"Starting With Math" will be based on a mutually consultative relationship between participants and presenters. This will provide university faculty with a window on classroom realities while encouraging teachers to adopt a content-based approach to mathematics instruction. Opportunities for ongoing dialogue between participants and UC Davis mathematics faculty will be provided via e-mail and a UC web page.
Each programs will begin with an accessible, methodical, and engaging development of a topic that is central to school mathematics, - e.g., the concept of divisor, calculation of area, or definition of probability. With such an underlying mathematical idea fully understood, the presentation will turn to applications in the school curriculum - e.g., the addition of fractions, Pythagorean theorem, or calculating expected value.
Teachers attending the workshop will then present alternative techniques for conveying such mathematical concepts to students at a given grade level, taking into account the challenges teachers face in varying school situations (e.g., special ability, gifted, and multilingual classes). These presentations will provide a basis for discussion by the entire group. Rather than setting forth "correct" ways of presenting mathematics, these discussions will focus on the extent to which essential mathematical concepts have in fact been conveyed.
At the close, attending teachers will be asked to participate in a UNEX assessment aimed at determining the program's effectiveness in enhancing teaching effectiveness.
Click here for a listing of Topics available under Starting With Math.
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For further information about enrollment, please contact University Extension at Education@unexmail.ucdavis.edu.