Another assignment in the summer work for my rising AP Calculus AB students is to review a set of six slides I created that overview the process standards for mathematics defined by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). The NCTM published the process standards in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, published by NCTM in 2000, outlines the essential components of a high-quality school mathematics program. It calls for and presents a common foundation of mathematics to be learned by all students. It emphasizes the need for well-prepared and well-supported teachers and administrators. It acknowledges the importance of a carefully organized system for assessing students’ learning and a program’s effectiveness. It also underscores the need for all partners— students, teachers, administrators, community leaders, and parents—to contribute to building a high-quality program for all students.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, Executive Summary.
I created this task to provide students with the opportunity to consider various mathematics processes as they are used by those proficient in mathematics. Most students have not considered these processes beyond the act of problem solving, and perhaps reasoning and proof, since traditional instruction rarely makes explicit the additional processes of making connections among and between content standards, using multiple representations to illustrate mathematical relationships, and the act of communication to organize and express mathematical thoughts clearly and effectively.
The Process Standards
According to the NCTM, their process standards “highlight the mathematical processes that students draw on to acquire and use their [mathematical] content knowledge.” The process standards are Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Communication, Connections, and Representation.
- Problem Solving
- Reasoning and Proof
NCTM Process Standards Task
Instructions for my students for this task follow.
Questions for my readers:
Has anyone required their students to consider the NCTM’s process standards for mathematics? If so, in what ways? And if so, how did it go?
What are your reactions to this assignment?