Methods of Teaching Middle School Math (gr. 6-8)

EDUC 659 Methods of Teaching Middle School Math (gr. 6-8)

Online Course 3 semester hours graduate credit
Instructor: Alan Campbell
Summer: June 5 - July 28, 2017

Tuition, Due Dates, and Registration

Who Should Enroll

Middle school math teachers (Grades 6-8), math interventionists, and math specialists seeking research-based practices to help students improve math achievement scores, practical ideas for motivating students to appreciate mathematics, and strategies to show students how math applies to real-life situations. Learn to apply different technologies to make your math classroom come alive.

You may enroll in this course to meet your goals for professional development, continuing education, license renewal, or to complete graduate credits and transfer to another university.

This is one of the required courses for individuals pursuing the Math Specialist Certificate.

This course is an approved elective in the Master of Science in Education online degree program.

What You Will Learn

Course Description: Research, issues and problems related to current reform in teaching middle school mathematics. Planning curriculum, assessing student learning, managing instruction, and providing for individual needs.

This course includes investigation of ratio, proportion, percent, number theory, data analysis, patterns; and connections to algebra and geometry topics in the context of the middle school mathematics curriculum including survey of technologies and educational software to develop mathematical thinking.

You will learn advanced teaching strategies and math interventions to help students meet Common Core math standards, improve test scores, and provide for individual needs.

e-Textbook

An e-textbook will be provided when you login to the course. You may open the e-book to read online from your laptop or desktop. The e-textbook software is compatible with an iPad, Kindle Fire or fully internet-capable device. It is not compatible with a Kindle Reader.

Van de Walle, J., Karp, K., and Bay-Williams, J. (2012). Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally 8th Edition. Allyn and Bacon.

If you prefer to read a hard copy of the textbook, instead of reading via your computer or tablet, you may purchase the book from amazon.com or the publisher. Note the ISBN number and 8th edition.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Analyze research-based practices for improving mathematics instruction. 
2. Design effective standards-based classroom activities for Grades 4-8 students and reflect on student outcomes. 
3. Develop varied formative assessment practices and assess mastery of the same essential math concepts in different ways. 
4. Apply instructional strategies and appropriate practices for analyzing student work and modify lessons based on assessment information. 
5. Apply instructional strategies to promote mathematics learning among students of a wide range of academic diversity including ESL and special needs students. 
6. Differentiate math instruction based on students' learning styles, interests, and readiness levels. 
7. Modify lessons based on the synthesis of the relationship between problem solving and communication. 
8. Align math classroom environments with real world environments by infusing problem-solving strategies. 
9. Apply technology tools in classroom instruction and connect math activities to everyday experiences and the real world. 
10. Analyze student responses to mathematical problems to detect typical error patterns and recommend specific approaches that address learning problems of middle grades math student. 

Alignment with Teaching Standards

Course objectives are aligned with the following:
Wisconsin Teaching Standards
(WI DPI) 1, 3, 4, 7, 8

International Society for Technology in Education, National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) III, V

No travel to campus required. Because this class is online and open to you 24/7, you may participate from your home or work computer during hours that are flexible and convenient for your work and family schedule and responsibilities.

The class is highly interactive with a significant discussion component. All discussion postings, projects, and assignments will be submitted via the course discussion board and Dropbox. Activities are conducted according to a schedule with specific due dates each week; there are no required "live" chat sessions.

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The School of Education reserves the right to cancel classes that do not meet minimum enrollment requirements.

For More Information

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Contact Us: School of Education 
Online Professional Development
University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI 54751 
Phone: 715-232-2693
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