A reflective protocol for mathematics learning environments

Author(s): Cathy Jeanne Kinzer, Lisa Virag and Sara Morales

Source: Teaching Children Mathematics, Vol. 17, No. 8 (April 2011), pp. 480-484
Published by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
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480 April2011 teachingchildren

mathematics www.nctm.org

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 By Cathy Jeanne Kinzer, Lisa Virag, and Sara Morales

. :- W.-.J...m W #% #L,.'

formathemati
protocol
environments
learning
Trythis
can a teacheruse the practiceof
reflection to createrichmathematical
Standards-based learning
ingto
environments
students? In such
thatareengag-
environments,
practiceto onecanhearandsee a seamlessintegration
ProblemSolving, Reasoning and Proof,
of
Com-
collaboratively munication, makingmathematical Connec-

study students'
tions,andRepresentation (theNCTMProcess
Standards[NCTM2000]) throughNumber
opportunities and Operations,Algebra,Geometry,
surement, and Data Analysis
Mea-
and Probability.
to develop "Whilethe fiveContentStandardsare the
heartofthecurriculum, theProcessStandards
problem solving, are essentialto keepingit pumping"(Burns
2000).Ifthemathematics ContentStandards
communication, are whatwe teach,theProcessStandards are
and ways howwe teachit and how studentslearnit.
Withtheenactment oftheProcessStandards,
of thinking mathlessons become centeredon student
learning,and students'voices are heardas
mathematically. theyexplorenew mathematicalconcepts,
use mathvocabulary, and sharemultiple per-
and
spectives strategies oftheirmathemati-
cal thinking. A learning-centered classroom
affordsstudentsthe opportunity to reflect
as theyengagein problemsolvingand mak-
ing sense of mathematicsto demonstrate
proficiency in a varietyofways.Itis essential

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mathematics 481

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 to have significantmathematicalcontent
enactedthrough demanding
cognitively math
mathemati-
tasksdesignedto buildstudents'
cal contentknowledgewhiledevelopingtheir
abilityto use mathematicalprocesseswith
consistencyandfluency.
I Establisha PLC
I AlthoughtheProcessStandardsarea required
partof our statecurriculum, manyteachers
needwaysto makesenseofthemwithinthe
Lookfor... contextof theirteaching.One keyarea that
mustbe addressedis timewithintheschool
Using NCTM's Process Standards (abbreviated below), teachers discuss what to daytoestablish anduse a structure tosupport
focus on in an effectiveclassroom that supports students' mathematicslearning. teachersin working and learningtogether. A
viableoptionfora schoolis to establishpro-
Problem Solving
Instructionalprogramsfromkindergartenthroughgrade 12 should enable all
fessionallearningcommunities (PLCs).The
studentsto- PLC providessupportto implement change
Buildnew mathematicalknowledge throughproblem solving; as wellas a knowledgeanddata-feedback sys-
Solve problemsthat arise in mathematicsand in other contexts; temfrom theclassroom backtothePLCteam.
Applyand adapt a varietyof appropriatestrategiesto solve problems;and
Monitorand reflecton the process of mathematicalproblem solving. Establishing workingprotocolsfocusedon
mathematics learningis essentialto PLCsuc-
Reasoning and Proof cess,butitsstructurecanbe flexed tomeetthe
Instructionalprogramsfromkindergartenthroughgrade 12 should enable all needsofteachers. Oncethestructure isformed
studentsto- andprotocols areinplace,teachers canreflect
Recognize reasoningand proofas fundamentalaspects of mathematics;
Make and investigatemathematicalconjectures;
onthecycleofteaching andlearning thattakes
Develop and evaluate mathematicalargumentsand proofs;and place withintheirclassroomsand explore
Select and use varioustypesof reasoning and methods of proof. waystoincreaseeffectiveness thatresultsinan
increasein students'conceptualunderstand-
Communication ingofmathematical contentand theirability
Instructionalprogramsfromkindergartenthroughgrade 12 should enable all tousemathematical
studentsto-
processes.
Organize and consolidate theirmathematicalthinkingthroughcommunication;
Communicatetheirmathematicalthinkingcoherentlyand clearlyto peers, The purpose
teachers,and others; One important purposeofthePLC is to pro-
Analyzeand evaluate the mathematicalthinkingand strategiesof others; and videa collaborative environment forteachers
Use the language of mathematicsto express mathematicalideas precisely.
to studyinstruction and its impacton stu-
Connections
dentlearning.How theystudyinstruction is
Instructionalprogramsfromkindergartenthroughgrade 12 should enable all important,
critically and to thatend we have
studentsto- developeda protocolforclassroomteach-
Recognize and use connectionsamong mathematicalideas; ers to investigatetheirteachingpracticesby
Understandhow mathematicalideas interconnectand build on one another
reflectingon student inlearning
participation
to produce a coherentwhole; and
Recognize and apply mathematicsin contextsoutside of mathematics. as theyimplement theProcessStandardsto
exploreandlearnmathematics. Teachers need
Representation ongoingopportunities forreflectingon their
Instructionalprogramsfromkindergartenthroughgrade 12 should enable all instructional analyzing
strategies, classroom
studentsto- students'
Create and use representationsto organize, record,and communicate learning opportunitiesthrough per-
mathematicalideas; spectives, discussingstudents'mathematical
Select, apply,and translateamong mathematicalrepresentationsto solve thinking and reasoning,and studying their
problems;and teaching with This
colleagues. reflectiontool
Use representationsto model and interpretphysical,social, and mathematical andprotocol(see appendix1 andappendix2,
phenomena. whichaccompanytheonlineversionofthis
article)provideopportunities forusingthe

