Course Description

(A) Content and methods for teaching mathematics in the elementary school program focusing on problem solving, mathematical reasoning and communication in mathematics. Special attention will be given to integrating mathematics with other areas of the curriculum helping students see the connection among mathematics and other areas of study. Co-requisites: EDUN 315, 374, 378, 379 (3 cr. hr.)

Course Objectives

Students in this course will:

1. Examine their past experiences in mathematics, their personal beliefs about mathematics, and the teaching and learning of mathematics (ACEI 5.2).

2. Reflect on the social impact of the teachers of mathematics in promoting equity in mathematics education as well as become aware of personal cultural or social biases and how these biases may appear, for example, in teacher's attitudes, in the context of word problems, or in the children's books selected to be used in the classroom (ACEI 5.2; Cortland CF 11).

3. Explore the major strands of the mathematics curriculum (number sense, numbers and operations, geometry, measurement, data management, and algebra) to develop conceptual and procedural understanding and problem solving ability in various areas of mathematics (ACEI 2.3, 3.3; Cortland CF 1, 2, 8).

4. Understand and promote students' understanding of connections between mathematics and real life experiences and other areas of study, particularly, English language arts and science (ACEI 2.1-2.4; Cortland CF 1, 2).

5. Understand the contrasting paradigms of traditional, teacher-centered, drill-and-practice mathematics teaching and student-centered, constructivist approaches while recognizing new directions in the practice of teaching mathematics based on the results of the research on teaching and learning of mathematics (ACEI 1; Cortland CF 10).

6. Develop the ability to construct mathematics lesson plans which are student centered, are grounded in a solid understanding of the featured mathematical content, and meet the needs of diverse learners (ACEI 1, 2.3, 3.1-3.4; Cortland CF 2, 10).

7. Understand the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and New York State Learning Standards and apply them in lesson plans (ACEI 1, 2.3, 3.1-3.5, 4; Cortland CF 8).

8. Develop an awareness of the needs of diverse learners (cultural, ethnic, gender, ability, learning styles) (ACEI 1, 3.1, 3.2; Cortland CF 11).

9. Develop a repertoire of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate not only procedural skills but also students' conceptual understanding of mathematics (ACEI 3.2, 4, 5; Cortland CF 12).

Course Texts and Resources

Required Text

Reys, R. (2012). Helping Children Learn Mathematics. (10th edition): Wiley.

Required Materials
Most of these can be downloaded and/or accessed on iPad or other mobile device.

New York State EducationDepartment. (2011). New York State P-12 Common CoreLearning Standards for Mathematics. Albany: NYSED. Found online at:
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/pdfdocs/nysp12cclsmath.pdf

New York State Education Department. (2011). Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy Subjects. Found online at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/common_core_standards/pdfdocs/p12_common_core_learning_standards_ela.pdf

New York State Education Department. (2011). Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Appendix A. Found online at: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf

Engage NY website: An online resource for implementing the Common Core State Standards. Found online at:  http://engageny.org

TaskStream subscription: www.taskstream.com

edTPA Elementary Education Handbook

Recommended Materials

Perrin, R. (2011). Pocket guide to A.P.A. style. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

Recommended Resources

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: www.nctm.org

Better Lessons for the Common Core: http://cc.betterlesson.com/

Course Tasks: Calendar and Percentage Points
(Click on links below for more information on each task.)

Abbreviated Reading Calendar

Grading Scale

Your grade in EDU 373: Teaching Elementary School Mathematics will be evaluated based on the following grading scale:

A grade of A+ is reserved for exceptional, nearly flawless work.

You must earn a C- or better in this course to be eligible to student teach.

