Affiliation:
1. Wayne State University, USA
2. Henry Ford College, USA
Abstract
In this chapter, the authors present and analyze a mathematical writing activity for preservice elementary school teachers with a novel peer review component. The products of this activity, referred to as “journals”, are detailed representation-rich explanations of problems solved in small groups. These journals were exchanged across institutions, and the addition of a computer-mediated communication platform transformed the peer reviews into inter-institutional conversations. An analysis of the journals and the conversations they sparked reveal four opportunities to develop mathematical knowledge for teaching. Evidence, in the form of journal and review excerpts as well as two case studies, suggests that the process enabled preservice teachers to deepen their understanding of foundational concepts from the elementary curriculum, to communicate mathematics more effectively to others, to better make sense of the mathematical thinking and writing of others, and to incorporate their colleagues' suggestions into their future writing. Potential future research paths are discussed.