Title Details

Dr. Charlene Beckmann is a professor of Mathematics at Grand Valley State University. Her research interests include: assessment, cooperative learning, real life uses of mathematics, functions, games, literature and mathematics, technology, how conceptual understanding builds their ability to understand and write proofs.

                  Mathematics Education: Where Do I Stand?      

Unit One. Encouraging Communication in Mathematics Classrooms      

(Mathematics Strand: Logic and Reasoning)

Unit One Team-Builder: Carpet Square Maze     

Preparing to Observe Mathematics Classrooms: Focus on Equity              

Listening to Students Reason About Mathematics  

1.1    Developing Questioning Strategies: Conjecturing and Reasoning                                

1.2   Exploring Mathematical Concepts Cooperatively: Reasoning with
Conditional Statements                                                                                                

1.3   Using Representations to Investigate Mathematics: Reasoning with
Conjunctions, Disjunctions, and Negations                                                                  

1.4    Learning from Students: Valid and Invalid Arguments                                               

1.5    Summarizing Classroom Observations and Listening to Students:
Focus on Equity                                                                                                            

Synthesizing Unit One                                                                                                           

Unit One Investigation: Carpet Square Mazes  

Unit Two. High School Students and How They Learn                                                   

(Mathematics Strands: Geometry and Measurement)

Unit Two Team-Builder: Transformed Snowflakes                                                              

Preparing to Observe Mathematics Classrooms: Focus on Learning                                     

Listening to Students Reason About Geometry                                                                    

Understanding Geometry Learning: Coordinate Geometry                                                  

2.2  Building Conceptual Understanding: Congruence and Similarity                                

2.3    Learning Mathematics through Multiple Perspectives: Quadrilaterals and Constructions       

2.4    Using Physical Tools and Technology: Circles                                                             

2.5    Tasks with High Cognitive Demand: Measurement in the Plane and in Space                                      

2.6    Doing Mathematics: Axiomatic Systems                                                                     

2.7    Summarizing Classroom Observations and Listening to Students                               

Synthesizing Unit Two                      

Unit Two Investigation: Transformations                                                                              

Unit Three. Planning for Instruction

(Mathematics Strands: Algebra and Functions)

Unit Three Team-Builder: Find Your Function Family

Preparing to Observe Mathematics Classrooms: Focus on Curriculum and
Technology                                                                                                                               

Listening to Students Reason about Functions                                                                     

3.1    Building on Students' Knowledge and Experiences: Understanding
Variables and Linear Functions                                                                                    

3.2    Thinking about Learning Outcomes: Exponential Functions                                       

3.3    Active Learning: Modeling Data Through Experiments                                              

3.4    Teaching with Technology: Geometry of Functions                                                    

3.5    Increasing Challenge or Accessibility of Problems: Polynomial Functions                  

3.6    Accommodating Different Learning Styles: Rational Functions                                 

3.7   Summarizing Observations and Listening to Students                                                 

Synthesizing Unit  Three                                                                                                        

Unit Three Investigation: Families of Functions

Unit Four. Lesson Planning                                                                                                

(Mathematics Strands: Data Analysis and Probability)

Unit Four Team-Builder: A Dream Team in Hockey                                                            

Preparing to Observe Mathematics Classrooms: Focus on Teaching                                     

Listening to Students Reason about Data Analysis and Probability                                     

4.1    Planning a Lesson Launch and Explore: Data Analysis                                               

  4.2   Planning a Lesson Share and Summarize: Probability                                                  

4.3    Blending Direct Instruction into a Lesson: Variability and Distributions                    

4.4    Planning for Alternative Schedules: Statistical Decision Making                                

4.5    Summarizing Observations and Listening to Students                                                 

Synthesizing Unit Four                                                                                                          

Unit Four Investigation: Build Your Own Dream Team                                                       

Unit Five. Assessment of Students' Learning                                                                    

(Mathematics Strand: Precalculus)

Unit Five Team-Builder:

 Conic Conundrums                                                                    

Preparing to Observe Mathematics Classrooms:

Focus on Assessment                                

Listening to Students Reason about Precalculus                                                                   

  5.1   Daily Assessments: Limits                                                                                            

5.2    Rubrics: Rates of Change                                                                                             

5.3    Designing and Aligning Tests with Instruction                                                            

5.4    Alternative Assessments: Accumulations                                                                     

5.5    Summarizing Observations and Listening to Students                                                 

Synthesizing Unit Five                                                                                                          

Unit Five Investigation: Conic Sections

Unit Six. Collaborating with Educational Partners                                                          

Listening to Educational Partners about Issues in Mathematics Education                          

6.1    Evaluating Curriculum Materials                                                                                  

  6.2   Coordinating Curricula Beyond the Classroom                                                            

6.3    Continued Professional Development                                                                          

6.4    Summarizing Interviews on Educational Issues                                                           

              Synthesizing Unit Six