Other Important Course Information

Writing Policies

All written work must be word-processed and must meet the high quality writing standards expected of a classroom teacher. The Academic Support and Achievement and Program tutors have liberal hours to help those students who need assistance in meeting these standards. Please note that the tutors do not serve as proofreaders. Rather, they assist writers to organize their thoughts and to write more coherently. Bring your written work to the ASAP Center (on the second floor of Van Hoesen Hall) well in advance of due dates, soliciting their assistance throughout the writing process. Be mindful that, as a future teacher of writing (which is now being taught in every subject area), your written work must be that of a professional. Present your assignments as you would if they were to be reviewed by a school district administrator, member of the school board, or parents of your prospective students.

Rewrites

If an assignment must be revised because it is unsatisfactory, the highest grade that can be earned on that assignment is "C." The resubmission must be presented no later than one week from the date the assignment is returned. You may be required to use the ASAP services to qualify for resubmission of a writing assignment.

Late Papers

If the due date for an assignment is a class day, then the assignments are due at the start of class. If the due date for an assignment is on a non-class day, then it will be due in the Blackboard drop box by midnight of the due date.

Attendance Policy

Attendance at every class is expected. In each class session, we will do a variety of interactive, hands-on activities which cannot be easily made up. If you miss more than one week of class (1 class session), I reserve the right to implement the college policy for excessive absences from class. This policy allows me to reduce your overall grade by one third of a letter grade (approximately 3 points) for each hour of class you miss beyond one week's worth.

Since you are preparing to become a teacher in this class, I see your being on time to class and attending class as a sign of your commitment to becoming a professional. Thus, if you have to miss a class or be late to class, you should email or call me to let me know as soon as possible. This is a professional courtesy that I expect you will extend to all your instructors.

Meeting Student Needs

The goal of this course is to satisfy your needs as a prospective elementary or early childhood teacher. Adjustments will be made throughout the course and the course topics will be updated regularly. If you find at anytime that you have questions or concerns related to the course please feel free to contact me during office hours, by telephone, or by email.

SUNY Cortland is committed to upholding and maintaining all aspects of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you are a student with a disability and wish to request accommodations, please contact the office of Disability Services located in B-40 Van Hoesen Hall or call (607) 753 - 2066 for an appointment. Any information regarding your disability will remain confidential. Because many accommodations require early planning, requests for accommodations should be made as early as possible. Any requests for accommodations will be reviewed in a timely manner to determine their appropriateness in this setting.

I encourage any students who have special learning needs to make them known to me very early in the course (i.e., during the first week of classes) so that I can make the appropriate academic accommodations. I desire that each student achieve his or her highest potential and wish to assist each person in accomplishing his/her goals.

Relevant Department Policies

In order to be eligible for student teaching, you must earn a C or better in this course. If you earn below a C in this course, you will need to retake this course and earn a higher grade before you will be eligible to student teach.

The Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department uses TaskStream as its data management tool for performance-based assessment for New York State Department of Education, NCATE (ACEI) and other reports. Reflecting the assessment philosophy of SUNY Cortland, this data enables us to assess the quality of the program and performance of teacher candidates, and to make programmatic changes based on these assessments. Childhood Education Teacher Candidates are required to subscribe to TaskStream during all semesters when they are enrolled in required program courses, and to upload tasks into a Directed Reponse Folio for each of their courses. For this course you will upload your Re-engagement Math Lesson plan by May 14, 2014. If you do not upload a lesson plan to Taskstream by that date, your grade will be withheld until you do so. If you have questions regarding this process, please speak with your instructor or the Chair of the Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department.

Academic Integrity

All violations of academic integrity will be addressed according to College policy.  It is expected that candidates will maintain the highest academic and ethical standards. The College is an academic community, which values academic integrity and takes seriously its responsibility for upholding academic honesty. All members of the academic community have an obligation to uphold high intellectual and ethical standards.

Plagiarism, whether by neglect or design, injures the learner and the community of learners; it is usually avoided by consistent and conscientious work habits. Violations will be handled according to College policies published in the College Handbook, the College Catalog and the Code of Student Conduct and Related Policies.