Single Subject Methods for Teaching Mathematics

This course is designed to prepare secondary math candidates to effectively plan and deliver the state-adopted academic content standards for students in mathematics (grades 7-12). The candidate has multiple opportunities to learn, practice, and reflect upon mathematics-specific pedagogical knowledge and skills in order to enable students to understand basic mathematical computations, concepts, and symbols to solve common problems and novel problems; help students solve real-world problems using mathematical reasoning and concrete, verbal, symbolic and graphic representations; provide a secure environment for taking intellectual risks and approaching problems in multiple ways; model and encourage students to use multiple ways of approaching mathematical problems; encourage discussion of different solution strategies; foster positive attitudes toward mathematics; and encourage student curiosity, flexibility and persistence in solving mathematical problems. The course also helps students in grades 7-12 to understand mathematics as a logical system that includes definitions, axioms and theorems; understand and use mathematical notation and advanced symbols; and assign and assess work through progress monitoring and summative assessments that include illustrations of student thinking such as open-ended questions, investigations and projects.