How do I think? How do
you
think? Why do
we
focus on the concepts we do? How do
I
process information? Do
women
think differently than men? Why? How do
people compare today with those of the 18th century in their methods of
analyzing ideas?
All were topics of discussion during the course.
We
are
all
different.
We
think
differently,
analyze
various
ideas
differently
and
focus
on
different
aspects
of
life.
Being
able
to
look
at
why
people
do and say various things helps us to understand them as
individuals. When conducting research we need to consider all
individuals, what they bring to the study and what they can take from
it.
Our book group, made up of four women, read Women’s Ways of
Knowing: The Development ofSelf, Voice, and Mind by M. F.
Belenky, B. M. Clinchy, N.
R. Goldberger, & J. M.Tarule. We went in circles agreeing, then
disagreeing, on our
interpretation
of various aspects of the book and about the role and progression of
women. One concept that the members of the group looked at differently
was
that as a woman progressed through the stages at any time she could
fall
back onto a previous level. The opposing view was that once the woman
obtained a level then she would remain at that level unless progressing
forward. We did agree that just because a woman was not
or had not received a formal education that she did not necessarily
belong at the lower
basic level
that involved abusive relationships and were, in general, very
dissatisfied with their lives. I feel that individuals, not just women,
can be at the various levels that Belenky et al. described and have
varying levels of education, income, and backgrounds.
The book led me to thinking and
analyzing my life. How I was raised, my parents views on many
topics, how their views effected me and how mine views effected our
children by what I said and did are all thoughts that were brought to
the forefront. In the 1980's I was very happy as a mother of two who
decided to stay home and be a "domestic engineer". The book talked
about events that urged us on to the next level. Mine was my husband's
accident, a back injury so severe that the doctors did not think he
would ever walk again. He is walking but it spurred me on to get my
education. A different path but one I have embraced. When I received my
undergraduate degree our children asked when I was going to be a
doctor. Working toward my doctorate was something I talked about even
then. Having grown in ways that I would have never dreamed of back when
our children were small and now embarking on another part of my dreams
is fulfilling. As I read the book I could place myself on the stages of
growth but at the same time realize their can be happiness at all
stages.
EDUC
802 Educational Leadership Seminar
What kind of leader am I? What kind of leader
do I want to strive to be in the future? What makes an effective
leader? All questions tackled in this course. During this semester I
was going through several issues regarding leadership conflict and my
role/position in our county. The conflict evolved around how to create
and
sustain change that leads to students achievement and at the same time
deal with budget issues that may
include reduction of employees. As I read Discovering the Leader in You: A Guide to
Realizing Your Personal Leadership Potential by Lee & King
(2001) the conflict became more disturbing as my awareness grew. Those
in positions above me practice a form of leadership that is not
conducive with mine. While I do not agree with most of their approaches
I have come to realize the kind of leader I want to be and the kind of
leader I do not want to be. A leader is not a leader without followers.
How a leader treats his or her followers impacts the overall outcome
and/or results. My view of leadership and self reflection was concluded
in my final paper for the course, Personal
Look
at
Defining
Leadership
and
Future
Growth. Novicevic, Harvey,
Buckley, Brown-Radford and Evans (2006) "state that confidence in
reacting to others in the role of a leader is better accomplished when
one knows him or herself" (quoted in the final paper). This seminar has
helped me to know more about myself and to reinforce my feelings that
one can always
grow and learn.
EDUC
805 Doctoral Seminar in
Education Mathematicians
Can
Write! I am comfortable working with numbers, thinking through
scenarios using logic, and even computing the optimal number of gallons
per minute that can pass through a circular opening ... Math is what I
love, writing is not. Everyone one of the speakers spoke about writing
which was and is scary for me. I can put together a presentation and
speak before several people on doing something mathematically and/or
using a
graphing calculator technology. But write about it?
I have decided
that if I can make a presentation then I can also write about the
topic. Currently I
have been thinking about several of the professional development
activities I have done and wondering about writing them up for a
mathematics
journal like Mathematics Teacher. But it is more than writing up an
activity or a process. I feel that each should be backed by
research. Just because Pam Bailey wrote an activity and said ... , does
not mean one should jump and do it. Research will lend relevance and
justification for what I present. I have my work cut out for me.
