Simply put, I didn't have the eight to ten extra hours a week to complete the course with depth.
The time I put in during the first four weeks resulted in good learning, and a positive influence on my math teaching. Similar to the Deeper Learning MOOC, I simply ran out of time as the classroom curriculum planning and response responsibilities picked up. It takes a lot of time each week to plan and respond to learning experiences for elementary school students.
My withdrawal is not surprising as it's a common occurrence for MOOCs.
The challenge is that a MOOC is a movie while a real-time class is a dance.
The Mathematical Thinking MOOC was a good movie for me. I really enjoyed listening to Professor Devlin talk about math--his discourse was terrific modeling for me. The course challenge was a bit steep for me since I needed to invest a lot of time to remember high school and college math from so many years ago. I will, however, continue to look at Devlin's videos and writing for inspiration and learning.
In real time, learning is a dance as the teachers and students move and change to support each other as they navigate the learning path.
The course served to wake me up to mathematical thinking language and ideas. The course also affirmed much of what we're doing with the new Common Core Standards. It would be great to hear Devlin talk about mathematical thinking for elementary school students--the attitudes, priorities, and efforts he would encourage for parents and teachers of students that age.
In the meantime, as I think about MOOCs, a good course of action for busy elementary school teachers like me might be a 30-minute a week course with a quick, powerful 15 minute talk and a 10-15 minute online follow-up (I liked the online quizzes). I also liked the way Devlin used lots of visuals, real-time examples, and intermittent quizzes throughout the discussions.
Thanks Professor Devlin! I wish I could have completed the MOOC, but my grade-school responsibilities come first when it comes to my professional life. I appreciate your efforts to bring mathematical thinking and problem solving to people everywhere--that makes a positive difference in our world.
