Techniques for Teaching Mathematics
Math-479 – Spring 2010
Instructor:
Course
Description:
Instructional
Resources:
Course Goals
and Objectives:
Dr. Karla Childs
e-mail: kchilds@pittstate.edu
This course is designed to provide an introduction to the methodology, curriculum, and
current research in the field of secondary mathematics teaching.
* The First Days of School, 2004 edition, by Harry K. Wong & Rosemary Tripi Wong;
* NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (located in the IRC);
* Every Minute Counts, Making Minutes Count Even More by David R. Johnson;
* State Curriculums - Kansas Curricular Standards for Mathematics & Missouri Framework;
* DVDs and the Internet.
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
* Demonstrate the ability to organize and plan the presentation of mathematics concepts
utilizing a variety of instructional strategies;
* Discuss the characteristics of an effective teacher;
* Demonstrate the ability to present a mathematical concept to their peers and clinical experience
students;
* Demonstrate the ability to appropriately utilize manipulatives and technology in the
presentation of concepts to inclusion and regular education students;
* Design several methods of assessment and evaluation of a mathematical concept;
* Discuss the influence of the NCTM, Kansas and Missouri state mathematics standards
documents on mathematics education;
* Discuss the importance of writing in the secondary mathematics classroom;
* Demonstrate the ability to recognize and remediate problems with student comprehension of
mathematics concepts.
* Utilize the Internet to obtain practical classroom ideas.
Instructional
Methods:
The course will utilize classroom dialogue, lecture, individual reading, videos, selfreflections, group projects, and the Internet.
Method of Evaluation:
Tests (30%): There will be a minimum of 4 unit tests plus a comprehensive final exam.
Standards Unit (15%): You will have a major take-home, group project which will involve reading, analyzing, and
answering thought-provoking questions regarding the NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
(PSSM) and Curriculum Focal Points, and the Kansas and Missouri state standards documents. This project will be
worth approximately 200 points.
Article Analyses (10%): Select, read, summarize, and analyze five (5) articles from a mathematics education or general
education professional journal (print format ONLY) during the semester. The summaries are worth 15 points each.
Teaching Unit (25%): You will be expected to design a teaching unit consisting of a minimum of three consecutive
lesson plans. A timetable, a list of requirements, and point values (for this unit) are on a separate handout. This project
will be worth approximately 700 points.
From these lessons, you will prepare a thirty-minute mini-lesson to be presented to your classmates and your
instructor. This mini-teaching session will be filmed for you (and a peer) to review. It will be a “practice” session
for one of the two lessons that you will teach in conjunction with MATH 480, Clinical Experience. You will need to
purchase a blank DVD-RW for your copy. Please note that this teaching session should resemble an actual “day on
the job” as much as possible in terms of professionalism in speech and clothing.
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Projects (12.5%): You will have several individual projects, which will include:
 Bulletin Board: You and an assigned partner(s) will select a topic from secondary mathematics that could be
displayed in a bulletin board. As a pair or triple, you will design and submit a plan, which will be duplicated for
your classmates (see calendar for due dates). The bulletin board cannot be displayed until the plan is approved.
The bulletin board will be evaluated on, among other things: accuracy, neatness, and creativity of display. This
project will be worth 50 points.

Gradebook Project: You will have a project involving a commercial electronic gradebook program, EasyGrade
Pro. This program will be available in the computer lab in Yates Hall, and may be downloaded to your personal
computer (please provide a portable storage device – e.g. “flash drive”) as long as you are a PSU student. This
project is worth approximately 80 points.

Internet Project: You will be given a list of internet sites. You will be expected to do an in-depth analysis/
critique of 5 sites, and you will be expected to find, preview, and critique 2 new sites not already listed. This
project will be worth 105 points.