EDRS 810
Problems &
Methods of Educational
Research
Problems and Methods of Educational Research
opened my eyes to all of the various types of research.Quantitative research seemed
very clear
cut, numbers don’t lie. Qualitative research is more subjective even
though
there are
methods to insure accuracy when interpreting the findings. More than
anything
else the course encouraged exploring the internet and the libraries in
search
of the various types studied. This is where the class came alive for
me. I found research that was conducted using graphing technology in a
mathematics classroom.
One of the studies I came across was by
O. N. Kwon (2002). He compared the results of pre and post-assessments
on
understanding distance-time and velocity-time graphs with Algebra I and
Calculus students. The assessments included multiple choice and free response questions that required students to write about the
mathematical
concepts. Between the pre
and post assessments the
Algebra I students participated in active lessons involving a
Calculator-Based Ranger, a form of motion detector used with
graphing
calculators; Calculus students continued to receive instruction in a
lecture format.
The results
revealed that the Algebra I students understood and could interpret
distance-time and velocity-time graphs better than the Calculus
students after their participation in the investigative activities
involving the technology.
How to facilitate student learning through
inquiry/investigative lessons, how to
use graphing calculators correctly, and how to provide differentiated
lessons
to meet student needs are all aspects of my beliefs. As a Texas
Instrument
Regional Trainer I am very aware of the capabilities of the technology
and
firmly believe that students learn by discovering concepts and being
fully
involved in their own learning. This type of facilitation of mathematics
instruction will call for a change in methodologies
typically incorporated by mathematics teachers. Active involvement of students in
learning
concepts requires teachers to be competent
using
technology, aware of and abililty to implement various types of
differentiation, a willingness to spend time in planning and
organizing, and have a desire for all to students to learn.
Professional
development needs to include implementation of these ideas in order to
educate teachers to the "new methodologies in mathematics". Teachers
need to realize that when implementing differentiated methods that meet
the
needs of
all students, graphing calculators often allow students the opportunity
to be successful. The
anticipated result
in my make believe study, The
Effect
of
Calculator-Based
Ranger
Activities
on
Students’
Graphing
Ability, is that knowledge gained through active
learning
far exceeds learning by the traditional lecture approach. Technology is an aid to be used in
teaching and learning, it is not the answer to everything. Correct
usage of technology needs to be included in professional development so
that teachers will learn to implement it's usage to assist in
differentiating their instruction to meet student
needs and to encourage investigation and discovery. One
of the responsibilities of my job is to provide quality professional
development but the task is difficult. Attempting to encourage teachers
to
accept and implement student-centered lessons has been daunting.
Excuses from
teachers include a concern for time. Time needed to prepare the lessons
and the
time it takes for the students to complete the tasks successfully. The
ability
for students to transfer student-centered lessons to other situations
and to the abstract is
also a
concern. Many mathematics teachers that I have come into contact with
agree that student-centered lessons
lead to
greater student participation and therefore increased learning but the
concerns
out weigh the positive aspects.
The
Kwon
research
was
like
fuel
to
a
fire
as
my
mind
races,
thinking
about
what
I
can
do
with
further
research
as
well
as
on my job to promote student-centered learning and
teaching. It will begin with professional development during the summer
of 2008 where the focus will be on differentiation, making connections,
and collaboration to write unit plans to meet all student needs.
EDRS 811 Quantitative
Methods of Educational Research
Beginning preparation for writing my
dissertation by learning to conduct and interpret statistical analysis
using quantitative data. Exciting! The mathematics involved in the
course is something I am familiar with even though I have never taught
a statistics course (and it has been many years since I had a class).
So it was not the mathematics that was the exciting part. The exciting
part is that I am now better able to understand and interpret the
research that I read. Is something statistically significant or what a
confidence interval means are concepts that I can now understand. My
final project was looking at data regarding parental affects on the
educational levels of students, Affects
on
Student
Education
Level. Conducting the statistical analysis
using SPSS, interpreting the results and writing a document to support
my imaginary research with graphs and charts. Putting my writing skills
to the test with a literary review was the hardest part of the
assignment.
EDRS 812 Qualitative
Methods of Educational Research
How will qualitative methods enhance my
research?
How can I incorporate qualitative methods into my
thoughts for my research
proposal?
I viewed qualitative research, at the beginning of
the class, as just somebody's opinion, very subjective. But then
Dr. Maxwell opened my eyes to what the research could do for a study
and about validity, generalizability, and the "process" that
can back up what is found. The hardest part, and the scariest
part,
was the thought of needing to be open to new ideas, questions, and
themes that
might emerge during a study. Could a topic or theme emerge during
the course of a study that might change everything I have done to that
time??? Putting the concepts in to action helped to answer those
questions as we did the class project. My project was "Student-Centered Teaching and
Learning: A Mock Study". This got me in to something I am
truly interested, the Algebra, Functions, and Data Analysis (AFDA)
course that I helped develop for Virginia. The course is to be
very student-centered and laboratory based. My concern is that
the
teaching methodologies used by the teachers of that course match the
"vision" of the expectations of the course. I
interviewed three different teachers about their beliefs using a
student-centered approach and found out that all had different ideas
about what it meant. We did not have a unified concept of how the
course should be approached in our county.
Has the class changed my viewpoint of qualitative
research? Yes and no. Yes, because I do see the value of
finding out the why and how behind the quantitative results. No,
because I am still concerned about validity and researcher bias.
I know that part of the battle is realizing that I could affect the
research so that I can take measures to insure that it doesn't. However, this new
perspective has led to the creation of a professional development
course for our county for the upcoming school year on the function
approach to teaching the algebra's. Even though I have observed
many classes I didn't realize the broad range of views on the subject
as well as the concerns and fears. Without the interviews I would
not have known.
EDRS 797 Mixed
Methods of Educational Research
How can implementing a mixed method approach
aid in my future research endeavors?
This course has challenged my thoughts and how
approaches to what I thought I would do for my dissertation and any
other research. By going through several examples of mixed
methods I began to rethink why I was so adamant on a strictly
quantitative approach. Numbers do not mean a lot to many
people. By adding the qualititative ideas what I would be trying
to reveal would be brought to life by giving my research a humanistic
view.
At the end of the course I began
thinking about the professional development session I was going to
facilitate during the summer and the county wide professional
development on the function approach to teaching algebra. Our
school system's mode of assessing professional development has been for
the participants to answer a few questions like "Name three things you
learned during the professional development." This seemed to be a
prime opportunity to do a pilot study and get into the concept of
teacher beliefs and if they are changed at all during the professional
development. I found a belief instrument to give and by the end
of class had begun the process of getting the forms ready for
HSRB. My research will include looking at student's SOL Math 8
scores, Math 8 end-of-course scores, teacher interviews and
observations. In addition the participants will be requested to
complete a belief survey. This is exciting and at
the same time a little overwhelming. I will be looking for a great deal
of guidance with my interpretation of the data. ;)
EDCI 855 Math
Education Research on Teaching and Learning
My first cohort class, meeting my peers that I will
be with through my journey and starting research on topics that are of
interest. Reading, reading, reading. Reading required material for the
course and for my papers. Through out the past years I have had an
interest in slope as a rate of change, how students learn the concept and graphing technology. My research in to the
topic resulted in Slope
as
a
Rate
of
Change
and
Steepness:
Definition,
Misuderstandings
and
Application. It has affected my views and work with teachers in
professional development sessions and day to day contacts. One day when
observing a teacher that works with students in alternative education
from many different levels and backgrounds, I noticed the difficulty
students were having with writing equations and slope. The teacher
asked for my help so both of us proceeded to work with groups of
students. I approach the concept from an entirely different view with
student involvement and making connections to other concepts. A week
later I stopped by and the teacher showed me the students work in the
class and the assessment. Student's confidence was up and the teacher
was excited to learn more about student-centered learning. It is
wonderful to research a topic I am interested in and to apply what I
have read in my work.
