Introduction to the Course
Teaching Algebra to Middle School Students will challenge you to see Mathematics and Algebra in everyday situations and applications. It will also challenge you to help your students develop and hone this same ‘mathematical’ vision. This course focuses on using writing about mathematics to learn math and reinforce concepts. You will learn about techniques used to teach students the art of math journaling.
Throughout this course you will keep an electronic journal or blog that will allow you to do the following:
- Explore and reflect on your own past experience with Mathematics and Algebra
- Explain mathematical concepts in your own words and develop visuals that support your words and explanations
- Monitor and reflect on your own learning or re-learning of Algebraic concepts
You will also have the opportunity to interact with your fellow classmates by commenting on their blogs. Sharing and group reflection on concepts and ideas often helps reinforce learning and helps build new connections between fellow students and ideas. Your blog will house many of your reflections and links to resources and information that you come by throughout this course. Note, you will have access to this blog even after you have completed the course.
The first part of this course will review the basic concepts of number sense needed to master Algebra including the properties of integers, the order of operations and real number properties. You will be challenged to see examples of these properties in real life or contextual situations and then translate these situations into examples to share with your students. In addition, you will also be challenged to see and teach the continuing application of these properties throughout the content of the course.
Next, you will briefly review non-traditional, non-linear, and linear types of patterns. Recognizing patterns and identifying their characteristic enables Algebra students to later identify and explain the patterns that make up linear equations and functions. This course will spend several modules (6, 7, and 8) allowing you to explore the building blocks necessary for teaching, analysis and application of linear functions. The final module of this course will briefly introduce the properties and nature of quadratic equations.
Throughout the course, you will also map the concepts covered to your own state or district curriculum for middle school grades.
What this course is not:
This course does not provide comprehensive review of all content that should be taught to middle school math students.