Learning to Support Young Mathematicians at Work: An Early Algebra Resource for Professional Development(Context for Learning Mathematics)

"Our digital-lab environment provides an active, more meaningful professional development experience, which empowers teachers to integrate theory and practice. We offer teachers the opportunity to embark upon their own landscape of learning journey." --Catherine Twomey Fosnot The bestselling Young Mathematicians at Work series has helped tens of thousands of teachers inspire deep mathematical understanding in students with its signature workshop approach. The Contexts for Learning Mathematics series has helped even more teachers bring that approach into their classrooms to align their math program to the Standards of Practice in the Common Core. Now Cathy Fosnot and her colleagues have developed an invaluable resource that gives teachers ownership of the core ideas and essential understandings of early algebra. Learning to Support Young Mathematicians at Work offers Professional Development providers interactive, meaningful tools to help teachers deepen their algebraic thinking within a unique digital environment. Two DVDs feature classroom sessions that show students exploring the sequence of investigations and activities found in the popular Contexts for Learning Mathematics algebra unit books Trades, Jumps, and Stops and The California Frog-Jumping Contest. Extensive classroom video footage allows participants to study children over time, and examine and analyze their development as well as the teacher's pedagogy. The user can respond to prompts, create video clips and presentations, and explore related materials all from the DVD, either alone at home or in a workshop setting. The PD facilitator's guide features a flexible menu of workshops, ranging from two-hour sessions that focus on a particular topic to comprehensive 5-day institutes. As participants engage in the investigations, they build their own conceptual and pedagogical understanding of algebra and proof, questioning and conferring, observing children at work in mathematics, and using the powerful tools of context and representations. These learning experiences foster teachers' algebraic thinking and set the stage for robust and active classroom practice that promotes students' deep understanding. The DVDs are also available individually without the facilitator guide for teachers who may prefer to study the material outside of a workshop setting. Trades, Jumps and Stops DVD California Frog Jumping Contest DVD NOTE: The DVD-ROMs are compatible with Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X up to 10.6. They are not compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) or above.

About the Author :
Cathy Fosnot is a leading voice in mathematics education. She is Professor Emerita of Education at the City College of New York and the founder of Mathematics in the City, a national center for professional development located at the college. In 2007 she established New Perspectives on Learning to devote her time to speaking around the world, fostering school change through professional learning and support, and producing new resources and materials. Watch Cathy talk about the importance of context in math. Follow Cathy on Twitter @ctfosnot Maarten Dolk is a researcher and developer at the Freudenthal Institute for science and mathematics education in the Netherlands. He is involved in the development and research of in-service and multimedia in-service materials for teachers, staff developers, and teacher educators in a number of countries. He has been a collaborating partner in Mathematics in the City since its inception and is co-author of the first three books in the Young Mathematicians at Work series. Kara Louise Imm is a teacher educator who has worked closely with math teachers across grades K-12. A staff developer for Math in the City since 2003, she also works as a New Teacher Advisor for Math for America. Kara began her teaching career as a middle school math teacher (NYCDOE) and more recently, served as a faculty member at Pace University, School of Education. She has co-authored several articles for and with teachers, and is currently a doctoral student in Urban Education at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York (CUNY). Bill Jacob is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In addition to his mathematical research, he develops and teaches courses for pre-service teachers. He is coauthor with Catherine Fosnot of Young Mathematicians at Work: Constructing Algebra and has been a collaborator with Mathematics in the City for twelve years. Despina A. Stylianou is a Professor of Mathematics Education at The City College of New York. She is also the Director of Mathematics in the City, a center for K - 8 professional development focused on mathematics education. Her research interests lie in the area of mathematical cognition; her work explores the mathematical skills, sensibilities, and habits of mind, and actions that are critical to doing, learning, and using mathematics proficiently.