The course also encouraged me to read about
teaching and learning mathematics, the reform movement, diversity, plus
many more other topics. Many times through out my teaching career I
have felt like the Lone Ranger when it came to how I taught
mathematics. It is wonderful to hear the cohort discuss issues that I
had pondered and researched. My position with Spotsylvania County
Schools is to work with teachers. I want the teachers to have a desire
to change but I know how it feels to want to change and be the only
one. The research I had conducted in the past, while not near in
quantity as what I have recently, was enough for me to continue on my
road. Others may not be as strong so another of my interests continues.
How to educate and encourage teachers on their road to changing their
mode of instruction to student-centered learning and meeting student
needs.
EDCI 856 Math
Education Curriculum Design and Evaluation
What standards based programs exist that will support the NCTM Process
Standards and our state standards?
I loved diving into looking at different
programs and settled on the Interactive Mathematics Program by
NSFD. It was textbook adoption time, if funds are available, for
our district. We were not adopting but the question in my mind
was if we needed "textbooks" or if supplemental material or a different
type of program would serve our needs better. Our school system
uses Investigations (elementary) and Connected Mathematics (middle) as
supplemental materials along with a text so Interactive Mathematics for
high school seems to follow as the next logical choice. The lack
of funding will hopefully work in our favor as teachers become aware of
and more comfortable with the function approach to teaching the algebra
courses. This time is valuable as they move away from a
concentration on the textbook. My research into the Interactive Mathematics
Program will be useful when we do have funding.
The other aspect of the course eased some of
my concerns, selecting a dissertation that is within our topic and
presenting to our cohort. My focus for the presentation related
to my beliefs in learning, having my participants involved in the
learning, and at the same time I wanted everyone to become cognizant of
the various parts of a study. I had the cohort members work on a
fill in the blank of the flow of a dissertation and included a word
bank. As I went over my selection by Violet Paterson the flow of the
dissertation was addressed simultaneously. This allowed those who
have no interest in my topic to still be involved in the session.
EDCI 857
Preparation and Professional Development of Math Teachers
What
are
some models for professional development and how do they apply
to my role? I
explored two different models for
professional development that were very different in approaches but
both very useful for myself.Guskey’s
model
disclosed
that
changes
in
teacher beliefs would not occur
until teachers were able to acknowledge a change in student learning
outcomes.Loucks-Horsley, Stiles, Mundry,
Love, &
Hewson’s model was more in to developing the professional development
session
and include having a vision, using data to guide the development,
setting
goals, planning, doing and evaluating. Reflecting
on
the
PD’s
I
am
planning
for
the
upcoming
summer
and
school
year
I
began
to
analyze
myself
and the
development.Do I have a vision?Yes and it correlates with the state vision
for mathematics reform. I also want to see
teachers eyes light up as they see changes in students. Is
the
PD
based
on
data?Yes again.The
data
involves
looking
at
student
growth
throughout
their
high
school
career.Student’s
scores and ability to remember and perform in mathematics courses
lessens each
subsequent year.Teachers are spending
numerous hours reviewing and remediating on concepts from previous
courses.The next three steps of
Loucks-Horsley, et al., along
with the data, will be cyclic as I will constantly re-evaluate teacher
progress
and needs.Guskey’s model was reassuring
that beliefs cannot be expected to change just because the teacher
takes a
course.They need the time to work with
their students and to see their change.We
have some reluctant teachers in our school
district and some
individuals believe that we should wait to implement the function
approach to
teaching algebra until all are on aboard.We
would
never
do
it
then.Instead I need to
be supportive of their
efforts and encourage them as
much as possible. How
does
a teacher’s belief’s effect how they view professional
development?
