This book is an edited volume addressing specific issues of significance for individuals involved with the undergraduate mathematics content preparation of prospective elementary teachers (PSTs). Teaching mathematics content courses to this group of students presents unique challenges. While some PSTs enter their teacher preparation with weak mathematical skills and knowledge, many also hold negative attitudes, anxiety, and misguided beliefs about mathematics. This book is designed to support instructors who teach these students in mathematics content for elementary teachers courses. Elementary teachers need a richly developed understanding of the mathematics they are teaching in order to teach it effectively. Providing them with the needed preparation is difficult, but can be eased with a solid understanding of the mathematical concerns and limitations PSTs bring to the learning of mathematics and a familiarity with the standards and curricula topics PSTs will be expected to teach. Chapter One makes the argument that elementary mathematics is not trivial. This is followed by an analysis of four central issues related to the mathematical preparation of elementary teachers, specifically: (1) selecting/creating/modifying and implementing mathematical tasks (2) noticing/understanding children's ways of thinking as a foundation for learning mathematics, (3) developing mathematical habits of mind in PSTs, and (4) understanding the role affect plays in the mathematical learning of PSTs. The final chapter presents three international examples of programs that currently consider these factors in the implementation of their courses.

Lesson study is a professional development process that teachers engage in to systematically examine their practice, with the goal of becoming more effective. Originating in Japan, lesson study has gained significant momentum in the mathematics education community in recent years. As a process for professional development, lesson study became highly visible when it was proposed as a means of supporting the common practice of promoting better teaching by disseminating documents like standards, benchmarks and nationally validated curricula. While the body of knowledge about lesson study is growing, it remains somewhat elusive and composed of discrete research endeavors. As a new research area there is no coherent knowledge base yet. This book will contribute to the field bringing the work of researchers and practitioners together to create a resource for extant work. This book describes several aspects of Lesson Study, amongst others: it gives an historical overview of the concept, it addresses issues related to learning and teaching mathematics, it looks at the role of the teacher in the process. The last two sections of the book look at how lesson Study can be used with preservice mathematics teachers and at university mathematics methods teaching.

Lesson study is a professional development process that teachers engage in to systematically examine their practice, with the goal of becoming more effective. Originating in Japan, lesson study has gained significant momentum in the mathematics education community in recent years. As a process for professional development, lesson study became highly visible when it was proposed as a means of supporting the common practice of promoting better teaching by disseminating documents like standards, benchmarks and nationally validated curricula. While the body of knowledge about lesson study is growing, it remains somewhat elusive and composed of discrete research endeavors. As a new research area there is no coherent knowledge base yet. This book will contribute to the field bringing the work of researchers and practitioners together to create a resource for extant work. This book describes several aspects of Lesson Study, amongst others: it gives an historical overview of the concept, it addresses issues related to learning and teaching mathematics, it looks at the role of the teacher in the process. The last two sections of the book look at how lesson Study can be used with preservice mathematics teachers and at university mathematics methods teaching.

This book is an edited volume addressing specific issues of significance for individuals involved with the undergraduate mathematics content preparation of prospective elementary teachers (PSTs). Teaching mathematics content courses to this group of students presents unique challenges. While some PSTs enter their teacher preparation with weak mathematical skills and knowledge, many also hold negative attitudes, anxiety, and misguided beliefs about mathematics. This book is designed to support instructors who teach these students in mathematics content for elementary teachers courses. Elementary teachers need a richly developed understanding of the mathematics they are teaching in order to teach it effectively. Providing them with the needed preparation is difficult, but can be eased with a solid understanding of the mathematical concerns and limitations PSTs bring to the learning of mathematics and a familiarity with the standards and curricula topics PSTs will be expected to teach. Chapter One makes the argument that elementary mathematics is not trivial. This is followed by an analysis of four central issues related to the mathematical preparation of elementary teachers, specifically: (1) selecting/creating/modifying and implementing mathematical tasks (2) noticing/understanding children's ways of thinking as a foundation for learning mathematics, (3) developing mathematical habits of mind in PSTs, and (4) understanding the role affect plays in the mathematical learning of PSTs. The final chapter presents three international examples of programs that currently consider these factors in the implementation of their courses.