Developing Master Teachers in Elementary Mathematics

Arizona Master Teachers of Mathematics (AZ-MTM)

Department of Mathematics, The University of Arizona

Mathew D. Felton

Mary Bouley

Purpose of AZ-MTM Recruit and support 14 Master Teachers of Mathematics

(MTMs) in elementary mathematics education Participate in a 4½ year professional learning community Receive an annual stipend

MTMs will then provide professional development and leadership at the school, district, and state levels Promote high quality and equitable instruction Serve as mentors Participate in curriculum development Participate in pre-service teacher education Develop and implement professional development for

in-service teachers Take on leadership roles in their schools and/or districts

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Who are the MTMs?

Teach grades 3-6 in Tucson areain a high needs school or district

Have a Master’s degree (in any field) Strong background in mathematics

Degree in a STEM area, or Evidence of advanced content knowledge in a STEM

area Demonstrate proficiency on the Arizona Educators

Proficiency Assessment (AEPA)

Currently have 14 MTMs

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Design Rationale

Goal of 14 MTMs Provide differentiation and attention to individual

development Have a significant impact in Tucson and across

Arizona

4 ½ year professional learning community Change in identity from teacher to teacher leader Often takes three years or more (Murray & Male,

2005)

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Learning Opportunities

Analyze artifacts of practice (Ball & Cohen, 1999)

Participate in professional development that connects to practice (Schifter & Fosnot, 1993; Stein, Smith, & Silver, 1999)

Study research on teacher education and professional development (Borko, 2004; Cochran-Smith, 2003; Smith, 2005)

Study research on equity, mathematical discourse, English Language Learners, and cultural and community knowledge in mathematics education(Chval & Khisty, 2009; Civil, 2002; 2007; Khisty, 1997; Moschkovich, 2002; 2007)

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Two Mutually Supportive Strands

Professional Development and Leadership Primarily facilitated by the AZ K-12 Center

and Pima County Schools Focuses on professional development and leadership

training

Mathematics Study Group Primarily facilitated by UA mathematics education

faculty Focuses on mathematics education content

knowledge,pedagogical knowledge, and research

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Year 1

Year 5

PD/Leadership(summers,

weekends)

Mathematics Study Group(evening courses)

Training

Practicum

Year 1

Year 5

PD/Leadership(summers,

weekends)

Mathematics Study Group(evening courses)

Training

Practicum

AZ K-12 Center

Year 1

Year 5

PD/Leadership(summers,

weekends)

Mathematics Study Group(evening courses)

Training

Practicum

AZ K-12 Center•Cognitive CoachingSM

Year 1

Year 5

PD/Leadership(summers,

weekends)

Mathematics Study Group(evening courses)

Training

Practicum

AZ K-12 Center•Cognitive CoachingSM •Content Coaching•Summer Leadership Institute

Pima County Schools

Year 1

Year 5

PD/Leadership(summers,

weekends)

Mathematics Study Group(evening courses)

Training

Practicum

AZ K-12 Center•Cognitive CoachingSM •Content Coaching•Summer Leadership Institute

Pima County Schools•Systems Thinking •PD Training 101

Proposal BasedIndividual and/or

PartnersPre-Service Teachers

Family/Community

Year 1

Year 5

PD/Leadership(summers,

weekends)

Mathematics Study Group(evening courses)

Training

Practicum

AZ K-12 Center•Cognitive CoachingSM •Content Coaching•Summer Leadership Institute

Pima County Schools•Systems Thinking •PD Training 101

Proposal BasedIndividual and/or

PartnersPre-Service Teachers

Family/Community

Content Strands•Early Algebraic Reasoning•Number and Operations•Geometry and Measurement•Data Analysis and Probability

Themes•Understanding Research•National and State Standards•Professional Development•Equity and Diversity

Goals of Mathematics Study Group

Connect research to classroom practice(e.g., Chapin, O’Connor, & Anderson, 2003; Sowder & Schappelle, 2002)

Understand frameworks forteaching and learning mathematics(e.g., Ball, Thames, & Phelps, 2008; National Research Council, 2001)

Explicit attention to equity in mathematics education

Deepening MTMs’ mathematical knowledge

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Last Semester Early Algebraic Reasoning

Thinking MathematicallyCarpenter, Franke, & Levi (2003)

Research and practitioneroriented articles

Discuss how MTMs’ have integrated ideas into their teaching

Family/community connections to the mathematics classroom

Student interviews

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Student Interviews Videotaped interview of two students

An opportunity to… learn about student thinking, not to teach or asses get a “close up” view of early algebraic reasoning practice focusing on student thinking

MTMs designed tasks/questions to focuson some aspect of algebraic reasoning

Present findings and selected clips to theTeacher Study Group

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An Example: The Trapezoid Problem Completed in Teacher Study Group Discussed in a class reading (Blanton & Kaput, 2003)

How many people can sit if there are… Two trapezoids, 14 trapezoids, 127 trapezoids, n trapezoids?

How do you know? Can you come up with multiple solutions?

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Questions/Discussion

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