1 / 8

Mathematics Teachers as Gatekeepers

Mathematics Teachers as Gatekeepers. Presented by Stacey Canino June 24, 2011. What is a gatekeeper?. Merriam-Webster defines a gatekeeper as One who tends or guards the gate A person who controls access. Access to what?.

parson
Download Presentation

Mathematics Teachers as Gatekeepers

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Mathematics Teachers as Gatekeepers Presented by Stacey Canino June 24, 2011

  2. What is a gatekeeper? • Merriam-Webster defines a gatekeeper as • One who tends or guards the gate • A person who controls access

  3. Access to what? • We as teachers control the access of our students to the learning of mathematics • Learning for the benefit that the skills of mathematical thinking can add to one’s life • Our educational system is structured so that college opportunity is dependent on success in mathematics

  4. Do teachers really have this power? • There are many factors affecting student success that we can’t control, but they only become barriers when we use them as an excuse • We may not be able to control what we teach, but we can control how we teach it

  5. How can we let students in? • By believing that all students are capable of mastering a challenging curriculum • Combat stereotypes and hidden biases • Create a classroom community where all students feel that their input is valued and necessary

  6. How can we let students in? (cont.) • By providing all students with the opportunity to make connections and derive meaning for themselves • Use a problem solving approach and higher level questioning • By showing students that math is not just about rules that must be followed

  7. Final Thoughts • I thought the students would love this! • I want to keep my job!

  8. References • Davidenko, S.M. & Tinto, P.P. Equity for all learners of mathematics: is access enough? (2003). In Kluth, P., Straut, D.M. & Biklen, D.P. (Eds.), Access to Academics for All Students: Critical Approaches To Inclusive Curriculum, Instruction, and Policy (pp.85-113). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

More Related