Most
teachers teach mathematics using the same approaches that they
experienced as a student.Harel &
Lim expressed this viewpoint while Cross stated the teachers’ view that
if it
isn’t broken then why fix it.I have
heard both from our teachers.Is it
broken?This is where the data has
helped and will continue to be.Why do
we need to change when how we learned evidently was successful?My
question back to the teachers is if it is still successful today?This goes back to a discussion on goals and
if they are compatible with the teacher’s goals which is necessary for
a
productive PD according to Cwikla.How
can the goals of teachers and PD be the same, especially if you are
trying to
make changes?Data, giving teachers
experiences, supporting them in their endeavors, and listening to what
they
have to say will help.
What
can
influence a teacher to change a belief in teaching and
learning mathematics?
Cooney,
Shealy and Arvold disclosed that beliefs may be held
evidentially and non-evidentially.If a
belief is held due to evidence then that belief may be changed.To do so is to challenge or falsify the
evidence and to reveal new ideas that replace the old evidence.If a belief is held without evidence then it
is very difficult to change. I had
never thought about beliefs being formed by evidence but it does make
sense.When teacher beliefs are
questioned there has to be something that provides the teacher with the
confidence
to continue their efforts.Sztajn stated
that many believed that the reform movement would result in teacher
belief
changes.Suggesting a teacher change
instruction
just doesn’t happen because it was revealed by NCTM.
This
course has been very useful with my day to day work.As we begin embarking on a drastic change
with instruction in algebra classes I want to be able to assist and
support the
teachers.Granted not all are on board
but looking back to when I came to the county, no one was on board.Growth and change takes time.
EDCI 858 Math
Education Research Design and Evaluation
Fall 2011/
Spring 2012
EDCI 725 National
and International Leader Issues in Math Education
Is the standards-based movement world-wide? If so, what issues do
they encounter in the implementation and transformation into a
different way of thinking about instruction?
Selecting a critical issue such as the reform
movement in mathematics education has permitted an opportunity to
realize the issues are not just a local or national concern. My
paper on Critical Issue of All
Students Being Mathematically Proficient: Standards-Based or Reform
Practices looked at instruction in Hong Kong, Sweden, and
Australia. The articles led to more insight and confirmation of
concepts I had planned for a presentation conducted on Increasing Rigor and Cognitive
Demand at the NCTM Regional Conference in Baltimore, November
2010. Sharing that as a global society we have different needs
that we, as a nation, had twenty-five years ago and having a discussion
as to why we need to change help to lead into the activities.
Stein & Smith's activity on cognitive demand and defining what is
rigor brought out teacher concerns about how do we raise the cognitive
demand in the classroom. Additional activities included rich
tasks that teachers completed with a follow up discussion about what
concepts students would be learning. Working on a rich task with
multiple approaches allows students to make connections, increase math
talk to justify statements, employ problem solving skills, while using
multiple representations is vastly different than the norm. Many
stayed after the session to ask additional questions that centered
around how I got my school district to buy into the philosophy as well
as the teachers. Though out the session collaboration was
stressed so that they, the teachers, could have support as they
journeyed into unchartered territory.
Fall 2010/
Spring 2011
EDCI 726 State
and
Local Leader Issues in Math Education
Spring 2012
EDCI 994 Advanced
Internship in Education How can I teach a
semester course where there are only four face-to-face meetings and the
others will be all online?
How can we insure that the participants are engaged during online
sessions? These
questions
were
foremost
on
my
mind
as
the
course
was
developed
by
another
gentleman
and
myself
for
an
MSP
grant
through UVA. It was my time to apply
my skills and knowledge to develop a course for Probability and
Statistics for the Algebra, Functions, and Data Analysis course.
Many teachers are not comfortable with the topics and the concepts are
also new to Algebra I and Algebra II teachers under the new Standards
of Learning. It was a task to
determine activities that would be concrete, help the teachers to learn
conceptual and procedural skills, and apply NCTM Process Standards in
an effort toward a more standards based mathematics classroom.
We approached the development by first creating a course matrix which was changed
many times but in the end gave us the guidance when expanding the
curriculum for the other facilitators/instructors of the course.
