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Descriptions and agendas of pre-service implementations (F3)
Pre-service Implementation D -- Description

Pre-service Implementation D

This was our fourth implementation of a math methods course based on the proposed framework and, like all the other implementations of this course featured in these materials, it took place within the teacher preparation program offered at a research university.

Participants:

There were a total of 17 students in the Methods course. This was a very diverse group of students, as it included: ten elementary pre-service teachers, an experienced elementary teacher, a student in the secondary math teacher preparation program, a student in the secondary science program who was interested in getting a second teaching certification in mathematics, an in-service middle school math teacher, an experienced teacher who taught mathematics at all grade levels, and two other students exploring their interest in teaching secondary math.

Variations in the Methods course:

This methods course was essentially the same as the one developed in Implementation C, with the addition of a few experiences organized around the video entitled "Investigating tessellations to learn geometry: A classroom experience." In other words, it developed along much the same lines as the one described in Section B.2, with the exception of an area inquiry experience aligned more closely with the one described in Section D2.2 of these materials, and a series of sessions on probability, intended to model the process of rethinking the teaching of a mathematical topics, instead of the independent inquiry activity.

Variations in other components of the secondary math teacher preparation program:

As was the case for Implementation C, the follow-up math education course for the secondary math pre-service teachers now included several "Mini-series," each designed to help participants "rethink" a specific mathematical topic and become familiar with resources that provide instructional ideas and materials to teach that topic. As these mini-series were also made available to in-service teachers participating in a concurrent Local Systemic Change project, the students participating in the follow-up course had the additional benefit of interacting with some teachers engaged in school mathematics reform.

Field experiences expectations:

As in most implementations of the Methods course, all the elementary pre-service teachers engaged in a part-time student teaching experience concurrently with the methods course, and were encouraged to use this setting to develop their final project -- involving the design and implementation of an innovative instructional experience. The task of observing and documenting the teaching of an inquiry unit as part of their first field experience (which took place concurrently with the Methods course), introduced in Implementation C of the secondary math pre-service students, was maintained. The one secondary math student-teacher was once again given the opportunity to do their full time student teaching experience in one of the school participating in our Local Systemic Change project.

Support provided during the field experiences:

Elementary student teachers received the usual university supervision, consisting of a total of 3-4 classroom visits followed by debriefing meetings over the semester. The secondary math pre-service teacher, who chose to student teach in one of our Local Systemic Change schools, instead received more intense supervision from the school facilitator assigned to that school.

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