Overview

Session Summary

Welcome! In this Orientation, you will learn more about the TERC Investigations curriculum, review tips for success in online learning, take an orientation survey and explore the course website. You will also introduce yourself to your fellow participants using the online discussion board.

Guidelines for Participation

In each session of this course, you are required to contribute a minimum of three substantial posts, including one that begins a new thread and two that respond to an existing thread.

You will be assessed on the frequency and quality of your discussion board participation. Posts that begin new threads will be reviewed based on their relevance, demonstrated understanding of course concepts, examples cited, and overall quality. Posts that respond to other participants will be evaluated on relevance, degree to which they extend the discussion, and tone. These criteria are discussed further in the Discussion Board Expectations.

You are also expected to complete the required readings and activities as posted in each of the session pages.

Graduate Credit Information

Participants in this course are eligible to receive 3 semester graduate credits from Framingham State University. There is an extra written assignment and additional costs required to receive credit as described below. Please contact your facilitator if you are interested in participating in this course for graduate credit, or with any questions you may have about the graduate credit program.

If you plan on taking this course for graduate credit, download and save the Information Packet. All relevant information and required forms are included in this document, including:

• Registration: Complete and submit the Registration Form to Peter Swanson (peter_swanson@terc.edu) at TERC. (Note: You should not contact Framingham State University directly.)
• Payment: Graduate credit fees are $225. Please follow one of the payment options as described in the Make Payment section on Page 2 of the Information Packet. (Note: Payment is made to Framingham State University, not TERC.)
• Course Requirements: Review a detailed description of the Course Requirements on Page 3 of the Information Packet. Please submit final course products to the course facilitator at the end of the course.

Investigations and the Common Core Standards

Throughout this course, you will have a chance to see how the sessions’ content is related to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

We begin with some history about the CCSS and some details. The CCSS consist of both the Content Standards and the Standards for Mathematical Practice, which are most often referred to by Mathematical Practices (MP). There are eight MPs, and in this document you can see that we have grouped them in the order that makes most sense for us.

It is important to distinguish between the MPs and the Content…

• Math Practices describe ways in which students should interact with mathematics.
• Math Content Standards describe what students should understand and be able to do.

Investigations authors went through the entire program to align it with the CCSS. They developed companion materials (Investigations and the Common Core); one unit for each grade level. Of note:

• Investigations and the Common Core brings Investigations into 100% alignment with the Common Core.
• The Mathematical Practices are aligned with the goals and principles of Investigations and deeply embedded in the fabric of Investigations.
• Investigations, when taught as intended, offers students and teachers the coherence, focus, clarity and specificity in the teaching and learning of mathematics.

The companion material details are outlined here.

This document shows you the grade level adaptations that were made for the CCSS. As you can see, for most grades, it was minimal. The most changes occurred in Gr. 5.

When we look at the CCSS and how that affects Investigations, we believe that the most important part is to teach the program and teach it well.

The companion materials should be thought of as a part of Investigations, and together with the companion materials, Investigations is aligned with the CCSS.

Most importantly, the CCSS are intended to be used with CS (Common Sense)!

Watch and listen to Investigations authors Keith Cochran, Susan Jo Russell and Karen Economopoulos talk about the Common Core and what they did to align Investigations with the CCSS.

Readings

Tips for Online Success, Illinois Online Network
This is a list of ten important tips to ensure your success when taking an online course. 

Self-Evaluation for Potential Online Students, Illinois Online Network
This short, twelve-question tutorial helps you determine how ready you are for an online course.

Explore the Course Environment

Many of the activities that you will be completing during this course, from posting on the discussion board to submitting surveys, will be done using the Moodle course management system. Take some time during the Orientation to get to know Moodle and the tools you will be using to participate in the course. Here are some suggestions for getting started:

1. On the course homepage, review the overall course outline. Click on a session title to view the session content, which includes the overview, readings, activities, discussion questions and key learnings for the session.
2. Watch the video tutorial Updating Your User Profile (Transcript) to learn how to modify your Moodle profile, including the addition of a personal picture or icon.
3. Click on the “Participants” link in the left hand navigation bar to see a list of your colleagues in this course.
4. Click on the "Orientation Discussion" link within the Orientation session outline on the main course page, and begin to familiarize yourself with the discussion area.
5. Watch the video tutorial Posting and Replying to Messages in the Moodle Discussion Board (Transcript) and then post a message introducing yourself in the Orientation forum. Include:
   • Your name and the grade level/discipline you teach (or your role in your organization).
   • Explain what motivated you to enroll in this course, what you hope to learn, and how you hope to apply what you learn to your professional life.
   • Attach a photo of yourself or of something that represents your interests.
   Make sure to read and respond to some of your colleagues' introductions.

