About the MDISC Project

The MDISC professional development materials center on narrative and video cases of teaching. Constellations within the materials will consist of professional learning tasks that engage teachers in solving mathematical tasks of high cognitive demand, analyzing cases of instruction with respect to the classroom discourse, reading and discussing relevant literature on classroom discourse analyzing student work, and engaging in field-based assignments of small and large scale. Participating teachers will conduct action research cycles as a capstone in order to study their evolving discourse patterns and the impact of those changes on student learning.

 

The following ideas are embedded in the MDISC curriculum:

• Student motivation;
• Rich mathematical tasks;
• Formative assessment;
• Supporting students to speak, read, and write mathematics; and
• Encouraging equitable student participant.

 

Click here to download the applet for Constellation 1.

 

Project Timeline

Phase 1: Design and Internal Review (2009-2010)

• Explore classroom video observations and select focal clips.
• Determine mathematical content foci.
• Draft the central constellations (excluding the introductory and concluding constellations and the action research portion of the PD).
• Review and revise the materials based on input from the project team, advisory board, and teacher-researchers whose clips are being used.

 

Phase 2: External Review and Revision (2010-2011)

• Continue to gather feedback on the materials from various sources.
• Conduct a rolling revision of the materials.
• Secure district and school sites for piloting.

 

Phase 3: “Soft” Pilot and Revision (2011-2012)

Pilot the materials in district and school sites near MSU and UD.

Gather and analyze data and feedback from the soft piloting.

Revise the materials based on this piloting.

 

Phase 4: Large-Scale Pilot (2012-2013)

Larger-scale pilot of the materials with outside teacher educators.

Horizon Research collects and analyzes data from the piloting.

Revise the materials based on this piloting.

Secure a publisher for the materials.

 

Phase 5: Publication (2013-2014)

Finish revisions.

Work with a publisher to prepare the materials for publication.

Follow up with pilot teachers and teacher educators.