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ProcessStandardsto agreeon indicators, thetoolcan be usedin a number
or "Lookfors,"
"Lookfors," inthemathclassroom to connect ofwaysto determine whichofthe"Lookfors"
mathematics PLC
learning, learning, and stu- were evident and how teachingstrategies
dentlearning. what,how,andwhenstudents
influence learn
Theprotocol begins withteachersdelineat- mathematics.The conversation and reflec-
ingagreedupon"Lookfors"ina mathematicaltiveprocessprovidea lens to learnthrough
learningenvironment (MLE)(Tarretal. 2008). instructional Teacherscan use this
practices.
The teachersuse theProcessStandards(see as a self-reflection tooloras an observational
thesidebaron p. 482 foran abbreviated feedback
ver- toolforproviding regarding themath
sion)anddialoguetodetermine whatto"Look lessontoa colleague.
for"in an effectivemathclassroomthatsup-
ports students' mathematics learning.Several An example
timesthroughout theweek,individual teach- A teacherand hercolleaguerecently video-
ers analyzetheirmathlessonsand use the tapeda mathlessonintheteacher's classroom.
protocol tool.Theylookbackat Usingthe (MLE) tool to reflecton student
as a reflective
a lesson,document theirownratings basedon learning, theteacherwas able to determine -
the"Lookfors" -
witheachofthefiveindicators in a shortperiodof time thatshe should
listedinthereflectivetool,andthensharetheir allowherstudents moreexploration timeand
dataandlearning withcolleaguesinthePLC. shouldpurposefully choosestudents to share
Aftergrade-levelteams determinethe theirmathematical thinking.

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 Talk about it
The nextstep in usingthisprotocolis forthe
teacherto sharetheexperiencewithhergrade-
level peers in a professionallearningcommu-
nitybyshowinga videoofthelessonand having
a professionalconversationabout the learning
thattookplace usingtheMLE protocol.The tool
is versatilein howitcan be used to buildprofes-
sionalknowledgethrough studying ourteaching
practices,to sharereflectivedata,and to discuss
withcolleagueshowto improveboththeteach-
ingand learningofmathematics.
The protocol and the reflectivetool were
developedforteacheruse,to raiseawarenessof
the NCTM ProcessStandardsand the relation-
shipsamongteachingstrategies, themathcur-
riculum,and the opportunities forstudentsto
learnmathematics. The ProcessStandardscan
also providean importantbridgeforteachers
to understandthe MathematicalPracticesin
the Common Core State StandardsforMath-
ematics.Purposefulconversations, protocolsto
studyteaching,and usingdata connectedto the
classroomareneededto improvemathematical
learningopportunitiesforall students.
REFERENCES
Friedman, Bonnie. WritingPast Dark. New York:
HarperCollinsPublishers, 1993.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
(NCTM). Principlesand Standards forSchool
Mathematics. Reston, VA: NCTM, 2000.
Silbey,Robyn, and MarilynBurns. So You Have to
Teach Math? Sound Advice forK-6 Teachers.
Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications,2000.
Tarr,James E., Robert E. Reys, Barbara J. Reys,
scar Chavez, JeffreyShin, and Steve J.Osterlind.
"The Impact of Middle-Grades Mathematics
Curricula and the Classroom Learning Environ-
ment on Student Achievement." Journal for
Research in Mathematics Education 39, no. 3
(May 2008): 247-80.

The authors acknowledge the contributions

fromSheila Hills,Sheila Raihl,ChristinaParra,
and theSUMA researchprojectat New Mexico
StateUniversity.

Cathy Jeanne Kinzer,cakinzer@nmsu.edu, is a

mathematicseducator at New Mexico State University
(NMSU) in Las Cruces.Hereducational interestsinclude
assessment,supportingculturally and linguistically
diverselearners,and leadership/policyin mathematics.
Lisa Virag, Ivirag@lcps.k12.nm.us, is a researcherin
a partnershipgrantbetween Las CrucesPublicSchools
and NMSU. She has been in the education fieldfor
sixteenyears.Viragis interestedin connectingliteracy
withmathand in helpingteacherslearnto offerrich
mathematicallearningenvironments.Sara Morales,
saramora@lcps.k12.nm.us, is also a researcherin a
partnershipgrantbetween Las CrucesPublicSchools
and NMSU. She has been in the education fieldforthir-
teen years.She is interestedin learningopportunities
forEnglishlanguage learnersand how studentsmake
s sense of conceptual mathematics.Allthreeauthors
d are partof Scaling Up MathematicsAchievementand
I MathematicallyConnectedCommunitiesat NMSU.

aW Go to www.nctm.org/tcmforappendix 1 and
m V/ appendix 2, which accompany the online
versionof this article.

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