Classroom Interaction Geography: A Case Study

The study of classroom discourse is central to understanding and supporting effective teaching practice. Recently, researchers have begun to explore the spatial dimension of classroom discourse. However, this work emphasizes the lack of methods, particularly visual methods, to fully explore the spatial dimension of classroom discourse. This paper uses an approach to studying collaborative interaction we have developed called interaction geography to revisit a classic case known as “Sean Numbers” from the work of renown teacher educator Deborah Ball. Our analysis highlights the value of interaction geography to visually and dynamically explore the spatial and temporal dimensions of classroom discourse. We also make a data visualization of this work available to support further discussion and work to describe classroom interaction geograph

The Landscape of US Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education: Course Requirements for Mathematics Content and Methods

The adequate preparation of future teachers of mathematics is critical, requiring sufficient opportunities to develop both pedagogical skill and content knowledge. Yet, despite new recommendations for mathematics teacher preparation, we know little about the landscape of course-based learning opportunities in US elementary teacher education programs. To what extent do US elementary teacher education programs meet the Standards for Preparing Teachers of Mathematics outlined by the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) for mathematics content and methods courses? Based on an a priori power analysis, we gathered a random sample of 291 higher education institutions. Within these institutions, we analyzed 736 programs, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Credential programs. We found that overwhelmingly US elementary teacher education programs do not meet the aspirations outlined in the AMTE standards, with Master’s and Credential programs and those covering all elementary grades particularly falling short. Potential explanations for these challenges and implications for teacher education program design are discussed

Internationally benchmarked : comparing the common core state standards to the Singapore mathematics framework

textThe Common Core State Standards for mathematics and English language arts were released in June of 2010 and have been adopted by a majority of U.S. states. The authors of these standards have claimed that they are internationally benchmarked -- that is, that they are as rigorous, focused, and coherent as the standards and expectations used in high-performing countries -- but have not provided evidence to back up these claims. Singapore, whose students have scored at the top of recent international assessments, is frequently touted as a leader in mathematics education. To test the claims of international benchmarking for the Common Core, this paper uses the methodology of the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum to compare the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics to the Singapore Mathematics Framework in terms of rigor, focus, and coherence. The Common Core State Standards and the Singapore Mathematics Framework do call for similar levels of conceptual understanding, mathematical reasoning, and problem-solving. However, the content expectations outlined by the Common Core are somewhat more rigorous than those outlined by the Singapore Mathematics Framework.Science and Mathematics Educatio

Classroom Interaction Geography: Visualizing Space & Time in Classroom Interaction

Methods to transcribe and represent classroom video data are central to studying teaching and learning in classrooms. However, current methods focus on encoding and representing data over time, not space. In this paper, we demonstrate the value of a new methodological approach called interaction geography to transcribe and interactively visualize classroom video data over space and time. We use interaction geography to illustrate classroom participation patterns in two casestudies from teacher education research that, until now, have been challenging to see. Findings characterize strengths, limitations, and next steps to expand interaction geography in classroom research and suggest new questions to consider when encoding and representing classroom research data over space and time