Mathematics Education

MHE450 Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers
This is a basic mathematics content course for prospective and in-service elementary school teachers. It examines fundamental concepts and procedures underlying the major areas in a comprehensive elementary mathematics curriculum. Students "learn by doing,' using the type of activity approach they should practice in their own classrooms. 3 semester hours

MHE480B Methods for Teaching Elementary School Mathematics
This course, intended for students preparing to become certificated teachers, addresses methods, materials, and instructional issues in teaching mathematics in elementary school. It is designed to help future teachers develop knowledge, skins, and beliefs that enhance their ability to teach mathematics to children. Prerequisites: EPS500, EPS510, satisfactory completion of the mathematics coursework required for the Illinois Standard Elementary (K-9) Teaching Certificate and a passing score ISBE Basic Skills Test; M.A.T. students only or consent of program director. 2 semester hours

MHE482 Methods for Teaching Primary Grade
Mathematics and Science This course, intended for students preparing to become certificated teachers, addresses methods, materials, and instructional issues involved in teaching mathematics and science in the primary grades. It is designed to help future teachers develop knowledge, skills, and beliefs that enhance their ability to teach mathematics and science to children. 2 semester hours

MHE485 Advanced Methods for Teaching Middle School Mathematics
This course builds upon the methods of teaching general elementary school mathematics through an in-depth focus on the curriculum, methods, materials, and issues involved in teaching mathematics in the middle grades (grades 6-8). This fulfills the methods course requirement for the state endorsement in middle school mathematics on the type 03 (K-9) certificate. Prerequisite: MHE480A, MHE480B or equivalent. 3 semester hours

MHE501 Teaching Number Concepts and Operations
Content and methods for teaching whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percent, ratio and proportion will be studied. The course focuses on recent research on teaching and learning issues related to the development of number and operation sense, the impact and role of technology, the development of a problem-solving based curriculum, assessment, and addressing individual differences. 3 semester hours

MHE502 Teaching Patterns and Algebraic Thinking
This course is designed to strengthen teachers' conceptual understanding of important "big ideas" in algebra content and processes while simultaneously addressing the major curriculum, instruction and assessment issues confronting teachers. Emphases include the treatment of algebra as a strand to be integrated with other branches of mathematics throughout students' school experiences, the uses and effects of technology (particularly graphing calculators and computer utilities and software), and the role of rich, mathematical settings (often real world problems and applications) that motivate abstractions as students need to represent the patterns and relationships they find. Prerequisites: Algebra. Students are expected to bring a graphing calculator. 3 semester hours

MHE503 Issues and Directions in Mathematics Curriculum, Learning, and Instruction
Recent trends in mathematics education and their implications for school programs will be examined. The course includes implications of research for teaching, learning, curriculum, assessment, problem solving, individual differences, and other current issues related to school mathematics. Prerequisites: MHE450, MHE502 or consent o program advisor. 3 semester hours

MHE510 Topics in Mathematics for Teachers:
Geometry This investigative study of geometry involves an active examination of geometric concepts and thinking from several perspectives including: patterns and relationships, shapes in space and the plane, transformations, measurement, and geometric representations of concepts in various strands of mathematics. The course helps students to develop problem solving, spatial thinking, and inductive and deductive reasoning as they explore, make conjectures, test their ideas, and formalize conclusions, using appropriate technologies. Prerequisite: MHE450 or equivalent. 3 semester hours

MHE511 Topics in Mathematics for Teachers: Number Theory
This course focuses on number theory content which is relevant to the school mathematics curriculum. Number theory is taught via a problem solving approach with connections to geometry, logic and probability. Explorations with and conjecturing about number patterns provide experiences from which students study various topics including: factors, primes, and prime factorization; counting techniques; greatest common factor (GCF) and least common multiple (LCM); divisibility; number patterns (e.g., Pascal's triangle, polygonal numbers, Pythagorean triples; Fibonacci numbers); Diophantine equations; remainder classes and modular arithmetic, iteration, recursion, and mathematical induction. Prerequisites: MHE450 or equivalent; or consent of program advisor. 3 semester hours

MHE512 Topics in Mathematics for Teachers: Statistics and Probability
This course focuses on statistics and probability content that is relevant to the school mathematics curriculum. Statistics and probability theory are taught with an emphasis on the development of an intuitive understanding of statistics and a critical approach to their use. Students will gain a strong sense of the importance of statistical applications to real world problems and will have opportunities to evaluate the use and misuse of statistics. Quantitative literacy will be developed by experimentation and the generation, investigation and analysis of data. Topics include: survey design and analysis, sampling procedures, data analysis, data representation, inference, reliability and validity, bias, randomness, statistical significance, fairness of games, theoretical probability and counting techniques, confidence statements, simulations, central limit theorem, normal distribution, and measures of central tendency. Prerequisite: MHE450 or equivalent and high school algebra or equivalent or consent of program advisor. 3 semester hours

MHE522 Advanced Methods and Materials in Teaching Mathematics
A survey of current curriculum, instructional strategies, and materials in mathematics is provided for the practicing elementary school teacher. For certified teachers only. Prerequisite: MHE480B or course equivalent. 2 semester hours

MHE582 Workshop/Math Education/Topic
1-4 semester hours

MHE584 Workshop/Math Education/Curriculum Materials
1-4,semester hours

MHE585 Workshop/Math Education/Instructional Practices
1-4 semester hours

MHE586 Workshop/Math Education/Students with Special Needs
1-4 semester hours

MHE591 Field Study/Math Education
1-4 semester hours

MHE593 Seminar in Mathematics Education
This seminar is a culminating experience that is designed to help students integrate learning and develop depth and perspective in the field of mathematics education. The structure of the seminar is dependent on the program experiences of the participants and is organized to foster independent research and integrating experiences. Prerequisites: MHE503, ESR500, ESR5 1 0 or consent of program advisor. 3 semester hours

MHE594 Independent Study/Mathematics Education
1-3 semester hours

MHE599 Thesis in Mathematics Education
4 semester hours