Mathematics for Elementary Education I

Catalog description

This is the first of two mathematics courses designed for future elementary school teachers. The focus is on understanding numbers, operations, algebraic thinking, and number theory. This is a mathematics content course. Please note that this is not a teaching methods course, but a course focusing on using, justifying and connecting mathematical concepts. This course employs oral and written communication as both a learning tool and as preparation for handling mathematical questions which arise in elementary school classrooms. Discussion focuses on the deep mathematical reasoning underlying the computational procedures that are usually taught in elementary school. The course explores common misconceptions with preservice teachers, enabling the interpretation of children’s work which might be incorrect, incomplete, or different from adult ways of thinking. Also this course is activity based, providing opportunities for deep, connected learning. It is essential for all teachers of mathematics to understand the reasoning underlying the mathematics they are teaching. They need to understand why various procedures work, how each idea they will be teaching connects with other important ideas in mathematics, and how these ideas develop and become more sophisticated. Please note that students are expected to pass a mathematics competency exam without the use of a calculator in order to be eligible to take the final exam.