Creating the matrix was the best approach for us as it was easy to
manipulate and change. The expanded
curriculum included everything that was needed to teach/facilitate
the course. Hints and suggestions for the various activities were
included along with rubrics for the mini-projects. What knowledge
the students needed to learn plus additional, deeper conceptual
understanding of the concepts, was our focus as we worked on the course
development. We not only had to consider the participants
while developing the course but the other facilitators, being sure that
they could understand what was meant with the approach taken in order
for all to gain conceptual knowledge and would in turn be better able
to teach the concepts to students. Apre- and post-test was created
to
determine participant growth with the concepts of the course.
This assessment was strictly mathematical concepts and not about the
teacher beliefs as the course was based on mathematics and not
pedagogy.
Throughout the semester I journaled
about the course. What
went well and what didn't. Some of the concerns were those that
did not use the technology correctly and made it more difficult for
everyone else. Prior to each online session I had to consider how
I might group the teachers and encourage participation by all while
making sure that all gained the pedagogical content knowledge needed
for successful implementation in the future. During one of
the first online meetings we all practiced our to share our written
ideas with each other. This proved profitable throughout the
semester. Groups were managed well and the participants
became quite good at sharing their screens online using a Digimemo,
SmartView, and the white screen on Elluminate Live. Only a couple
of the participants during the course shared that they were having
trouble following online. When this happened several pitched in
and drew pictures etc. We also were able to have the majority of
the participants continue on while someone would go in to a chat room
to help the troubled student. Great teamwork. This course
could not have been taught successfully if it had not been for the
technology we
used. I found that many of the same skills I would have used in
the classroom was still needed online. This includes purposefully
creating groups, making sure that students had multiple representations
for a better understanding, students being able to verbalize their
thoughts about the concepts, being sure to make connections to prior
knowledge and real-world situations, justifying our thoughts about the
mathematics, and having the students participate in problem solving
activities...all the NCTM Process Standards.
EDIT 772 Portfolio
This portfolio is a result of the course. Planning
the layout prior to it's construction was of the utmost importance.
However even with the planning I see that the consistency of the page
construction is not uniform. It is a work in progress.
EDLE 612 Education
Law
The Education Law course was an eye opener in
many ways but at the same time involved good common sense. Dr. Bon
stretched our minds with regard to the laws for students receiving
special education services as we discussed case studies from the
text or those she brought in for us to read. We also had the
opportunity to research our own school district policies and procedures
in special education (Special
Education Case Study Analysis, go to a board meeting (School
Board Meeting Summary), and research several topics/scenarios with
regard to the legal aspects of each(Legal
Issues
Analysis).
The main theme I gathered through out the
course was if you were not sure then ASK. Most school districts have a
legal division that a principal/supervisor could contact for legal
advice prior to
opening his or her mouth. Think before one speaks.
EDLE 614
Managing
Financial and Human Resources
Managing. Leading. Overseeing. Being responsible
for the lives of teachers and students. Budgets and staffing is more
than just numbers. In this time of economic difficulties school budgets
and downsizing have been the main topic of conversation around many
lunch tables. At the central office we have been requested to reduce
our budget twice this year as well as reduce the number of employees.
Leadership has made the changes difficult with employees always
wondering if they will be the next one that will be let go. Leaders in
each of the schools have also had to reduce their budgets and
anticipate reductions for next year. Major decisions that affect
others.
The way we as leaders handle budgets and
staffing, including the reduction of both, will ultimately result in
how our staff, parents, and students react or perform. The role
playing that we did in the course helped me to realize what a
leader goes through and/or needs to anticipate as he or she develops a
budget or determines the staffing for their school. Each should be
created with the vision of the school system or with a specific school
in mind. But it is more than having the vision align with the budget
and staffing. In "The
Interview
Process", my final paper for the course, discussed what
one needs to do before and after the interview and the role of the
interviewer and the interviewee. One needs to firmly believe in the
vision so that the
right decisions will be made for all involved. Some of the tough
decisions, though still not easy to implement, may be easier to accept
if we know what we are doing is the best for all.
