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COURSE SYLLABUS
EMAT 7050 Mathematics Instruction
Fall Semester 2014

Last modified on August 18, 2014     

(Statement required by the University!!)

A course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.

Course: EMAT 7050 Mathematics Instruction
Instructor:

James W. Wilson
110F Aderhold Hall
Telephone (706) 542-4552

FAX (706) 542-4551
e-mail: jwilson@uga.edu

 

Office hours: I maintain an open door policy for office hours. I come to the office early each morning (usually 7:30 to 8:00) and if I am not tied up in a meeting or talking to another student I am available to you.

Prerequisites for EMAT 7050:  Permission of the Department.   It is expected that students will have studied MATH 2210 or 2260 and completed other upper division mathematics classes appropriate for certification. If you have not studied differential and inferential calculus, discuss the situation with me.

Objectives

• To learn about and develop and understanding of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM)  grade level standards
  
  
• To become aware of and implement the CCSSM standards for mathematical practice.
  
  
• To explore Mathematical Understanding for Secondary Teaching (MUST) via the components of

Mathematical proficiency

Conceptual understanding
Procedural fluency
Strategic competence
Adaptive reasoning
Productive disposition
Historical and Cultural knowledge

Mathematical activity

Mathematical noticing
Observing structure of mathematical systems
Discerning symbolic form
Detecting form of an argument
Connecting within and outside mathematics
Mathematical reasoning
Justifying/proving
Reasoning when conjecturing and generalizing
Constraining and extending
Mathematical creating
Representing
Defining
Modifying/transforming/manipulating
Integrating strands of mathematical activity


Mathematical work of teaching

Analyze mathematical ideas
Access and understand the mathematical thinking of learners
Know and use the curriculum
Assess the mathematical knowledge of learners
Reflect on the mathematics in one's practice


To develope an understanding of the role of research in mathematics education and its implications for classroom practice.

To develop an understanding of current standards for teaching mathematics.

To deepen our understanding of how and why we can teach mathemtics to allow our students to experience the power, beauty, an usefulness of mathematics.

To experience investigations in mathematics that allow us to use mathematics to interpret, analyze, conclude or predict, generalize, and understand mathematics at a deeper level.

To explore how our mathematics teaching can convey to students the ways in which mathematics a can lead to a better understanding of our experiences.

To appreciate a balance of conceptual and procedural knowledge in our mathematics teaching.

Course Description.

The underlying theme for this course is to explore the scholarly and practical issues for secondary level mathematics teaching.     We are going to examine and interpret literature from throughout our field.  Our journey will touch on

-- Research on the teaching and learning of mathematics

-- Mathematics Understanding for Secondary Teaching

-- Historical and comtemporary developments in secondary mathematics teaching

-- Standards, in particular the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics

-- Assessment

-- Issues and Practices

The goal here is to develop a strategy for mathematics teachers to develop the depth and breadth of mathematics study for teaching secondary mathematics.

The word "understanding" better conveys the point of view I want to encourage than the word "knowledge."    Therefore I will draw upon the framework of the Situations Project to focus on Mathematical Understanding for Secondary Teaching (MUST). 

 

Course Assignments

Readings

Participation in discussions, including leading . . .

Annotated bibliography entry each week

Two essays

Mid-term Examination

Final Examination

 

Grades and Requirements

Grading is a necessary part of what we do and it is my intention to base grades on performance in meeting the requirements of the course. This performance includes the following:

1. Attendance
2. Participation
3. Group and Individual Reports
4. Essays
5. Examinations

 

Schedule

Augusst 18 -- Course begins.  Class meets every Wednesday from 4:40 to 7:40

Weekly -- Input of at least one Annotated Bibliography item

October 15 --   First essay due.     Receive mid-term examination

October 22 -- Mid-term examination submitted.

December 5 -- Last class meeting.    Second essay due.   Receive Final Examination.

December 17 -- Final Examination due

December 22 --  Grades due

 

Academic Honesty

The University of Georgia seeks to promote and ensure academic honesty and personal integrity among students and other members of the University community. In keeping with the University Honor Code and Academic Honesty Policy, each student is expected to do his/her academic work and to acknowledge fully and assistance and academic resources. All academic work must meet the standards contained in "A Culture of Honesty." All students are responsible to inform themselves about those standards before performing any academic work. Terms of this policy, resolution procedures, and consequences of violation are available at: http://www.uga.edu/honesty/ahpd/culture_honesty.htm

 

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