{"id":39,"date":"2014-06-01T00:00:53","date_gmt":"2014-06-01T04:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/?p=39"},"modified":"2014-09-28T16:38:45","modified_gmt":"2014-09-28T20:38:45","slug":"welcome-to-on-teaching-and-learning-mathematics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/2014\/06\/01\/welcome-to-on-teaching-and-learning-mathematics\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to “On Teaching and Learning Mathematics”"},"content":{"rendered":"

By The Editorial Board<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

There are major changes afoot in both K-12 and postsecondary mathematics education. \u00a0For example, the widespread adoption of the Common Core State Mathematics Standards [5] has been a focal point for everyone involved in K-12 education in the United States. \u00a0The 2012 report Engage to Excel [4] from the President\u2019s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) included substantial recommendations for experimentation and change in mathematics education, including at the undergraduate level for preservice teacher training. \u00a0A large and growing body of research [6] in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is demonstrating that undergraduate learning and achievement can be increased by implementing evidence-based teaching practices. \u00a0Funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation are responding to this seriously, for example through the Widening Implementation and Demonstration of Evidence Based Reforms (WIDER) program [7].<\/p>\n

In parallel with these developments, calls for greater engagement by mathematicians in mathematics education at all levels are on the rise. \u00a0For example, Thomas Banchoff and Anita Salem wrote in 2002 [1] that \u201cthe challenge we face in the mathematics community is bridging the divide between\u2026 \u2018the world of research\u2019 in mathematics education and \u2018the world of practice\u2019.\u201d \u00a0In a 2011 AMS Notices article [2], Sybilla Beckmann called for the creation of a more unified mathematics teaching community, stating that \u201cmathematicians, mathematics educators, and teachers… bear collective as well as individual responsibility for improvement of the mathematics education system as a whole.\u201d \u00a0The 2012 CBMS report The Mathematical Education of Teachers II [3] makes a similar call, stating that \u201cmore mathematics faculty need to become deeply involved in PreK-12 mathematics education by participating in preparation and professional development for teachers and becoming involved with local schools or districts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another important example is The Mathematical Sciences in 2025 [8], a 2013 National Research Council report that was commissioned by the Division of Mathematical Sciences at the National Science Foundation and funded through a $700,000 NSF award [9]. \u00a0The report states that \u201cit is critical that the mathematical sciences community actively engage with STEM discussions going on outside the mathematical sciences community and not be marginalized in efforts to improve STEM education.\u201d Also discussed in this report are impending challenges facing university mathematics faculty, particularly in the wake of the aforementioned PCAST report; e.g., \u201cthe PCAST report should be viewed as a wake-up call for the mathematical sciences community\u2026 Change is unquestionably coming to lower-division undergraduate mathematics, and it is incumbent on the mathematical sciences community to ensure that it is at the center of these changes and not at the periphery.\u201d \u00a0In general, the report states that \u201cA community-wide effort to rethink the mathematical sciences curriculum at universities is needed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Given all this, what is a mathematician to do? \u00a0How do we equip ourselves to handle these new challenges, to become familiar with the existing research literature on teaching and learning, and to view teaching as the scholars we are? \u00a0Every mathematician wants their students to succeed at doing mathematics, to experience the joy of mathematical discovery, and to learn beautiful mathematics at a deep level. \u00a0However, the professional education of mathematicians is generally devoted to developing highly-refined scholarly tools for mathematics research. \u00a0With a few notable exceptions such as Project NeXT [10], the development of a scholarly approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics is often absent, and sometimes even discouraged. \u00a0The goal for this blog is to be part of the response to these challenges, to stimulate reflection and dialogue by providing mathematicians with high-quality commentary and resources regarding teaching and learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because there is no simple solution to the problems facing mathematics education, this blog will serve as a big tent, giving voice to multiple contributors representing a wide range of ideas. \u00a0Contributions will range from practical \u201cteaching tips,\u201d to commentary on current mathematics education research, to discussions of social\/curricular educational policy, and more. \u00a0Our focus will include both postsecondary and PreK-12 education, because mathematics education does not abruptly stop and start anew as students make institutional transitions. \u00a0Issues that affect both high- and low-achieving students will be addressed, as well as issues that affect students who are minoritized in their mathematical communities. \u00a0We welcome ideas for posts and pointers to interesting materials or events; please feel free to contact one of the editors or add your contributions in the comments. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stay tuned!<\/span><\/p>\n

Acknowledgement: The editors would like to thank the American Mathematical Society for supporting and hosting this blog.<\/span><\/p>\n

References<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

[1] Banchoff, T, and A Salem. “Bridging the divide: Research versus practice in current mathematics teaching and learning.” Disciplinary styles in the scholarship of teaching and learning: Exploring common ground (2002): 181-196.<\/span><\/p>\n

[2] Beckmann, Sybilla. “The community of math teachers, from elementary school to graduate school.” Notices of the AMS 58.3 (2011).<\/span><\/p>\n

[3] Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (2012). The Mathematical Education of Teachers II. Providence RI and Washington DC: American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Association of America.<\/span><\/p>\n

[4] Engage to Excel. \u00a0Report to the President from the President\u2019s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), January 2012. <\/span>http:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/administration\/eop\/ostp\/pcast\/docsreports<\/a><\/p>\n

[5] Common Core State Standards, <\/span>www.corestandards.org<\/a><\/p>\n

[6] Singer, Susan R, Natalie R Nielsen, and Heidi A Schweingruber. Discipline-based education research: Understanding and improving learning in undergraduate science and engineering. National Academies Press, 2012.<\/span><\/p>\n

[7] <\/span>http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504889<\/a><\/p>\n

[8] National Research Council. The Mathematical Sciences in 2025. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n

[9] <\/span>http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/showAward?AWD_ID=0911899&HistoricalAwards=false<\/a><\/p>\n

[10] <\/span>http:\/\/archives.math.utk.edu\/projnext\/<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By The Editorial Board. There are major changes afoot in both K-12 and postsecondary mathematics education. \u00a0For example, the widespread adoption of the Common Core State Mathematics Standards [5] has been a focal point for everyone involved in K-12 education … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,26],"tags":[92,93],"class_list":["post-39","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-communication","category-education-policy","tag-policy","tag-postsecondary-mathematics-education"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6C2AC-D","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":177,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39\/revisions\/177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ams.org\/matheducation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}