GRED 505
Topics in Mathematics for Elementary Teachers
Spring 2021
Class Place: ONLINE (no class on March 24)
Instructor: Dr. Sergei Abramovich
Office: Satterlee 210
Office Hours: VIA EMAIL AND BY ZOOM
Phone: (315) 267-2541 (office N/A IN Spring 2021); e-mail: abramovs@potsdam.edu;
https://people.potsdam.edu/abramovs
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TEXT(S)/COVERAGE / OTHER RESOURCES
No textbook is required for the course but the following book may be useful:
Abramovich, S. (2010). Topics in Mathematics for Elementary Teachers: A Technology-Enhanced Experiential Approach. Information Age Publishing, Inc. Charlotte, North Carolina.
All course materials will be distributed in class via Moodle.
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COURSE CONTENT/OBJECTIVES
Course content
CRITICAL THINKING: pattern recognition, problem solving strategies; partition of integers, combinatorial reasoning; FOUNDATIONS: inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning; sets and functions; NUMERATION & MATHEMATICAL SYSTEMS: operations and their role in the development of the concept of number, arithmetic of rational numbers, change of basis, clock arithmetic; NUMBER THEORY: prime numbers, prime factorization, divisibility, greatest common divisor, least common multiple, Fibonacci numbers; GEOMETRY: explorations on a geoboard, tessellations, golden ratio.
Course Objectives
To provide students with a significant opportunity to (1) foster their critical thinking, abstract reasoning and problem solving skills, (2) enhance their ability to see a mathematics topic taught as embedded in rich network of interconnected concepts; (3) develop their confidence in doing and teaching standards-based elementary school mathematics, and (4) develop skills in using technology in the classroom.
Conceptual Framework Alignment: Critically analyzes and solves problems, demonstrates knowledge of state and national standards.
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ATTENDANCE/|PROFESSIONALISM: There will be seven assignments given which will be a combination of class and homework. All completed assignments typed on a computer (with computer-generated pictures and diagrams) must be put in a portfolio and submitted in a three ring binder. This portfolio will be graded. At the beginning of your portfolio please acknowledge any cooperation with other students (if that was your case) and the use of electronic materials provided the course instructor. The use of materials from the Internet should be acknowledged also. Do not “copy and paste” from the Internet material that you do not understand. Portfolio not turned in on the due date (to be announced in class and by email) will be considered late. The penalty for late portfolio will be 5% off for each day late. In addition, each student will do a presentation of a mathematics education research publication attached to the course web site (see the list).In particular, this will include writing an individual one-page reflection on the publication and turning it in just prior to the presentation.
Conceptual Framework Alignment: Professional behavior, works well with others.
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DOCUMENTED ABSENCES/EXCUSES
College policy provides that students should be allowed to make up work in the case of "a documented absence resulting from active participation in College-sponsored activities, illness or family emergency." For college-sponsored activities, students will be expected to turn their written assignments in advance of the date due and absences must be acceptably documented. With regard to illness and family emergency, these must be documented. It is a rare illness that impedes a student who has not waited to the last minute from submitting a paper on time. The Student Health Service refers acute illnesses and injuries to outside medical facilities and does NOT ordinarily provide documentation for treatment carried out only by it. The same rules that apply to students actively participating in college-sponsored activities, will apply to students unable to attend because of religious beliefs.
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DOCUMENTED DISABILITIES
Any student who feels she or he may need accommodations based on a documented disability should see me after class, during my office hours, or by appointment. Students needing an Accommodation Plan should see Disabled Student Services.
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EVALUATION PROCEDURES
There will be seven assignments given which will be a combination of class and home work. All completed assignments typed on a computer (with computer-generated pictures and diagrams) must be uploaded to Moodle in a special portfolio which will be graded. Portfolio not turned in on the due date (to be announced in class and confirmed by email) will be considered late. The penalty for late portfolio will be 5% off for each day late.
Each student will participate in a team (or individual) presentation of a mathematics education research publication (see the list).In particular, this will include writing an individual one-page reflection on the publication and emailing it as an attachment immediately prior to the presentation.
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COMPONENTS OF THE FINAL GRADE
Portfolio: 60%; Presentation: 20%; The use of technology: 20%
Grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
100%-94% - 4.0; range 87%-93% - 3.7; range 80%-86% - 3.3; range
73%-79% - 3.0; range 66%-72% -2.7; range 59%-65% - 2.3; range 52%-58% - 2.0; below 52% - 0.0. _______________________________________________________________
It is expected that all work will be the students’ own. Failure to credit others for direct quotations and ideas will be considered plagiarism and may result in the student receiving a grade of 0.0 for that assignment. While collaboration by students on the course portfolio is encouraged, collaborative work may not result in either identical written responses (especially in the case of individual reflections/write-ups) or identical computer-generated figures and diagrams (unless these are provided by the instructor). Any violation of this policy may result in reporting such a case to the Student Conduct & Community Standards office by the course instructor.
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Computational (and other) environments in support of the coursePartitions (problem generator).