23 Jul Two Major Mathematics Research Projects End
The Developing Algebra Resources for Teaching (DART) project spanned three years and involved work with secondary mathematics teachers from more than ten O‘ahu schools, helping them to deepen their own understanding of key algebra concepts and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Participants engaged in activities that led to their developing algebra modules, including the use of appropriate technology, that would inform pedagogy and teacher knowledge beyond what was available in their textbook materials.
Kapālama Algebra Readiness in the Elementary School (KARES), also a threeyear project that involved a whole-school program of professional development at Kapālama Elementary School, used the Lesson Study (LS) model to educate teachers while promoting their autonomy. Kapālama teachers collaborated in grade-level groups to design and develop educative curriculum materials (ECM) in preparation for the development of research lessons. Educative curriculum materials are intended to promote teacher learning in addition to student learning.
Rather than merely providing “guidelines” for teacher actions, ECM provide teachers with insights about the ideas underlying the tasks and choices made for student activities.
Teachers in each project reported that the project assisted them in strengthening their pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics and that their students were actively engaged in the lessons they taught. At the end of the project, Kapālama Elementary School met or exceeded the HSA standards at all grade levels for all populations. An exciting culminating event for each project was that a team consisting of teachers and CRDG researchers gave a presentation on their respective projects at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual meeting in Philadelphia in April 2012.