Mathematics Teacher Educator Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 24: Representing Student Voice in an Approximation of Practice: Using Planted Errors in Coached Rehearsals to Support Teacher Candidate Learning Jan 04, 2021

Show notes

Approximations of practice provide opportunities for teacher candidates (TCs) to engage in the work of teaching in situations of reduced complexity. A problem of practice for teacher educators relates to how to represent student voice in approximations to engage TCs with interactive practices in meaningful ways. In this article, we share an analysis of our use of “planted errors” in coached rehearsals with secondary mathematics TCs focused on the practice of responding to errors in whole-class discussion. We highlight how different iterations of the planted errors affect the authenticity of how student voice was represented in the rehearsals and the resulting opportunities for TC learning. We offer design considerations for coached rehearsals and other approximations of practice.

Special Guests: Erin E. Baldinger, Foster Graif, and Matthew P. Campbell.

Episode 26: Fostering Middle School Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching via Analysis of Tasks and Student Work Jan 04, 2021

Show notes

Mathematical knowledge for teaching is a complex web of knowledge domains. In this article, we share findings from an 18-month professional development project that aimed to improve middle school mathematics teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) of proportional reasoning by focusing on the critical analysis of mathematical tasks and student work. Although multiple studies have shown that professional development can contribute to teachers’ MKT globally, little is known about how this knowledge grows and how specific domains of MKT can be targeted through professional development. Findings in this study show how professional development positively influenced participants’ knowledge of content and teaching and knowledge of content and students, two domains of MKT, through teachers’ twinned analyses of tasks and student work in proportional reasoning.

Special Guests: Jennifer M. Lewis,, S. Asli Özgün-Koca, and Thomas Edwards.

Episode 22: Interventions, Tools, and Equity-Oriented Resources in the MTE Journal Dec 13, 2020

Show notes

The Mathematics Teacher Educator journal is co-sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. In June, both organizations released statements that call for mathematics teachers and mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) to “engage in anti-racist and trauma-informed education in our daily practices as processes of learning and adjustments” (NCTM, 2020) and to “actively work to be anti-racist in our acts of teaching, research, and service” (AMTE, 2020). This editorial highlights equity-related interventions and tools that can be implemented by MTEs. We reiterate statements made by NCTM and AMTE, describe key features of interventions and tools, and share equity-related resources published in the journal for MTEs to use with teachers.

If you have enjoyed listening to this podcast and are interested in ohter episodes you can see all episodes listed on this website or search by categries at https://evathanheiser.wordpress.com/podcasts/

Special Guests: Emily Elrod and Valerie Faulkner.

Episode 21: Undergraduate Research in Mathematics Education: Using Qualitative Data About Children’s Learning to Make Decisions About Teaching Sep 18, 2020

Show notes

Undergraduate research is increasingly prevalent in many fields of study, but it is not yet widespread in mathematics education. We argue that expanding undergraduate research opportunities in mathematics education would be beneficial to the field. Such opportunities can be impactful as either extracurricular or course-embedded experiences. To help readers envision directions for undergraduate research experiences in mathematics education with prospective teachers, we describe a model built on a design-based research paradigm. The model engages pairs of prospective teachers in working with faculty mentors to design instructional sequences and test the extent to which they support children’s learning. Undergraduates learn about the nature of systematic mathematics education research and how careful analyses of classroom data can guide practice. Mentors gain opportunities to pursue their personal research interests while guiding undergraduate pairs. We explain how implementing the core cycle of the model, whether on a small or large scale, can help teachers make instructional decisions that are based on rich, qualitative classroom data.

Special Guests: Jennifer Bergner and Randall E. Groth.

Episode 20: Learning to Launch Complex Tasks: How Instructional Visions Influence the Exploration of the Practice Sep 11, 2020

Show notes

This study investigates how the exploration phase of the teacher learning cycle provides 11 novice mathematics teachers with the opportunity to learn about the high-leverage practice of launching a complex task. Findings suggest that the exploration phase of the teacher learning cycle provides novice teachers with opportunities to reflect on how
to launch a complex task within the context of their own instructional practice. Because of this opportunity to deeply consider the pedagogical resource and reflect on it, novice teachers’ instructional visions were a filter through which they interpreted key instructional strategies offered up during the exploration phase of the teacher learning cycle. Further, the authors discuss three key takeaways for teacher educators who are attempting to implement the teacher learning cycle into their teacher education coursework

Special Guests: Anne Garrison Wilhelm and Dawn M. Woods.

