Use of Videotapes of Exemplary Mathematics Teaching for Teacher Preparation

Introduction In its Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics (1991), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommends that preservice teachers be provided opportunities to observe and analyze a range of approaches to mathematics teaching and learning. Observation opportunities in school classrooms are currently provided in many mathematics methods courses for preservice middle grades teachers; however, it is unusual for all students in the course to observe the same lessons and therefore have a common frame of reference for follow-up analysis. The project described in this article provided a common frame of reference for all students in a methods course by producing videotapes of exemplary mathematics teaching in middle grades classrooms and by integrating vignettes from those tapes into the course. Funding for the project described herein was provided by the Principles of Educating Teachers Professional Development Program (POET PDP) under an Eisenhower Higher Education grant. POET is one of the many initiatives that make up the Georgia Initiative in Mathematics and Science (GIMS), a systemic statewide effort to provide improved mathematics and science education for all middle grades students in Georgia. Description of the Project Activities The project was conducted in a university in Georgia during the 1995-96 academic year by a team consisting of a mathematics educator from the College of Education, a mathematics faculty member from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and two experienced middle grades teachers. During the fall quarter 1995, videotapes were made of eight mathematics lessons taught by the two middle school teachers who were members of the project team. By the end of the fall quarter, four vignettes had been selected for use during the next quarter. A brief description of each of the selected vignettes is provided below. Vignette 1: a game activity in which the teacher gives clear, explicit instructions and confirms student understanding of the activity before placing students in cooperative groups to conduct the activity. (14 minutes). Vignette 2: the input and demonstration part of a lesson in which the teacher uses visuals to engage students in a discussion of connections between polygons and real world contexts. (12 minutes). Vignette 3: a portion of a lesson which illustrates questioning techniques, involving students, and using different contexts (such as a Navaho rug, wallpaper, and the design of a student's shirt) to build the concept of symmetry. (7 minutes). Vignette 4: the opening of a lesson in which the teacher provides a brief overview and uses a motivational technique to create interest in the topics for the lesson (weight and capacity). (5 minutes). During winter quarter 1996, the four vignettes were integrated into the mathematics methods course required of all middle grades majors at the university to provide examples of exemplary mathematics teaching prior to the field experience required in the course. The course was team taught by the project team member from the College of Education and the project team member from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. During the course, the project team engaged the class in an analysis of the vignettes with emphasis on specific teaching strategies used, principles of teaching illustrated, and aspects of teaching which have traditionally needed most improvement among students who had taken the methods course in the past. Specific strengths of the tapes are that they provide examples of tasks which stimulate students to think about particular mathematical procedures and concepts, examples of discourse which illustrate various ways to exchange mathematical ideas, and examples of supportive teaching environments in which students and student ideas are respected and valued. …