Stacey Zimmerman (Virginia Commonwealth University)
Exploring Secondary Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching through Student Work
Friday, April 8, 2022,  12:00 Noon-1:00 PM.

Abstract: A teacher’s mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) has been shown to be a significant factor in predicting student outcomes and positively related to the quality of mathematics instruction. Yet researchers have almost exclusively focused on elementary teachers’ MKT, leaving very little understanding of MKT for secondary teachers. In this talk, Dr. Zimmerman will present her findings from an exploratory, multi-case design study that investigated the realms of knowledge used by expert mathematics educators when engaging with student quadratic function work. Findings from the study specifically address the nature of secondary MKT for teaching quadratics while study approaches address engagement with student written work and the needed assimilation of MKT research to advance secondary MKT understanding.

David Fifty (Oregon State University)
Characterizing Student Engagement in a Post-Secondary Developmental Mathematics Class and Exploring the Reflexivity between Social and Socio-mathematical Norms
Friday, February 18, 2022,  12:00 Noon-1:00 PM.

Abstract: Traditionally, post-secondary developmental mathematics courses have strived to equip students with mathematical content knowledge needed to succeed in subsequent STEM courses. However, it is critical that such emphasis be coupled with deliberate attention to developing higher-order skills such as argumentation, reasoning, and flexibility in mathematics problem-solving. In this talk, I will share some of the findings of my mixed-methods dissertation project that incorporated a semester-long teaching experiment which aimed to support students' development of higher-order skills by utilizing instructional interventions to facilitate more productive mathematical engagement. Engagement was then characterized by the classroom norms that evolved over the course of the semester. Results show that deliberate attention towards negotiating productive classroom norms and students' in-class engagement can positively affect students' attitudes towards flexible knowledge in mathematics problem solving. This project also highlights the perpetuation of students' beliefs (some of which were unproductive) and their influence on the development of classroom norms. The talk will illustrate this study's contribution to furthering the theoretical relationships between classroom norms, and make suggestions for the practice of teaching developmental mathematics courses.

Charles Wilkes II (SDSU / CRMSE)
What Does it Mean to be Smart in Math Classrooms? From the Perspective of Black Learners
Friday, November 12, 2021,  11:00 AM-12:00 Noon

Abstract: The talk addresses the question “How do Black learners describe what it means to be smart in a summer mathematics program." The study is a multi-case study of 5 fifth-grade Black learners. In the talk I describe both the different conceptions learners had as well as the complexity of those conceptions. Implications of these work include methodological considerations for capturing student’s conceptions (epistemology) and the heterogeneity within studying Black learners.

Charles Wilkes is a postdoctoral researcher at CRMSE working on the Math Persistence through Inquiry and Equity (MPIE) project. His work focuses on the experiences of Black learners in mathematics and equitable teaching practices. Specifically, his work has focused on Black learners’ conceptions of smartness, how Black learners are positioned in mathematics courses, and how teachers signal messages about smartness through their practice. 

Matthew Voigt (SDSU, MSED)
Enriching the Flipped Classroom for All Students
Friday, December 9, 2016  12:30-1:30 PM.

Dustin Thoman (SDSU, CRMSE)
The Social (and Cultural) Nature of 'Intrinsic Motivation': Implications for Student Interest Development and Broadening Participation in Math and Science
Friday, October 21, 2016  1:00-2:00 PM.

Carolina Guerrero-Ortiz (Pontifica Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile)
Visualizing, Interpreting, and Modeling in the Context of Using Digital Tools
Thursday, October 13, 2016  12:30-1:30 PM.