Diane’s growth in mathematical understand
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ing seemed to be the impetus for many of the
changes she made in her teaching practice. There
were other motivations for change, however,
and Bob, a fourth/fifth-grade teacher, had a dif
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ferent one. Bob had more mathematical training
than Diane and had pursued mathematics
through calculus. Dealing with the upper grades
in elementary school, a main issue for Bob was
how to achieve the technical skills that his stu
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dents would need in middle school and yet at the
same time develop students’ conceptual under
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standing. Bob was intrigued by the style of teach
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ing that Deborah Ball modelled in her demon
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stration classes and how this approach affected
the students’ learning. Ball generally began the
class by posing a question that led to groups
working on an investigation. About midway
through, she asked the groups to report their re
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sults and consider the original question.
Throughout the class the emphasis was on the
students’ thinking and their communication
about the mathematics. Ball accepted all re
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sponses and expected the students themselves
to examine these responses seriously as they
shared their reasoning with their classmates. By
neither praising nor correcting the responses
given herself but instead focusing the discussion
on key points with questions to the groups, Ball
seemed to encourage the students to assume responsibility for determining the validity of the
work presented. This interaction pleased Bob. He
could see that the students were more involved
in the class and that this approach would con
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tribute to students becoming independent learn
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ers, a goal he valued. At the end of the second
summer workshop, he described his thinking in
the following way.