S
    SIMON
    FBASER
    UNIVERSITY ?
    EDUCATION 475-4: ?
    DESIGNS FOR LEARNING: ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS
    Fall Semester, 1990
    ?
    Instructor: ?
    Dr. Torn O'Shea
    Monday, 4:30 - 8:20 p.m.
    ?
    Office: ?
    MPX 8642
    Location: MPX 7500
    ?
    Phone: ?
    291-4453 (office)
    291-3395 (messages)
    PREREQUISITES:
    Education 401/402, or equivalent
    The mathematics curriculum in British Columbia has undergone major change in the
    last few years. The revised curriculum includes new topics such as data analysis and
    probability, and other topics, such as geometry, receive greater emphasis. Calculators
    have become a natural component of the school program. Students are expected to use
    manipulative materials as a major vehicle for learning.
    This course is designed for prospective and practising elementar
    y
    school teachers who
    wish to explore the fundamentals of the learning/teaching process as it applies to
    mathematics. The course will draw on the latest research in mathematics learning,
    and will show how such findings may be used in the classroom. Students will be
    expected to become familiar with and confident in the use of a variety of manipulative
    materials such as geo-boards, logic blocks, and coloured rods. They will also explore
    the realities of mathematical learning by examining their own learning powers and
    patterns. On completion of the course it is hoped that participants will feel more at ease
    with the subject of mathematics, be able to deal confidently with the prescribed
    curriculum, and be able to plan mathematical instruction within a consistent
    framework.
    OUTLINE OF TOPICS
    • Theories of mathematics learning
    • Problem solving
    • Measurement
    • Arithmetic operations
    • Rational numbers
    • Geometry
    • Estimation
    • Ratio and proportion
    • Data analysis
    • Technology
    • Algebra
    • Evaluation and remediation
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    I
    TYPICAL REQUIREMENTS
    Students will be expected to attend all classes, and to participate fully in classwork and
    discussions. Specific assignments will depend on the number and backgrounds of
    students enrolled in the course, but students should expect to complete the following:
    - a problem-solving assignment in which students keep journal to record their
    efforts over a period of time.
    - an assignment related to the authorized series of elementary textbooks in British
    Columbia.
    - an assignment that requires students to examine a number of professional
    journals related to the teaching of mathematics
    - a lesson development assignment related to the B.C. Mathematics Curriculum
    Guide, Grades 1-8.
    In addition, each student will be expected to complete a project related to his or her own
    interests, as negotiated with the instructor.
    TEXTBOOK
    Post,T.R. (ed.). (1988). Teaching mathematics in grades K-8: Research based
    methods. Toronto: Allyn and Bacon.

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