EDLE 618
Supervision
and Evaluation of
Instruction
This course was very applicable to my daily
work. How to deal with teachers on a daily basis, assessment of
teachers, and how to development and implement professional
development. I do not evaluate teachers formally but do provide
constructive criticism where needed. My goal is to help them become the
best teacher possible and to meet all student needs. This involves
planning student-centered units and lessons , providing guidance on how
to use data to guide instruction, and being a support person in many
aspects. I used the evaluation techniques as a method to encourage
communication with teachers regarding areas in need of improvement.
The professional development assignment alligned
with what I was currently doing for our county - determining what is
needed in mathematics. I had already been around to the high schools
talking with administrators and department chairs about what they felt
was needed by the teachers for growth. The chart, Professional Development Needs
Survey, summarizes the questions asked. Concerns and
requests determined by the survey evolved into the
professional development sessions being provided by myself and other
mathematics specialists in our county for K - 12 teachers, Professional Development Assignment.
The
title
for
the
county
professional
development
is
Making
Connections
Between
Curriculum,
Assessment,
and
Instruction.
Myself,
several
mathematics
specialists,
and
instructional
technology
personnel
formed
collaborative
teams
to facilitate the professional development
sessions. Fifteen hours spread over three days will make up the summer
workshop sessions along with two follow ups throughout the
school year for a total of 20 hours.
Where does this lead me? I am already contemplating
future professional development sessions in the county. It is a
continual assessment of what is needed and then how the topics need to
be presented. We have some schools that are "in warning" due to poor
SOL scores so professional development that will aid teachers in
meeting student needs will be of the utmost importance. One type of
professional
development that is in the forefront of my planning is a technology
group that is focused on using Texas Instrument Technology correctly in
the classroom and as an aid to provide differentiation to the students.
The more teachers can bring alive mathematics the more involved
students will become and the more they will learn and understand would
be the focus of the group.
EDLE 801
Foundations of Educational Leadership: History & Leadership EDLE 802
Foundations of Educational Leadership: Ethics, Philosophy, and Law
Considering
leadership
roles
and
concerns
had
not
entered
my
mind
with
respect
to
changing
teacher
mathematical
instructional beliefs.
From bounded rationality to the garbage can method I was not only
thinking of leadership of administrators but also of mathematical
instructional leaders. While gathering articles and empirical
research on teacher beliefs for the Annotated Bibliography
I didn't know how it could be linked to instructional leaders.
Putting together the interviews conducted for EDRS 812, my research in
EDCI 857, information from this course, and my own experiences, I
realized that many of the instructional leaders may not have any
influence on the mathematics teachers that they work with on the
secondary level. Teachers revealed that they are afraid of what
the administrators will say, how the students will react, the SOL
results, and/or do not have the self-confidence to try new
things.
What can an instructional leader do to help with these concerns?
I believe a desire to help is in conflict with what they are allowed to
do
because the system may not permit the interaction and influence needed
to encourage success. My final paper, The Function
Approach to Teaching Algebra in Secondary Schools: Mathematics
Instructional Leaders Efforts to Change Teacher Beliefs, Provide
Support, and Professional Development, was a first stab at thoughts
of the instructional leaders role in research. I was challenged after this paper to
narrow down these thoughts to focus on what I want to learn through
research on this topic. Some of my questions at this time are:
What are the
instructional leaders beliefs about mathematical reform in the
secondary mathematics classroom? What does it look like?
(Do they
correlate with NCTM Process Standards.)
What topics
in professional learning sessions are offered to promote change
toward mathematical reform?
What types
of sustained guidance are instructional leaders able to provide
teachers through the change process?
How can an
instructional leader work with administrators to promote change in
mathematics instruction?
Guskey
(2002)
discusses
change
in
instruction
as
beginning
with
professional
learning
and
proceeds
to
applying
new
methodologies in
the classroom. Positive changes
in student achievement and attitudes toward mathematics gained through
the new approaches will lead to more consistent and permanent
modifications in teachers beliefs and practices. Currently I have
been toying with the idea of how I can modify the Guskey model as a
guiding theory to include
what would need to happen prior to the
professional learning sessions occurring and that the instructional
leader's beliefs and attitude influences administrators and teachers.
