Building Thinking Classrooms for Teachers and Leadership: Part 1 - EDC-X752V
Course Description
Credit Validation for DoDEA Participants Only
This course is designed to provide teachers and staff with an in-depth study of the Mathematical Teaching Practices (MTP) that guide effective instruction. It supports math educators in implementing and sustaining the MTP Framework to strengthen standards-based instruction, foster student growth, and enhance modeling and reasoning skills.
Through research-based practices, educators will learn how to create optimal conditions for learner-centered, student-owned, and deep mathematical thinking (Liljedahl, 2021). By applying these approaches, participants will be equipped to transform their mathematics classrooms into spaces that promote authentic problem-solving and critical thinking.
In this graduate credit course, participants will:
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Explore 14 factors that influence classroom thinking and examine both macro- and micro-moves to maximize student engagement.
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Reflect on strategies and engage in peer discussions to determine how they can be effectively applied in the classroom.
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Trial selected strategies in their own teaching and receive constructive feedback from peers.
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Build a collaborative community of educators dedicated to sharing ideas, experiences, and best practices for creating a thinking classroom.
Learner Outcomes
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Learn about 14 specific teaching practices described in the book to enhance mathematics learning
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Plan and implement teaching practices, reflect on their effectiveness on student engagement and learning of mathematics, and receive feedback from course members to improve instructional practices
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Create a classroom environment conducive to the Building Thinking Classrooms structure to enhance student discourse, reasoning, and problem solving
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Select tasks strategically that align with lesson goals and course outcomes
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Apply learning to focused collaboration sessions to share successful strategies and activities
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Implement curricular and non-curricular thinking tasks with students
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Utilize strategies for forming random groups of students
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Facilitate learning in small groups with students working collaboratively at vertical non-permanent surfaces
Course Details
Number of Units: 1.0 - 3.0 graduate level extension credit(s) in semester hours
Who Should Attend: This course provides continuing education for K-12 educators of mathematics.
Course Materials: Text, Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics Grades K-12 by Peter Liljedahl available at Amazon.com or your local bookstore