Mathematics

Ongoing Training

SES-PCG Online Learning Series: Effective Math Teaching Practices for Teachers of Grades K-8

In partnership with the Alabama State Department of Education-Special Education Services, Public Consulting Group is providing eight, self-paced modules designed specifically for educators who support students with disabilities in grades K-8. The learning series, Effective Math Teaching Practices for Teachers of Grades K-8, provides the research, skills, strategies, and explicit instruction teachers need to support students' fluency, questioning, discourse, reasoning, and problem-solving. These modules are entirely self-paced and available 24/7.

Participants can earn a total of 8 hours by completing all eight modules or can earn 1 hour per completed module.

The eight modules in this learning series include:

• Module 1(PowerSchool #475828) - Establish mathematics goals to focus on learning: Participants will work to establish mathematics goals to focus learning. They will reflect on their own personal mathematics journey and how it impacts their classroom practice. Participants will explore productive beliefs about the teaching and learning of mathematics, as we establish high expectations for all students. Topics and skills will be provided, by the grade band, as a resource for writing math goals for students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Participants will establish a purpose for setting clear learning goals, examine strategies for using these goals to inform instructional decisions and monitor students’ progress. They will practice analyzing and writing specific math goals for students with specially designed instruction.

• Module 2 (PowerSchool #475829) - Implement tasks that promote reasoning and problem-solving: Participants will implement tasks that promote reasoning and problem-solving. They will learn that intentional task selection greatly impacts student engagement, motivation, and access to the
  curriculum. Participants will identify the characteristics of a high-quality task, practice selecting tasks based on prioritized grade band topics as well as students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and utilize a variety of strategies to adapt tasks to meet long and short-term learning goals. Additionally, participants will examine methods to support students with specially designed instruction by scaffolding tasks to ensure access to grade-level standards.

• Module 3 (PowerSchool #475830) - Use and connect mathematical representations: Participants will use and connect mathematical representations. They will learn about the variety of mathematical representations (visual, physical, contextual, verbal, and symbolic) and the interconnectedness between them. Participants will practice making connections among various representations when problem-solving in order to support students in making such connections and deepening their understanding of math concepts. Lastly, participants will identify ways mathematical representations can be used to ensure differentiation and equity of access in the math classroom.

• Module 4 (PowerSchool #475831) - Facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse: Participants will facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse. They will gain an understanding of the role discourse plays in student learning, identify the different formats for discourse within the math classrooms, and learn five talk moves to promote engaging, equitable discussions. Participants will observe a teacher facilitating a meaningful mathematical discussion and analyze the teacher’s talk moves. Finally, participants will identify how to provide scaffolded support when engaging students in mathematical discourse.

• Module 5 (PowerSchool #475832) - Pose purposeful questions: Participants will pose purposeful questions. They will learn that questioning can be used to gauge what students know and for adapting lessons to meet students’ varying levels of understanding. Participants will explore a framework for the types of questions to ask during a mathematics lesson and understand how such questions can be utilized as scaffolded supports. Finally, participants will analyze patterns of questioning, distinguishing questions that support the teacher in assessing and advancing student thinking.

• Module 6 (PowerSchool #475833) - Build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding: Participants will build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding. The session will begin by creating an awareness of the complexities of defining fluency in mathematics. Participants will solidify their understanding of procedural fluency and understand that it is built on the foundation of conceptual understanding, strategic reasoning, and problem-solving. Fallacies about fluency will be explored as participants align them to related truths. Participants will explore different ways to engage students with disabilities in the authentic practice of math skills and content in order to build fluency.

• Module 7 (PowerSchool #475834) - Support productive struggle in learning mathematics: Participants will support productive struggle in learning mathematics. Participants will understand the term productive struggle, learn strategies for establishing a classroom community that fosters productive struggle, and engage with tools for building such a classroom community. They will recognize that facing challenges, persevering, and learning from mistakes offer opportunities for all students to understand mathematical concepts and ideas more deeply.

• Module 8 (PowerSchool #475835) - Elicit and use evidence of student thinking: Participants will elicit and use evidence of student thinking. They will understand the purposes of collecting evidence of student thinking, which include assessing progress, adjusting instruction, and communicating with all stakeholders. Participants will examine beliefs that influence assessment practices in the math classroom. They will explore a toolbox of strategies for eliciting and using evidence to assess the mathematical understanding of students with disabilities. Finally, participants will understand how the eight effective teaching practices shared in Modules 1-8 all connect to create a comprehensive mathematics teaching framework.

Additional Information

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