Episode 19: Do You See What I See? Formative Assessment of Preservice Teachers’ Noticing of Students’ Mathematical Thinking Sep 04, 2020

Show notes

Developing expertise in professional noticing of students’ mathematical thinking takes time
and meaningful learning experiences. We used the LessonSketch platform to create a learning
experience for secondary preservice teachers (PSTs) involving an approximation of teaching
practice to formatively assess PSTs’ noticing skills of students’ mathematical thinking.
Our study showed that approximations of teaching practice embedded within platforms
like LessonSketch can enable mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) to carry out effective
formative assessment of PSTs’ professional noticing of students’ mathematical thinking
that is meaningful for both PSTs and MTEs. The experience itself as well as its design features
and framework used with the assessment can be applied in the work of MTEs who develop teachers’ professional noticing skills of students’ mathematical thinking.

Special Guests: Joel Amidon and Stephanie Casey.

Episode 18: Design Principles for Examining Student Practices in a Technology-Mediated Environment Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

In this article, we present a set of design principles to guide the development of
instructional materials aimed to support preservice secondary mathematics teachers
(PSMTs) examining student practices in technology-mediated environments. To
develop design principles, we drew on the literature related to technological
pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK; Niess, 2005), video cases as learning objects
(Sherin & van Es, 2005), and professional noticing (Jacobs, et al., 2010). After presenting
the design principles, we share a task created using these design principles. Finally, we
share PSMTs’ reflections about changes in their own understanding after examining
students’ practices. Their responses provide insights into the usefulness of the
design principles for deepening PSMTs’ mathematical knowledge and knowledge
of students’ understanding, thinking, and learning with technology.

Special Guests: Allison W. McCulloch, Charity Cayton, Jennifer N. Lovett, and Lara K. Dick.

Episode 17: Editorial: Analyzing Eight Years of Mathematics Teacher Educator Articles: Where We Were, Where We Are, and Where We Are Going Jun 29, 2020

Show notes

In this editorial, an analysis of articles published in the Mathematics Teacher Educator journal (MTE) from 2012 to 2020, which describes the knowledge base for mathematics teacher educators addressed by MTE authors, is presented. This analysis builds on similar work conducted four years ago (Bieda, 2016). These more recent findings demonstrate that articles focusing on teacher knowledge; mathematical content; student thinking and reasoning;
and models of teacher preparation or in-service professional development (PD) have been the most frequently published in MTE. In contrast, a limited number of articles have focused on discourse; diversity, equity, and language; technology; and methods of research. This examination allows us to assess as a community where we were, where we are, and where we might go in the future.

Special Guests: Karen Hollebrands, and Valerie Faulkner.

Episode 16: Diverge then Converge: A Strategy for Deepening Understanding through Analyzing and Reconciling Contrasting Patterns of Reasoning Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

One of the challenges of teaching content courses for prospective elementary teachers (PTs) is engaging PTs in deepening their conceptual understanding of mathematics they feel they already know (Thanheiser, Philipp, Fasteen, Strand, & Mills, 2013). We introduce the Diverge then Converge strategy for orchestrating mathematical discussions that we claim (1) engenders sustained engagement with a central conceptual issue and (2) supports a deeper understanding of the issue by engaging PTs in considering both correct and incorrect reasoning. We describe a recent implementation of the strategy and present an analysis of students’ written responses that are coordinated with the phases of the discussion. We close by considering conditions under which the strategy appears particularly relevant, factors that appear to influence its effectiveness, and questions for future research.

Special Guests: Mariana Levin and Theresa J. Grant.

Episode 15: Noticing Aloud: Uncovering Mathematics Teacher Noticing in the Moment May 28, 2020

Show notes

Understanding mathematics teacher noticing has been the focus of a growing body of research, in which student work and classroom videos are often used as artifacts for surfacing teachers’ cognitive processes. However, what teachers notice through reflecting on artifacts of teaching may not be parallel to what they notice in the complex and demanding environment of the classroom. This article used a new technique, side-by-side coaching, to uncover teacher noticing in the moment of instruction. There were 21 instances of noticing aloud during side by side coaching which were analyzed and classified, yielding 6 types of teacher noticing aloud, including instances in which teachers expressed confidence, struggle, and wonder. Implications for coaching and future research on teacher noticing are discussed.

Special Guest: Jen Munson.

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