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Department of Mathematical Sciences |
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Name: Michelle Terese Heger Chamberlin Education:
Classes: Spring 2005: MED 441 and STEP Joint Seminar Previous Semesters: MATH 181, MATH 387, MED 381, MED 700 Office Hours: 1-2 MW, |
Teaching Philosophy:
My teaching objective is to ensure that students conceptually understand the
mathematical material covered in class, rather than just memorizing a series of
procedures and algorithms. Thus,
much of class-time is spent exploring mathematical concepts and working on
group activities with the intent of allowing students to experience the
mathematics firsthand. I also
believe that students learn with understanding when they themselves work
through the material. Thus, I
infrequently tell students how to solve problems or tell students when they
have “the right answer”.
Part of understanding mathematics is knowing when a mathematically valid
process has been used to solve a problem.
I do assist students with the material by suggesting particular ways to
begin looking at problems, by asking guiding questions, and by facilitating
class discussions about mathematical topics.
Experience:
|
2003-present |
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO |
Assistant
Professor |
|
1999-2003 |
Purdue University,
West Lafayette, IN |
Research
Assistant & Graduate Teaching Assistant |
|
1999-2003 |
Ivy Tech State
College, Lafayette, IN |
College Algebra
Instructor |
|
1997-1999 |
Colorado State
University, Ft. Collins, CO |
Graduate Teaching
Assistant |
|
1998-1999 |
Front Range
Community College, Ft. Collins, CO |
College Algebra
Instructor |
Research
Interests:
My current research interests consist of two areas. The purpose of my first area of research is to begin developing a research program devoted to enhancing the mathematical content knowledge of pre-service elementary teachers. The project participants consist of students from the Interdisciplinary Studies Liberal Arts (Elementary Education) program enrolled in MATH 181 Fundamentals of Mathematics I. A perspective of actor-oriented transfer is being used, which seeks to understand the processes by which individuals generate their own similarities between mathematical problems. Seeking to understand such processes allows one to see how various features of the instruction influences what students attend to and understand. Using the actor-oriented framework, the two guiding research questions for the project are:
1. What similarities do the elementary pre-service teachers see between the mathematics presented in the curriculum unit and the mathematics appearing on the test?
2. How did the curriculum unit afford or constrain these similarities?
My second area of research is a study of teacher professional development, to be conducted in collaboration with two of my peers, Dr. Jeff Farmer and Dr. Jodie Novak. The purpose of our study is twofold. First, it is our intent to research and refine a leadership development model for developing teacher leaders who can facilitate professional development that is mathematically sophisticated and effective in promoting improved instruction. Second, it is our intent to study a professional development model for enhancing teachers’ mathematical thinking. The project will engage K-8 teacher participants in a professional development program focusing on one NCTM Content Standard each year. The first year, the teacher leaders will participate, observe, reflect, and engage in leadership development activities and facilitation training. After that, the teacher leaders will facilitate activities and assist with organizing and leading the professional development focused on mathematical thinking.
Publications:
Chamberlin, M. T. (in press). Teacher discussions of students’ thinking: Meeting the challenge of attending to students’ thinking. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education.
Chamberlin, M. T. (in press). Design principles for teacher investigations of student work. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development.
Zawojewski, J., Chamberlin, M. T., Hjalmarson,
M., & Lewis, C. (in press). The role of design experiments in teacher
professional development. In A.
Kelly & R. Lesh (Eds.), Design Research in Mathematics, Science
& Technology Education.
Chamberlin, M. T. (2003). Teacher
investigations of students’ work: Meeting the challenge of attending to
students’ thinking. In N. A. Pateman, B J. Dougherty, and J. Zilliox
(Eds.), Proceedings of the 2003 Joint Meeting of the International Group for
the Psychology of Mathematics Education and the North-American Chapter of the
International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education: Vol. 2 (pp.189-196).
Middleton, J., Lesh, R., & Heger, M.(2003).
Interest, identity, and social functioning: Central features of modeling
activity. In R. Lesh & H. M. Doerr (Eds.), Beyond constructivism: Models
and modeling perspectives on mathematics problem solving, learning, and
teaching (pp. 405-431).
Chamberlin, M. T. (2002). Teacher
investigations of students’ work: The evolution of teachers’ social
processes and interpretations of students’ thinking. Unpublished
doctoral dissertation,
Lesh, R., & Heger, M.
(2001).Mathematical abilities that are most needed for success beyond school in
a technology based age of information (invited). The
Recent
Presentations:
Chamberlin,
M. T., Novak, J., & Farmer, J. (2005, January). Maintaining a Supportive
Learning Environment While Evaluating Mathematical Knowledge. Ninth Annual Conference
of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators,
Chamberlin,
M. T., & Powers, R. (2004, September). Aluminum bats: A context for
geometry and measurement. 2004 Annual Conference of the
Chamberlin,
M. T., & Zawojewski, J. (2004, January). Departing on-time: A worthwhile
task for students and teachers. Eighth Annual Conference of the Association
of Mathematics Teacher Educators,
Chamberlin, S. A., Chamberlin, M. T., & Hjalmarson, M. (2003, November). Interdisciplinary problem solving in the 21st century with MEAs. 50thAnnual Convention of the National Association for Gifted Children, Indianapolis, IN.
Chamberlin,
M. T., Heger, C. A., & Chamberlin, S. A. (2003, September). Departing
on-time: A compelling context for standard deviation. 2003 Annual
Conference of the
Chamberlin,
M. T. (2003, July). Teacher investigations of students’ work: Meeting
the challenges of attending to students’ thinking. Twenty-Seventh
Annual Meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics
Education,
Date Page last modified and links checked:
04September 2004
© 2004 The
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