Instructor:
        A. Sarah Ledford

Office Address

        614 Aderhold Hall

        University of Georgia

        Athens, GA 30602

Telephone: (706) 542-4177

 Fax: (706) 542-4551

 e-mail: sledford@coe.uga.edu

Office Hours: Upon request.

Important Information:

InterMath Website

http://www.intermath-uga.gatech.edu/

 

How to get into your folder by WS_FTP?

        ProfileName: intermath-tweb

        Hostname/Address: www.intermath-uga.gatech.edu

        Host Type: Automatic Detect

        User ID: im-rockdale1

        Password: (given by instructor)

Participants' pages

Course Policies:

Attendance: Attendance is absolutely essential to success in this class.  You are expected to attend every class; please notify the instructor if you know you are going to be absent.

 

Spending Time outside of Class: You can not expect to accomplish what you should from this course without spending time with the material outside of class. The usual expectation of 2 hours of study outside of class for every hour in class is a minimum. Please communicate with me as soon as possible if you are having trouble managing time - I want to help you get the most out of this course that you can.

 

1. GOALS ADDRESSED

Participants will:

• Expand and strengthen their mathematical knowledge and capabilities, specifically in the domain of number concepts by investigating challenging problems
• Engage in problem solving by identifying patterns, forming conjectures, and developing proofs through the use of technology
• Use mathematics-specific technologies such as dynamic geometry software, graphing programs, spreadsheets, and the Internet to explore number concept investigations
• Write and post online solution processes to the investigations using web page development software
• Develop middle school mathematics instructional activities and strategies that incorporate technology-enhanced mathematical investigations
• Develop a network of peer educators available for continued support during and following the workshop

 

2. IMPROVEMENT PRACTICES

Participants will gain knowledge and practice in developing instructional activities and strategies for teaching number concepts in the middle school classroom in order to positively affect student achievement. Participants will also improve their own mathematical competencies in the area of arithmetic.

 

3. COMPETENCIES

Participants will be able to:

• Select and use appropriate technological software to explore, analyze, and represent arithmetic problems
• Communicate their mathematical thinking by expressing their reasoning, analysis, and extensions of the mathematical concepts associated with an investigation in written, verbal, and visual forms
• Modify arithmetic investigations for appropriate use in the middle school classroom
• Make connections between InterMath experiences and standards-based reform documents, such as the NCTM standards

 

4. PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

As a result of this course, participants will demonstrate their ability to:

• Incorporate technology into the learning and teaching of number concepts
• Communicate mathematical understanding of a variety of number concepts in the form of an online portfolio of investigation solutions
• Plan middle school instructional activities based on InterMath experiences

 

5. COURSE REQUIREMENTS & ASSESSMENT

Participants will be assessed on the content and quality of their online portfolios. Feedback and suggested modifications for a select number of write-ups will be provided throughout the workshop. Assessment will be based on use of representation, analysis, appropriate selection and use of technological tools, creation of extensions, and accuracy of mathematics. In addition to the investigation write-ups, the participants will create two mathematics lessons that integrate technology for use in their own classroom.  Students will also maintain a reflective journal starting with the initial class meeting.

Electronic Journal: As a part of this course, you are expected to maintain a reflective journal (preferably online). This journal is a log of your experiences within the course. It should include thoughts about new skills and accomplishments that you acquire; critical incidents that occur; and your thoughts and feelings about content (mathematics/number sense investigations) and technology. If you are experiencing difficulty keeping a journal, discuss it with your instructor who can provide you with additional suggestions and assistance.
 

 Electronic Portfolio of Write-ups: Each person will develop a personal Web Page for the course. There will be a set of "Write-up" projects. These are the "homework" for the course. Each Write-up will be prepared as an HTML document (i.e. a Web Page document) and linked to your personal web page.

What is a write-up?

The "write-ups" represent your synthesis and presentation of a mathematics investigation you have done --usually under the direction of one of the assignments. The major point is that it convincingly communicates what you have found to be important from the investigation. A write-up should communicate the essential material you have synthesized from your investigation. The format could be entirely in a word-processing document. After all, an HTML document is basically a word processing document with links. The HTML format, however, can combine narrative, pictures, and program applications in a dynamic document. Write-ups should be posted to your personal Web Page. If you work as a team on a write-up, post the write-up into each team member's Web Page but label collaborative effort. Criteria should include correct mathematics, use of technology, and how well you communicate. "Solution" might be another word for "Write-up."

Electronic Portfolio of Lesson Plans: Participants are required to create two mathematics lessons that integrate technology for use in their own classroom. The "lessons" are to be your creations of material to incorporate technology into classroom lessons. The material can be individual lessons or a unit of material. Your criteria should be on its usability in your classroom or in other peoples classroom and something you feel good enough about to share with colleagues over the web.

 

6. COURSE OUTLINE

I. Class 1

A. Introduction to InterMath
B. Introduction to Technology
C. Work through a number concept investigation as a whole class using technology
D. Discuss the components and structure of a write-up (including extensions)

II. Class 2

A. Discussion of History of Numeration
B. Participants begin their first web page write-ups to include in their online portfolios

C. Continued technological teaching and support (especially with Excel and the structure of a write-up)

III. Class 3

A.  Participants engage in investigations focused on Sets of Numbers
B.  Participants continue their web page write-ups to include in their online portfolios

C.  Continued technological teaching and support

IV. Class 4

A. Participants engage in investigations focused on order relationships, square roots, and mathematical induction
B. Participants add write-ups to their online portfolios
 

V. Class 5

A. Participants engage in investigations focused on enjoyment/beauty of numbers, countable, uncountable, large, and small numbers
B. Participants add write-ups to their online portfolios
 

VI. Class 6

A. Participants engage in investigations of divisibility rules, greatest common factor, and least common multiple
B. Participants add write-ups to their online portfolios

VII. Class 7

A. Participants engage in prime, composite, abundant, deficient, and perfect numbers
B. Participants add write-ups to their online portfolios

VIII. Class 8

A. Participants engage in investigations focused on operations on sets of numbers, identity elements, and inverse operations
B. Participants add write-ups to their online portfolios

IX. Class 9

A. Participants engage in investigations of alternative algorithms, other bases, and modular arithmetic
B. Discuss and brainstorm ideas about modifying InterMath experience for a middle school mathematics classroom

C.  Participants add write-ups to their online portfolios

X. Class 10

A. Participants engage in investigations of proportional reasoning
B. Participants add write-up to their online portfolios
C. Adapt an InterMath investigation into an instructional activity for middle school students ­ Whole class or small group activity

XI. Class 11

A. Participants engage in investigations focused on Pascal's Triangle, Fibonacci sequence, and Gauss strategy for computation
B. Participants add write-ups and middle school lesson plan to their online portfolios

XII. Class 12

A. Participants engage in investigations focused on Pythagorean Triples, figurate numbers, and historical aspects of number theory
B. Participants add write-up to their online portfolios

XIII. Class 13

A.   Each participant creates a technology-enhanced mathematical investigation for their own classroom

B.   Participants are encouraged to collaborate with each other for ideas and feedback

C.   Participants add middle school lesson plan to their online portfolios

XIV. Class 14

A. Each participant presents their instructional activity to the entire class

B. If the activity was implemented in the classroom, participant will discuss what went well, what was difficult, what can be improved, etc.

C. Class will provide feedback on the lesson plan

D.  Each participant will take a mathematics exam

 

7.  MATHEMATICAL CONTENT EXPLORED THROUGH THE INVESTIGATIONS
(Click Here to see a list of selected InterMath investigations clustered for Number Concepts )