Karen S. Norwood

Using Classroom Discourse To Understand a Prospective Mathematics Teacher's Developing Practice.

This is an interpretive study of a prospective mathematics teacher’s emerging practice during the professional semester. A Vygotskian (Mind in Society, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1978 (Cole et al., Trans.; original work published 1934); Thought and Language, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 1986 (Kozulin, Trans.; original work published 1934)) perspective was used to examine the nature of classroom discourse and its role in Mary Ann’s (pseudonym) development while student teaching. Results indicate that early classroom discourse mediated Mary Ann’s teaching toward a traditional paradigm of giving information. Moreover, her subsequent e!orts to cultivate dialogic discourse generated con#ict that positioned students as mediators of her practice. Ultimately, experiencing the power and diversity of students’ ideas contributed to shifts in Mary Ann’s early forms of practice. ( 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring a Pedagogy for the Supervision of Prospective Mathematics Teachers.

Our investigation explored a pedagogy for supervision through a case study of one prospective middle school mathematics teacher during her student teaching semester. Classroom observations by the university supervisor, teaching episode interviews between the supervisor and student teacher, and focused journal reflections by the student teacher were coordinated to challenge the student teachers existing models of teaching. The emerging pedagogy of the teaching episodes, a central focus of this study, was characterized by (a)the use of open-ended questions that centered the student teacher in the process of sense making; (b) a shift away from the supervisors direct, authoritative evaluations of the student teachers practice; (c) a sustained focus throughout supervision derived from the student teachers classroom experiences; and(d) an effort to maintain sensitivity to the student teachers zone of proximal development. We found our approach to be coincident with the notion of instructional conversation (IC)advanced by Gallimore and Goldenberg (1992).The nature of the teaching episodes seemed to open the student teachers zone of proximal development so that her practice of teaching could be mediated with the assistance of a more knowing other.

The Effects of the Use of Problem Solving and Cooperative Learning on the Mathematics Achievement of Underprepared College Freshmen.

ABSTRACT The study involved first semester freshmen (graduated from high school the summer immediately preceding their enrollment in MA 101 (Algebra)) enrolled in MA 101 and registered for MA 111 (Precalculus) the semester after completing MA 101. The researcher gathered the necessary background data (high school grade point average (HSGPA), gender, SAT-M, SAT-V, MA 101 grade, and MA 111 grade) on all students involved in the study. It should be noted that MA 101 does not satisfy a students mathematics requirement at the university, however MA 111 does. It is customary for a student to take MA 101 and MA 111 in successive semesters. Specifically the objectives of the investigation were: 1. To compare instructional methods as measured by the end of course grade of the next mathematics course in order to determine whether the relationship between the course grades for MA 101 and MA 111 was different in the 1988-1989 and 1989-1990 school years. 2. To investigate whether MA 111 grades, on average, were highe...

A Case Study of Teacher Beliefs on Students' Beliefs about Multiple Representations

The mathematics education community, in its call for reform, underscores the importance of mathematics instruction emphasizing the use of multiple representations in the presentation of concepts. The focus of the study was how teacher beliefs affect their ability to implement a multiple representations curriculum. The novice instructors attitude remained neutral while the experienced instructors attitude remained somewhat positive. Of the eight students in the study, six of them showed a more positive attitude towards technology use and multiple representations by the end of the semester. The students increased their calculator use in both classes, particularly in the experienced teachers class. Implications for further research were that teacher training is essential if reform curricula are to be properly implemented.

Using hypermedia and the internet in the teaching of mathematics

Hypermedia documents contain links or connections to one or more other media. The advantages of hypermedia over traditional instruction are: 1. appeals to different learning styles; 2. provides a variety of means of expression for students; 3. gives students more real-world presentation experience; 4. taps into students’ creativity; 5. prepares students for the 21st century; 6. has entertainment value; 7. has storage capability.