MATHEMATICS IN SCHOOL

Talking Mathematics in School: Studies of Teaching and Learning

Talking Mathematics in School: Studies of Teaching and Learning

Talking Mathematics in School investigates the relationship between students' discussions about mathematics in K-12 classrooms and their mathematical understanding. Beginning with a linguistic and sociolinguistic review of what is known about connections between thought, language, and learning; Lampert and Blunk consider what this research suggests for the teaching and learning of mathematical ideas and discourse. A collection of studies from various disciplinary perspectives--set in elementary and secondary classrooms, a computer-supported tutorial, and a workplace interaction--examines the nature of mathematical talk and the roles of students, teachers, tasks, and environment in producing it.

The teaching and learning of mathematics in K-12 classrooms is changing. New curricula and methods engage learners in working on real problems. An essential feature of this work involves teacher and students in "talking mathematics". How can students learn to do this kind of talking? What can they learn from doing it? This book addresses these questions by looking at the processes of formulating problems, interpreting contexts in which problems arise, and arguing about the reasonableness of proposed solutions. The studies in this volume seek to retain the complexity of classroom practice rather than looking at it through a particular academic lens.

In high-quality teaching, the process of inquiry, not merely "giving instruction," is the very heart of what teachers do. Inquiry not only tests what students know, it presses students to put what they know to the test. It uses "hands on" approaches to learning, in which students participate in activities, exercises, and real-life situations to both learn and apply lesson content. It teaches students not only what to learn but how to learn, (p. 22)

Partly in response to the Glenn Commission Report, the Middle Childhood Mathematics Inquiry Learning Project (Wanko, Johnson, Keiser, & Stonewater, 2001) was designed to implement an inquiry-based undergraduate mathematics curriculum for prospective middle school mathematics teachers enrolled at a large midwestern University. The longitudinal research component of the project examined the growth of the students as inquiry learners and prospective teachers, especially with regard to the development of their mathematical thinking (Wanko, 2003), their ability to apply inquiry skills in learning mathematics (Keiser, 2003), and what they perceived to be characteristics of effective mathematics instruction - both before and after experiencing inquiry mathematics courses (Johnson, 2003; Stonewater, 2003). It is this last item-preservice teachers' ...