Overview

In this workshop, participants will become familiar with relevant research in teaching geometric measure and learn how to analyze student work to inform their instruction. They will complete classroom tasks designed to help them learn approaches to teaching geometric measurement to help students develop stronger conceptual understanding and procedural knowledge, especially in linear measurement, area, surface area and perimeter. They will also explore relationships between perimeter and area and between area and surface area. In addition, they will become familiar with virtual manipulatives designed to promote both conceptual and procedural knowledge around geometric measurement. For the final project, participants will complete a lesson plan, based on their analysis of student work on geometric measurement tasks, for use in their own classrooms.

Goals and Products

This course will enable participants to:

• Become familiar with relevant research in teaching geometric measurement in the middle grades
• Learn how to analyze student work to inform instruction
• Learn approaches to teaching geometric measurement that emphasize both conceptual and procedural knowledge, particularly in linear measurement, area, surface area, and perimeter
• Explore the relationships between perimeter and area and between area and surface area
• Explore visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling as vehicles to build mathematical skills
• Become familiar with virtual manipulatives and hands on activities designed to promote both conceptual and procedural knowledge around geometric measurement

As a final project for this workshop, participants will develop an effective, research-based lesson plan that can be used in their classrooms to respond to students’ ideas as students complete math tasks. The Looking at Student Work Template (LSWT) is a centerpiece of this final project that uses a completed LSWT to plan a lesson to address student misconceptions or lack of procedural or conceptual knowledge. Completion of this task provides participants a model for their classroom practices related to task analysis, examination of student work and evaluation of student understanding.

Format and Requirements

This course is divided into six one-week sessions which each include readings, an activity and an online discussion among course participants. The time for completing each session is estimated to be two to four hours.

The outline for the course is as follows:

Prerequisites

This is an introductory course for teachers, technology specialists, curriculum specialists, professional development specialists, or other school personnel. Participants are expected to have regular access to computers and proficiency with e-mail and current web browsers.

Content and Technology Standards

This workshop will help teachers to enable their students to meet the following Content Standards as identified by National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) (http://standards.nctm.org/document/chapter6/index.htm).

Geometry Standard
- Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships
- Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems
- Understand measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems and processes of measurement
- Apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements

Problem-Solving Standard
- Solve problems that arise in mathematics and other contexts
- Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems

This workshop will also help participants meet the ISTE Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for All Teachers.