Supporting Elementary Teachers with Strategies for Teaching Algebra!

LTTS is adding a suite of three courses (two of which are currently available) focusing on helping elementary teachers learn more about using specific strategies to integrate algebraic reasoninginto their curriculum. The development of this suite is in response to a national trend toward introducing algebraic reasoning into the earlier, and even the primary, grades. This suite of courses is to help the elementary and middle school teachers understand algebraic reasoning as the seeking of patterns and to help them in designing lessons that engage students in thinking about patterns in our world. While these three courses reflect the LTTS focus on the design of standards based inquiry instruction they aso reflect the continued expansion of LTTS beyond the founding theme of technology integration. The course titles for the suite are as follows:

MA103: Algebraic Reasoning
What is algebraic reasoning, and why and how do I incorporate algebraic reasoning into my classroom?

MA104: Supporting Algebraic Reasoning in the Elementary Classroom
How do I design a lesson that promotes problem solving and algebraic reasoning?

MA105: Evaluating Algebraic Reasoning
How do I enhance student learning through assessment?

The purpose of the first course is to help teachers develop an understanding of algebraic reasoning and how to select and develop quality algebraic reasoning activities that align with the NCTM standards.

In the second course teachers will create a problem-based (inquiry-oriented) algebraic reasoning lesson plan for their mathematics classroom that is aligned to NCTM standards. The teacher’s activities in the lesson planning include learning general strategies for making mathematics lessons accessible to all students

Finally, no lesson would be complete without a tool for assessing student process and student work. The third course helps teachers create an assessment for the algebraic-reasoning lesson they developed in the second course. This assessment will be aligned with NCTM’s Assessment Principle and Standards. Teachers will be asked to reflect on how this assessment will affect their instruction and planning.

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