Title: Motivating Prospective Elementary School Teachers to Learn Mathematics

Abstract: Prospective elementary school teachers (PSTs) often fail to value their required undergraduate mathematics courses.  I will report the results of a large-scale experimental study in which we found that PSTs who studied children's mathematical thinking while learning mathematics improved their mathematical content knowledge and beliefs about mathematics, teaching, and learning more than PSTs who did not study children's mathematical thinking.  Implications for the mathematical and pedagogical preparation of PSTs will be discussed, and videoclip examples of children engaged in mathematical thinking will be shown.

Title: Mathematical Representations as a Tool for Analysis, Insight, and Reasoning

Abstract: Choosing and using representations to gain insight into a mathematical situation is poorly understood and poorly executed by many of our students. This session will raise questions and give examples that can help us navigate the teaching of representations as a powerful tool in understanding and doing mathematics.

Title: Important Ideas in Data Analysis for PreK-12 Students, Teachers, and Teacher Educators

Abstract: Data analysis is an increasingly important area of mathematical thinking in our world, but it is often considered ancillary in the preK-12 curriculum and receives minimal treatment in teacher education programs. In this session, I will provide an overview of the various topics in data analysis that are relevant for PreK-12 students and teachers, the ways in which these topics can be integrated with other content strands, and instructional strategies for helping students and teachers explore and understand these ideas.