Powerful Pedagogical Practices Jamila Riser, Delaware Mathematics Coalition Jon Manon, University of Delaware

Performance-Enhancing Professional Development Needs-Based Customized to Respond to Context Recursive Design

Needs Analysis Conversations with Delaware school district supervisors Described most pressing PD needs re mathematics High school pedagogy emerges across all interviews as highest priority

Initial Meetings Information session with district & school administrators with small dose of P-cubed mathematics Recruitment of balanced district teams August institute to kick off year’s PD

Unpacking Algebraic Thinking Explore 8th graders’ responses to algebra tasks Characterize mathematical content and representations Consider “ramping up” to high school math

Listening to Student Voices Teams administer algebraic tasks during first days of school Compare responses from middle & high school students Interview selected students about their responses

Thinking about Student Thinking Analysis of student written work Interleaving of student interview comments Discovery of tendency to think recursively

Pedagogical Foci More effective use of both probing and guiding questions Use of transitional representations such as a “process column” Application of descriptive feedback to support student learning

Teaching with Technology Best practices in using a document camera Smart uses of Smartboard technology Presentation Technology and Learning Technology

Problem-Based Learning Expanding teachers’ & students’ content knowledge Exploring alternative representations Unpacking teacher thinking

Preliminary Results Teachers report paying greater attention to incoming students’ algebraic knowledge Administrators report more secure connection to the high school curriculum and new avenues of communication with their mathematics faculty Many participants report developing their visual thinking abilities

In Their Own Words “I enjoyed learning to look for and accept the different methodology that can be used to solve problems. I have become much more observant of the way kids are thinking as opposed to trying to get them to think a certain way.” “It has been helpful to see how effective questioning can be used to guide student thought processes on the videos. It has also opened my eyes to how much leading teachers do without even knowing it!”

In Their Own Words “I think I’ve stayed too much in my little textbook world; knowing there are/were more intriguing worthwhile tasks than “do #1-20 and we’ll go over it, guys” and even though I knew they were out there, I never had the TIME or energy to seek them out and implement them in my class. P-cubed has introduced many great problems to us to use in our classrooms - not just “picked up on the way out” but gone through together and different possibilities discussed.”

The instructional practices and assessments discussed or shown in this presentation are not intended as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education.