This paper examines the experiences of two elementary teachers’ implementation of mathematical modeling in their classrooms and how the enactment by the teachers and the engagement by students exhibited their creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills. In particular, we explore the questions: (1) How can phases of mathematical modeling as a process serve as a venue for exhibiting students’ critical 21st century skills? (2) What were some effective pedagogical practices teachers used as they implemented mathematical modeling with elementary students and how did these promote students’ 21st century skills? We propose that mathematical modeling provides space for teachers and students to have a collective experience through the iterative process of making sense of and building knowledge of important mathematical ideas while engaging in the critical 21st century skills necessary in our complex modern world.

This case study focuses on a team of teachers and students in a Lesson Study, focused on using mathematical modeling (MM) to make significant decisions to design and plan for a sustainable edible garden in their community. We examined (a) how teachers develop students’ capacity to engage in mathematical modeling, while attending to equitable teaching practices; and (b) how teachers’ view of teaching through mathematics modeling changed after unit implementation. We found that teachers were deliberate in employing specific structures, routines, and tools to attend to equitable participation, when eliciting student thinking in the modeling process. We found that teachers’ view of mathematics modeling changed as they recognized how MM allowed for (a) integration of important mathematics concepts while giving students ownership of the mathematics; (b) opportunity to assess both content and 21st century process skills; and (c) positive energy that came from both students and teachers when teaching through the use of mathematical modeling. A promising strategy for preparing our youth for rigorous mathematics and skills to solve ill-structured problems is by integrating mathematical modeling in early elementary grades to develop critical 21st century skills and a productive disposition towards problem posing and problem solving.

The Scholars of Studying Teaching Collaborative engaged a dozen faculty members from 12 specializations and 4 colleges at a large public university in a 2-year teaching and research project with the goal of learning about and enacting a self-study of professional practice. Participants were selected from various disciplines to provoke alternative perspectives in whole group and critical friend teams. While we each conducted a self-study, we also designed and enacted a meta-study to assess our professional development within the context of the collaborative. We analyze the potential of engaging in collective self-study and report how the methodological challenges initiated transformational learning that bridged theory and praxis. Learning the self-study methodology was complex, but such concentration multiplied the impact of both personal and professional transformation. The study benefits faculty from a broad range of disciplines, at diverse stages in their academic careers, and working at every level of the academic hierarchy.

The five important strands in building mathematical proficiency for all students are: (1) Conceptual Understanding, (2) Procedural Understanding (3) Strategic Competence, (4) Adaptive Reasoning, and (5) Productive Disposition. (National Research Council, 2001). The article also includes suggested classroom activities and student work to enhance teaching and learning with the five strands.

Lesson Study is a professional development program, which engages teachers in a collaborative and long-term lesson planning process aimed at improving a single or a group of lessons. In the process, teachers may feel that they are offered three different types of support: social, emotional, and instructional. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of those supports received during Lesson Study. Specifically, this study focuses on teachers’ perceptions of the supports they experienced while working in a Lesson Study group, and the extent to which teachers’ perceived supports differed when participating in Lesson Study in-person and then via video. Furthermore, perceptions of supports were investigated based on modalities, and whether or not the Lesson Study was single-school based or cross-school based teams. Findings from this study revealed that participants did feel socially, emotionally and instructionally supported during Lesson Study, and felt higher levels of support during in-person Lesson Study, in comparison to a video-based Lesson Study iteration. Additionally, the results suggest that levels of perceived support did not vary based on being single-school-based or cross-school-based Lesson Study.