Working with the Number Line, PreK-3 (CD): Mathematical Models (Young Mathematicians at Work)

In their Young Mathematicians at Work series, Catherine Twomey Fosnot and Maarten Dolk described Mathematics in the City, an innovative project where teachers helped young children construct a deep understanding of number and operations in a math workshop environment. Now they and two colleagues from the project have developed a 21st-century approach that provides pre- and inservice teachers with an interactive, video-based, digital context for inquiry into the teaching and learning of mathematics. Designed for workshop leaders and college instructors, the Working with the Number Line Resource Package consists of three valuable components: A CD-ROM that offers users a multi-media learning environment for professional development on topics ranging from instruction to assessment, and that stimulates action, reflection, and discussion with dynamic video clips, children's work samples, and interviews with students and teachers A Professional Development Overview Manual that provides general advice on teaching in a digital environment A Facilitator's Guide specific to the CD-ROM that includes suggestions for using the video clips; sample dialogue from field-tested sites; facilitation tips; and more. In Working with the Number Line, students construct a number line, initially as a model to represent a measurement sittuation, and then as a model to represent their computational strategies. Eventually, the students begin to use the model as a tool for thinking. The Resource Package helps teachers examine children's numeric thinking; investigate their strategies; and analyze how they model their world mathematically. Users are also able to study teachers at work: designing rich contexts for problem-solving; listening to, questioning, and interpreting students' thinking; drawing connections between mathematical ideas and strategies; and, ultimately, developing a vibrant mathematical community.