K-2 Mathematicians and Writers: Professional Learning Community for Developing Conceptual Understanding
Location
Gas Building #3
Session Information
Research-reporting session
Abstract of proposed session
Recent mathematics reform efforts emphasize the importance of conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, problem solving, and subject specific discourse (Boaler, 2015). NCTM has supported the use of children’s literature and writing to improve conceptual understanding of mathematics since 2000. Yet, many math teachers report that it is challenging to integrate math and literacy, often viewing these as mutually exclusive content areas. This notion fragments the curriculum and isolates the resources that literacy yields for thinking and communicating in math.
Our session will examine a yearlong professional development initiative designed to provide K-2 teachers in a rural school district with resources for an integrated approach to mathematics instruction involving conceptual understanding through the use of children’s literature, manipulatives, and writing. Teachers participated in a professional learning community and assumed roles of teacher leaders in developing collaborative learning experiences with grade level colleagues and attended workshops throughout the academic year. This approach represents a unique innovation that utilized a teachers teaching teachers model to improve sustainability, embedded professional learning within grade levels, alignment across the district K-2 grades in mathematics, and vertical alignment across K-2 math within four elementary schools. We assert that as children begin school, using resources across the curriculum will support development as mathematicians, readers and writers, and conceptual, metacognitive learners.
The following research questions evolved from the analysis of the data.
- When teachers create lessons integrating literacy and math, how connected are the various components?
- What misconceptions were revealed in the enactment of the integrated lessons?
Keywords
Professional Learning Community, children's literature, manipulatives, conceptual understanding, mathematics education, k-2 inservice teachers
Start Date
10-16-2019 10:40 AM
End Date
10-16-2019 11:05 AM
Recommended Citation
Abney, Angel R.; Santarone, Doris; and Samples, Brandon Ph.D., "K-2 Mathematicians and Writers: Professional Learning Community for Developing Conceptual Understanding" (2019). Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference. 5.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gamte/2019/2019/5
K-2 Mathematicians and Writers: Professional Learning Community for Developing Conceptual Understanding
Gas Building #3
Recent mathematics reform efforts emphasize the importance of conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, problem solving, and subject specific discourse (Boaler, 2015). NCTM has supported the use of children’s literature and writing to improve conceptual understanding of mathematics since 2000. Yet, many math teachers report that it is challenging to integrate math and literacy, often viewing these as mutually exclusive content areas. This notion fragments the curriculum and isolates the resources that literacy yields for thinking and communicating in math.
Our session will examine a yearlong professional development initiative designed to provide K-2 teachers in a rural school district with resources for an integrated approach to mathematics instruction involving conceptual understanding through the use of children’s literature, manipulatives, and writing. Teachers participated in a professional learning community and assumed roles of teacher leaders in developing collaborative learning experiences with grade level colleagues and attended workshops throughout the academic year. This approach represents a unique innovation that utilized a teachers teaching teachers model to improve sustainability, embedded professional learning within grade levels, alignment across the district K-2 grades in mathematics, and vertical alignment across K-2 math within four elementary schools. We assert that as children begin school, using resources across the curriculum will support development as mathematicians, readers and writers, and conceptual, metacognitive learners.
The following research questions evolved from the analysis of the data.
- When teachers create lessons integrating literacy and math, how connected are the various components?
- What misconceptions were revealed in the enactment of the integrated lessons?
