Research Presession - Wednesday, April 17, 3:00 pm
Karl Kosko - Kent State University
As part of an interactive paper session, +Karl Kosko presented on efforts to use online tools in professional development around the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice. This work is likely still in its early stages, so the research presented involved the participation of five teachers and the first practice standard, "Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them." Using LessonSketch, teachers observed an animation of a classroom and could "pin" moments related to that practice.
Following the viewing of the animation, teachers' homework was to work the practice into an upcoming lesson. Finally, teachers reflected on the lesson in an online forum. Kosko was able to find interpretations of the standard that ranged from "vague" to "emerging" to "clear," but further details were somewhat limited by the short duration of the professional development.
Kosko suggested that more work needs to be done to transition teachers' emerging interpretations of the standard to clear interpretations. Despite some teachers marking almost everything as an example of the standard, there was an indication that using pins to mark examples of the practice was an effective strategy for developing an understanding of the practice standard, and the homework connecting the PD to teachers' classroom practice was essential.