Notebook: You will be expected to keep a 3-ring notebook containing everything you hand in during the
semester including all tests, notes taken during class, all homework assignments (those collected and those not
collected), any group work, a copy of all articles and their analyses, any handouts (including the syllabus and
accompanying pages), and your major projects. Please include a hard copy of anything electronically
submitted! The notebook will be worth 50 points. Please use tabs to separate the sections in your notebook and
use the following order:
1) Syllabus, 2) Notes, 3) Handouts 4) Tests, 5) Articles and analyses, 6) Standards Unit (original
7) Teaching Unit, 8) Projects/Homework, 9) Tips for Teaching
documents may be located separately),
Homework (7.5%): You will have various homework assignments.
REQUIRED Components: There are aspects of this course that you will be expected to complete prior to receiving
your grade for the course. Failure to satisfactorily complete any one of these components will result in an
INCOMPLETE being recorded for the class until its completion.
1. Professional Development
A. Membership: Join NCTM. Since NCTM has changed its student membership structure (as of 6/1/04), the
configuration/requirement for NCTM membership is as follows for MATH 479:
The student will purchase an e-membership for $39, and the Math Department will purchase a journal (hard
copy) of the student’s choice (not JRME) for the additional $33. Obviously, it might be best to list the first
choice of journal to be the one received as a hard copy, the second as the on-line version, and 25 articles could
still be downloaded from a third. Each student will need to write one check made payable to NCTM (or fill in the
credit card info. on the application), for the entire $72. Suzanne will need each student’s social security # (on a
sticky note on the check) to start the paperwork for the reimbursement of $33. All of the forms and checks will be
sent in one mailing. If you complete the membership on-line, print the verification page for proof of payment
for Suzanne. Please see the form distributed in class!
B. Assist with/Attend
MOKAN meeting (at least one) ........................................................................................ Feb. 1 and April 5
PSU Math Relays ................................................................................................................................ April 13
C. Tutoring: As stated, beginning in the 1997-1999 catalog and continuing through the current catalog, you will be
required to serve 1 hour per week as a tutor in the Mathematics Department’s tutorial room under Dr. Flood’s
and/or Dr. Child’s supervision. You are expected to tutor students in those classes with which you feel
comfortable; for example, if you are certifying for middle school mathematics, you may choose to limit your
tutoring to any of the introductory algebra courses, including College Algebra, Trigonometry, Elementary
Statistics, Mathematics for Education I and/or II, etc. depending on your background. Please see Suzanne
Lindsay by the date on your calendar and in Angel to set this schedule. You will be expected to maintain a
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journal reflection of your experience and to submit a MONTHLY summary of your reflections to Dr. Childs.
You will also be expected to document your attendance via a sign-in sheet.
Final Grade: Your final grade will be determined from all of the above. It will be based upon the following
percentages based upon the highs and weights in each category.
Grading Scale:
A
B
C
D
F
90 – 100%
80 – 89%
70 – 79%
60 – 69%
0 – 59%
General Notes:
*
I have the expectations for this course that I would for a graduate level course and for you as a beginning
professional educator; start practicing your professionalism now if you haven’t already! (Think of me as
your future principal or parents of your future students.)
*
I expect EVERYTHING that is submitted (other than in-class tests) to be WORD-PROCESSED (in WORD,
please). This includes spell and grammar checked and RE-READ for meaning.
In accordance with the university catalog (pg. 41), I will consider five absences (excused or unexcused) to be
excessive, and, therefore may result in dismissal from this class
*
If you have, or think you may have, a disability that interferes with your performance as a student in this class or your ability to exit
from the premises in case of emergency, you are encouraged, for academic and/or safety reasons, to discuss this, on a confidential
basis, with your instructor and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator, 235-4185. If you feel that you may have a
learning disability or have been diagnosed with one in the past, you should contact Ms. Kelly Heiskell, Director of the Learning
Center, 207F Whitesitt Hall, 235-6584. TESTING EXPECTATIONS for the LEARNING CENTER: If you are allowed to take
your tests in the Learning Center, you will need to 1) take them at one setting (you are not allowed to start the test, leave, and
return to finish the test), and 2) you will need to take the test the same day the class takes the test. Failure to comply with these
expectations will result in a zero for that test.
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