Technology Preparation

Web Browsers

On occasion, you may find that certain applications or websites in this course may work differently in different browsers. We recommend that you become familiar with how to use an alternate web browser, in addition to the one that is included on the computer you primarily use (often Internet Explorer for PCs, and Safari for Macs).

Firefox is a free, open-source web browser with many features that enhance navigation and security, and which is compatible with both PC and Mac computers. You can download Firefox here.

PDF Format

PDF (which stands for "Portable Document Format") is a popular format for distributing documents on the Internet. A number of readings in this course are posted in PDF format. To view and print PDF documents, you need Acrobat Reader software, available free from Adobe's web site. If you do not yet have Acrobat Reader installed, download it from the Adobe site and follow the directions for installation.

Mobile Devices

If you use an iPhone or an iPad and plan to access this course regularly with your mobile device, you may want to download and make use of MoodleTouch. MTouch is a native app for iPhone and iPod Touch only and is available in the Apple App Store for $3.

Orientation Survey

Please take a few minutes to complete the Orientation Survey. This survey collects some background information about your job role, teaching and administrative experience, and familiarity with online learning. In addition, it invites you to comment on your expectations and any questions you may have about participating in this course.

To access the survey, click on the "Orientation Survey" link within the Orientation section on the main course page.

Mental Math

In this final orientation activity, you will solve a problem mentally (no paper-and-pencil). Think about your strategy, focusing on what you knew that helped you solve the problem. You will also see the expectations for this course, both for what you can expect and what is expected from you.

Opening Problem

To begin, solve the following problem mentally: What is 75% of 2000?

If you have someone to share your strategy with, do so, otherwise, click on the show button below to see some possible strategies. Note that the problem could be solved in different ways and for each one, there is something you or the solver knew that helped you/them solve the problem. What just happened is what happens in an Investigations classroom and illustrates not only adults’ thinking, but also children’s thinking about mathematics.

Some strategies might include:

Each person solving this problem brings prior knowledge to solving the problem and making sense of their mathematical ideas. Throughout the course, you will be solving many problems in which you will figure out you own solutions and think about how students solve problems.

Connecting to Investigations

Investigations is designed to engage students in making sense of mathematical ideas – just like you just made sense of your mathematical ideas in solving the problem. By making sense of mathematics, students build on ideas they already have and learn new mathematics. They learn that they are capable of having mathematical ideas, applying what they know to new situations, and thinking and reasoning about unfamiliar problems. In Investigations, thinking is at the center of instruction.

Review Goals and Guiding Principles of Investigations. Visit and revisit this page throughout the course as you continue to make connections between your own learning and what the curriculum is about.

Course Expectations

This is going to be a busy course with lots of learning – some of it will feel easy, and some might not seem that way. Re-read the welcome letter as a reminder of how we think about the course, including the Guiding Questions.

You can expect to:

• Engage in math as a Learner
  • We hope you will also expect your students in your classrooms to engage in mathematics
• Reflect on the process of learning and how best to create and support an inclusive and equitable mathematics classroom
  • How important it is to experience "aha!’s" when you learn something new or see it in a different way
• Look at how the math ideas develop across the grades in Investigations
  • The importance of the classroom environment for sharing ideas, taking risks, and learning
  • The sessions in this course will focus on mathematics strands, but like in most elementary schools, we will spend more time on number and operations
  • While you may be worried about and want to focus on just the grade level you teach, it is important to get the K-5 picture to see how the ideas develop and progress

We expect that you:

• Will be open to seeing and thinking about mathematics in a variety of ways
  • Problems can be solved in more than one way; some strategies are more efficient than others
• Will understand that people's experiences, ideas, and learning styles may be different from your own
  • We have different ways to approach, make sense of, and solve problems – the same is true of our students
• Will reflect on the work we do in this course and how it impacts your work in your own classroom
  • When you find out what helps you learn, understand, solve and make sense of problems, make a note of it; some of your students will share these ways, and others will learn differently

And...

• In addition to what we want you to do - do the readings, post to the discussion board, and respond to others' posts - we also want you to take care of your needs. Ask questions of the facilitator or of the group as needed.

Discussion

Watch the tutorial Posting and Replying to Messages in the Moodle Discussion Board (Transcript). Then introduce yourself to your online colleagues by creating a new thread in the discussion board. Give your thread a descriptive title and include the following:

• Your name, your role in your school, and your motivation for taking this course;
• Two or three facts about yourself so that we can get to know you better; and
• A photo of yourself or of something that represents your interests.

After you post, read and respond to some of your colleagues' introductions. Be sure to check back often to continue the discussion!

Go to the Forum