Reinventing Teaching and Learning in Mathematics Education — Part 1: What You Need to Know about Interactive, Digital Technology
By: Christopher Stewart
Tags: Learning, Education, Teaching, Mathematics, Inclusion

Let’s start with why

At their very core, we know that math educators want their students to reach their full potential — so much so that they are constantly seeking opportunities to explore the connections between promising practices in mathematics education and student identity and agency. And through it all, they are always observing how specific approaches benefit their students at particular times.

Those, like myself, who have been privileged to work in math education leadership roles know that an educator’s journey to help improve student achievement and well-being can be filled with tensions and difficult to navigate — and for many reasons — especially if they’re experiencing any one or more of the following:

Seeking to better understand their students’ needs — by creating windows and mirrors in mathematics education

Questioning the quality of their resources to engage their students — resources that model balancing inquiry with the development of procedural fluency, and in meaningful contexts

Feeling like they’re doing everything on their own; and

Knowing that having some guidance on what to look for, different approaches, and what to do when they’re unsure would be most welcomed.

As educators navigate these tensions, they come to realize that they need to learn just as much as their students if they’re to reach their full potential. Educators — just like me and you — need timely, relevant and responsive support, and not because we’re not good enough, but rather that we aspire to be and do more in service of student learning.

How can we support educator and student learning?

So much of the educational landscape has been changing — evidenced by the current, global paradigm; shifting priorities; and efforts to hybridize learning models and make online learning successful. Reinventing, now more than ever, how online technology supports math teachers and students is so important. Educators need high-quality teaching resources, pedagogical supports, and professional learning that engender and communicate respect for equity and inclusion.

Many of the tensions I mentioned can be mitigated by students’ and educators’ experiences through unpacking and leveraging several key features of some of the leading educational technologies available to educators today. The next part of this post will focus on a prominent learning platform — Desmos.

​As you continue reading, keep the following question top-of-mind:

How do I see myself and my students using this platform to build more equitable and inclusive learning environments and experiences in mathematics?

Desmos — often thought of as a student’s solution to anything requiring a graphic calculator — has become one of math education’s leading technologies. The reason?

Examining its suite of resources for educators quickly reveals the following about the pedagogical principles that drive every aspect from design to launch:

Desmos resources both call on and empower educators to differentiate their approaches to teaching and learning; they foster collaboration and communication between students; and teachers can provide timely and descriptive feedback to students.

We know that differentiated approaches are driven by assessment practices — these practices making mathematics education more equitable and inclusive. In reflecting upon the pedagogical principles that drive every aspect from design to launch, I’m inspired that each of these principles respects and supports equitable and inclusive approaches to mathematics teaching and learning.

What Can We Do to Re-invent Teaching & Learning in Mathematics Education?

As educators and instructional leaders prepare themselves to use a variety of math resources, there needs to be an understanding of learning progressions — progressions that consider both subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge. Without this, it’s impossible to enact a curriculum as it’s intended — i.e., as opposed to seeing and making visible coherence, standards remain isolated and disparate.

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Regarding assessment — with the goal of improving student learning — it’s key that educators have support to collaboratively explore what successful learning looks like, how to incorporate tools and tasks, and how to use data to inform their practice. Assessment practices inform instruction, and further to this, they inform our approaches to differentiation, which is absolutely critical for teaching and learning in an equitable and inclusive manner.

We also need to know, recognize and take ownership over the learning we can do together to ensure that both windows and mirrors are present and actioned through the curriculum we build and use and through the pedagogical supports available to and used by educators.

Re-inventing with Desmos?

Students and their teachers will know that they and their best interests are being supported. To this end, those who use and interact with Desmos lessons, tools, materials and community will know and understand that …

Tasks are within their grasp. Each context being relevant and meaningful. And that they will have opportunities to create, understand, and question.

Their goals and interests are of concern. They will see and know themselves as learners of mathematics. They will be able to set goals and monitor their progress towards them.

There are opportunities for mastery. Reflection is encouraged.

Programming is designed to help them continue their study of mathematics.

Some Final Thoughts

Today’s post is the first in a 5-part series (Part 2 here) related to reinventing mathematics teaching and learning through the lens of improving formative assessment practices.

No matter your role in Education or where you’re at in your professional journey, you’ll find opportunities throughout the series to see yourself and what’s possible for you, your colleagues and, most importantly, your students.

To stay up to date on these posts and future professional learning opportunities (e.g., the “Balance Series” of live-session webinars), consider any one or more of the following:

Follow Flipping the Focus on Facebook or on Twitter @FlippingFocus

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In closing, I can’t help but to think of the conversations that can be inspired when we take collective action to improving student learning. As this blog is a means for readers to network and gradually change the context for how they learn, teach and lead, we all benefit by drawing nearer to the perspectives shared here and shared beyond with our professional learning networks.

I am more than happy to collaborate with you and make our learning visible at Flipping the Focus. If at any time, you have questions or comments, please feel free to comment to this post and/or reach out to me.

Professionally Yours,

Chris Stewart, OCT

Educational Consultant, Flipping the Focus © 2020

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