In this presentation, we will focus on our assessment of the implementation of these modules across four middle schools during the 2016-2017 academic year. We will present our methodology for assessing this complex …

Fostering Pre-Service Teachers' Understanding Of Basic Arithmetic Principles, Veena Paliwal

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

Arithmetic properties (commutative, associative, distributive, identity, and inverse) provide one of the most critical avenues to higher-level thinking and conceptual understanding. The present study was designed to promote understanding and use of arithmetic properties among sixty-five pre-service teachers enrolled in two Foundations of Numbers and Operations classes. The intervention employed involved using various models to promote conceptual understanding of the arithmetic properties and use them as a problem-solving tool while identifying any possible misconceptions. A pretest-posttest design was employed. The results revealed that the intervention was effective in promoting understanding of the commutative, associative, identity, and inverse properties, and was …

Using Google Forms To Inform Teaching Practices, Ha Nguyen Dr., Heidi Eisenreich Dr., Eryn Stehr Dr.

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

Do you need a quick way to assess your student learning and identify misconceptions? Are you tired of collecting and/or grading papers? Google Forms can help, especially with some newly added features such as checkbox grids, intelligent response validation, and automatic grading. Through interactive activities during this talk, participants will hear about several uses of Google Forms to gather data, engage student learning, and create and score assessments. Additionally, participants will learn how to shorten an URL link with a desired name and generate a QR code for instant access to the link. This session can be beneficial to all …

The Effects Of Integrating Lego Robotics Into A Mathematics Curriculum To Promote The Development Of Proportional Reasoning, Shelli L. Casler-Failing

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019)

This mixed methods, action research case study sought to investigate the effects of incorporating LEGO robotics into a seventh-grade mathematics curriculum focused on the development of proportional reasoning through the lens of Social Constructivist Theory. Quantitative data was collected via a pre- and post-test from the mathematics class of six students. Qualitative data was collected from each of the students as they worked in groups of two to complete purposefully designed investigations and activities, from whole class discussions, and student artifacts. The quantitative analysis showed development of proportional reasoning skills with the greatest increase being from low-performing students. The qualitative …