MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (K-8) M.ED.

Lesley's degree program in mathematics for elementary and middle school teachers emphasizes deep mathematics content knowledge and helps teachers connect this knowledge to classroom practice and their own students' understanding of mathematics.

Course Descriptions

CMATH 6107: Constructing Mathematical Understanding: Number and Operations
Participants will develop a solid conceptual understanding of the language and operations of arithmetic, as well as the interrelationships among arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. Topics include place value and the history of counting, inverse processes, the geometry of multiplication, the many faces of division, and conceptual models of integers and rationale numbers.

CMATH 6108: Constructing Mathematical Understanding: Number Theory
Participants will develop a solid conceptual understanding of the branch of mathematics known as number theory. Topics will include the properties of prime and composite, abundant, deficient, and perfect numbers. Participants will also investigate divisibility rules, Mersenne primes, prime factorization, Fermat factoring as an alternate method of finding prime factors, the Euclidean algorithm for finding the greatest common factor as well as a geometric representation of that algorithm, the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, counting, writing numbers, computing in different bases, and arithmetic progressions.

CMATH: 6109 Functions and Algebra I
This course focuses on algebra and algebraic thinking through the investigation of functions of various kinds. The course builds on previous work connecting proportions to slope, and integer arithmetic to solving equations. Functions are introduced through an exploration of familiar mathematics (GCF) and real world situations (computing distances, doing conversions, and market demand). Work will include inequalities, absolute value functions, and solving simultaneous equations. Various types of functions will be explored including linear, exponential, quadratic, cyclical, and inverse.

CMATH 6110:Functions and Algebra II: Broadening the Base
This course continues the work of its prerequisite, Functions and Algebra 1, studying wider classes of functions, with their graphs, and applications: Detailed study of quadratic functions; solutions of quadratic equations; applications in physics and optimization; introduction to general polynomials and rational functions, with applications to physics; exponential functions with applications to growth and decay, and Newton's law of cooling. Prerequisite:  CMATH 6109

CMATH 6111: Geometry and Measurement I: From Polygons to Pythagoras
This first course integrates the study of geometry and measurement and includes lines, angles, investigations of triangles including sorting, similarity, trigonometry, and Pythagoras' Theorem. We will also investigate quadrilaterals, polygons, area and perimeter. Participants will examine the nature of geometric definitions, and follow a path that explores mathematical explanation, argument, and justification and how these processes connect to geometric proof.

CMATH 6112: Geometry and Measurement II: Exploring Circles, Symmetry, and Solids
This second geometry and measurement course starts with a focus on measurement and picks up where course one leaves off. Topics include finding the area of irregular shapes, investigating circles, exploring symmetry, and looking at both the geometry and measurement of three dimensional solids. Participants will continue to explore how processes of mathematical explanation and justification connect to geometric proof. Prerequisite: CMATH 6111

CMATH 6113: Probability: The Mathematics of Uncertainty
This course develops basic methods and concepts of probability theory, along with typical real-world applications. Students prepare and evaluate probability investigations. The presentation is based on problem solving and mathematical discussion. Prerequisite: CMATH 6109

CMATH 6114:Statistic and Data Analysis
This course on descriptive and inferential statistics uses a collaborative inquiry approach that will develop the participant's ability to critically collect, analyze, and describe qualitative and quantitative data in a variety of verbal, visual, and numerical ways. The course will lead participants to becoming both better producers of statistical information and more critical consumers of data based claims and arguments. Prerequisite: CMATH 6113

CMATH 6115: Concepts of Calculus: Change and Infinity
This course builds on prior courses in number and operations, algebra and functions, and geometry and extends the ideas developed there to the concepts of limit and change. It is designed to introduce participants to an important branch of modern mathematics and to show how calculus relates to other more elementary areas of mathematics. Topics include the idea of a limit, the concept of instantaneous change, and the fundamental theorem of calculus. Prerequisites: CMATH 6110 and CMATH 6112

EEDUC 6154: Meeting Diverse Needs in the Mathematics Classroom
This course considers the theory, research, and practical applications of ensuring that all children succeed mathematically. Gender, socioeconomics, culture, language, learning differences, assessment, and differentiated instruction are considered.

EEDUC 7121: Assessment Issues in Mathematics: Summative and Formative
This course is designed to engage participants in the examination of both summative and formative assessments and their implications for teaching and learning. Various types of classroom assessments and how they can be used to make instructional decisions based upon student responses will be developed. Participants will also examine how to make sense of the scores reported via standardized tests, what they mean, and what the implications are at the district, school, classroom, and individual student levels.

Please Note: Lesley University reserves the right to unilaterally add, withdraw, or revise any course offering in the above mentioned program of study including policies, provisions, requirements, and fees.