Math Teacher Professional Development

Student – Centered Learning in Mathematics

What does student-centered learning in mathematics look like? This workshop will seek to answer this question with examples at the middle school and high school levels. Problem-based lessons at these grade levels will be discussed and resources will be provided.

Grade levels: middle school and high school mathematics

Learning outcomes:

• Participants will be able to use student-centered methods in their mathematics classroom.
• Participants will be able to write a problem-based lesson plan in mathematics.
• Participants will be able to find resources for creating problem-based lessons.
• Participants will be able to adapt lessons to make them more student-centered.

New Jersey Learning Standards calls for teachers to use instructional methods so that students use the Standards for Mathematical Practice in whatever content they are learning. Student-centered learning methods allow for and in fact require these practices (problem solving, reasoning, explaining, modeling, etc.)

Workshop Led by Dr. Cathy S. Liebars is Associate Chair of the Mathematics and Statistics Department and the Mathematics Education Coordinator at TCNJ. She teaches courses for pre-service teachers at all levels in the content area of mathematics. Dr. Liebars has presented workshops in several school districts in New Jersey on a variety of topics. She has worked with middle grades and elementary teachers, assisting in their implementation of reform-based mathematics programs like the Connected Math Program (CMP) and TERC Investigations in Number, Data, and Space. She is currently co-director of the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship induction grant at TCNJ. Dr. Liebars is a Past-President of the New Jersey Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (NJAMTE), currently serves on their Executive Board, and is former chair of the New Jersey section of the Mathematical Association of America.

Workshop Information: