Professional Development for Early Childhood Mathematics Education
Herbert P. GinsburgTeachers College Columbia University
STEM SummitFebruary 18, 2010
OverviewThe goals are to explain why we
need extensive professional development to implement early mathematics education and what PD should entail
And to describe a pre-service program (VITAL) and an in-service model (child study/lesson study)
Background
According to the NAS Committee on Early Childhood Mathematics:◦“When given the appropriate learning opportunities, young children can become competent in mathematics.
◦Recommendation: A coordinated national early childhood mathematics initiative should be put in place to improve mathematics teaching and learning for all children ages 3 to 6.”
FurtherYoung children can benefit from:
◦Intentional teaching◦Planned curriculum◦An extensive focus on number and
geometry◦Experiences that promote not only
procedures and facts, but also: concepts, mathematical thinking, “math talk”, and “mathematizing”
Much is needed to accomplish thisMy focus will be on the early
childhood teachers:◦Who are they?◦What do they need?◦How can we help them to be come
good teachers?
Who are they?Demographics (from the committee
report)◦2.3 million in ECE workforce◦24% employed in centers, 28% in family
child care, and 48% in informal family, friend, and neighbor
BA or More◦Pre-K 73%◦Head Start 36%◦Center-based 30%◦Home-based 11%
CompensationSignificantly lower than K-12
teacher compensation◦Average preschool teacher salary: $25,800◦Average child care worker salary: $19,670◦Average Head Start teacher salary:
$24,608Many ECE teachers do not receive
health insurance benefits from their employers
(So why should talented people go into this field?)
7
Poor preparationThey seldom get extensive and
appropriate math education training in higher education◦Colleges give the least training in the
subject with which prospective teachers need the most help!
They seldom get extensive and appropriate in-service training once they are in the classrooms
Also, in general, they:Think children cannot learn abstract
mathDon’t understand the mathBelieve that social-emotional
development and play should be emphasized above all else
Believe teaching and curriculum are developmentally inappropriate
Teach math badly (if they do teach it)Are afraid of math and don’t want to
teach it– thus:
My students say:“Math has always been a dreaded
subject for me. I have yet to think of math in a positive way. In fact I have to take a math course for my New York certification, and I'm trying my hardest to find a way around it.”
“My previous history as a poor math student makes me fear teaching math to young children in the future, that being partially my reason for choosing early childhood education.”
What do they need to learn?
To get over their fear and appreciate the importance of math
To understand the mathTo understand children’s math
abilitiesTo form actionable and specific
connections between theory and practice (no vague ideology)
To assess and teachTo implement a curriculum
Pre-service professional development
There are very few college level courses that focus on early childhood mathematics education (age 3 to grade 2)
With NSF support, we have created a model course with several features
This is of course only one approach and more is needed
Four components of VITALA course syllabus (in many
different subject matter areas, like couples therapy and arts education)
New technology and pedagogy for “clipping”
Higher education classroom pedagogy
Digital library
Course in early mathematics education at TC (and elsewhere)
Content goals:◦Children’s mathematical thinking◦Pedagogy◦Curriculum◦Mathematics◦Assessment (particularly clinical interview)
Traditional: syllabus, weekly readings (on the “new” research) and class meetings
Class syllabus
Example: One week’s reading
Talbot, M. (2006) The Baby Lab. New Yorker; 9/4/2006, Vol. 82 Issue 27, pp. 90-101
Ginsburg, H. P. (1989). Children’s Arithmetic (Second edition). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Chapter 2: "Learning to Count"
Gelman, R. (2000). The epigenesis of mathematical thinking. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 21(1), 27-37.
Ramani, G. B., & Siegler, R. S. (2008). Promoting Broad and Stable Improvements in Low-Income Children’s Numerical Knowledge Through Playing Number Board Games Child Development, 79(2), 375-394.
But a larger context for the reading
Course library
Example of assignmentIn what ways does Olivia
“understand” or not understand addition? What mistakes did the interviewer make in interviewing her? Cite evidence to support your argument. Given what you saw, what would you do to teach her addition?
Example of video
Workspace and clipping
An Essay
Classroom Pedagogy
Classroom analysis of videos as we did it
The instructor models◦Close observation◦Specification of evidence◦Interpretation◦Challenge hypotheses◦Offer alternative hypotheses◦Social interaction: argument and
collaboration◦Respect for reason and modesty
Final projectChoose a topic to teachReview the literatureVideotape teaching of a lesson Videotape clinical interview of a child before and
after the lessonWrite a VITAL essay, embedding key video
evidence, analyzing teaching and interpreting student’s learning
The humble, low tech reflection
After each class, a few sentences on something important you learned
I responded to allStarted the next class with
selected reflections that raised interesting issues or alternative points
A strange kind of intimacy that included discussion of students’ fears and anxieties
In-service Professional Development
It has to be very intensive because: ◦Most new teachers coming into the
system are likely to be poorly trained◦Teachers already in the system were
also poorly trained and in general have avoided math teaching for many years
Key components of in-service PDUnlike pre-service, training is tied
directly to the use of a curriculumTraining is extensive and ongoing,
including an initial training at the outset of the school year, with follow-up sessions
Teachers are supported through onsite coaching at least once per month
Teachers have opportunities for hands-on practice, discussion, and collaboration
Child study/lesson study modelWe have developed an approach in
which:◦Teachers plan a lesson based on the
existing curriculum◦A teacher tries it out with her class◦She interviews several students (high,
medium, low) about what they have learned
◦Teachers meet to discuss videos of the lesson and the interviews
◦The entire process repeats over the year
ConclusionThe children can learn mathThere are several good curricula for teaching
itThe weakest link is the teachersWe have done a terrible job of preparing
them and supporting themWe need extensive professional development
at all levels (for professors of ECME, for prospective teachers, for practicing teachers
This is a massive job but unless we do it, we will not succeed in implementing effective early math education
Contact information Herbert P. GinsburgJacob H. Schiff Foundation Professor
of Psychology and EducationTeachers College Columbia UniversityDepartment of Human Development542 Grace Dodge Hall525 W. 120th StreetNew York, NY [email protected]