Achieve High-Quality Mathematics Discourse With Purposeful Talk Techniques
Engaging students in high quality discourse is important for their conceptual learning, but successfully promoting such discourse in elementary classrooms--with attention to the needs of every learner--can be a challenge. Based on research, Activating Math Talk tackles this challenge by bringing 11 practical, math-specific, productive discourse techniques to the classroom. You will be guided through each technique with
- Classroom examples spanning grades K-5
- Reflection moments to help you relate to your own instruction
- Classroom vignettes that illustrate the techniques in action
- Group discussion questions for engaging with colleagues
Dr. Paola Sztajn is the Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and the Former Department Head in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences. She teaches mathematics methods courses for prospective and practicing teachers. Her research program focuses on practicing elementary teachers′ mathematics knowledge and professional development. The overarching question that guides Paola′s research agenda is, In which ways do practicing elementary mathematics teachers acquire and continue to develop the knowledge needed to teach all students high quality mathematics? She is interested in collaborative studies that allow multi-faceted, in-depth investigations of this complex question.
Daniel J. Heck, Vice President of Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI), received a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and History and a Master's Degree in Education from Wake Forest University, and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a specialization in Educational Psychology, Quantitative and Evaluative Research Methodologies.
Dr. Heckis currently PI of Peers Engaged as Resources for Learning Mathematics; All Included in Mathematics - Expansion and Dissemination; and Mathematical Record Keeping Supports Cognition and Communication. He is Co-PI of All Included in Mathematics, and the Evaluation of NSF's REESE Program. He also directs external evaluations of several mathematics education research projects. Dr. Heck was previously PI of Development of a Research Agenda for Understanding the Influence of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics, and Co-PI of Fostering Mathematics Success for English Language Learners. Based on his work, Dr. Heck is an author of numerous journal articles, book chapters, and reports for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers; and editor of a book detailing research approaches for studying the enacted mathematics curriculum. He served from 2009 to 2012 on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Research Committee.
Kristen A. Malzahn, Senior Researcher at Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI), received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, IN and a Masters degree in Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC. Prior to joining HRI in 2001, she taught at the elementary level for five years and was a lead teacher for a mathematics professional development initiative in Durham, NC.
At HRI, Ms. Malzahn has worked on the evaluation of a number of mathematics education projects, including NSF's Local Systemic Change through Teacher Enhancement Initiative, where she was responsible for coordinating project communications and assisting with the facilitation of professional development and training sessions for evaluators; Deepening Everyone's Mathematics Content Knowledge project, a partnership between the University of Rochester and surrounding school districts; and Learning and Teaching Geometry, a materials research and development project designing video-based mathematics teacher professional development materials for middle grades teachers. She also directed the work on Fostering Mathematics Success of English Language Learners, a research project that studied the efficacy of the Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit. In addition, she helped disseminate data gathered from the 2000 and 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education.
