It is imperative that we engage elementary students in high-level thinking tasks that facilitate deep discussion and learning about mathematics. Inviting students to develop mathematical argumentations allows us to gain insight into student thinking and to deepen students’ mathematical understanding. This session will discuss some of the findings from Dr. Cathy Marks Krpan’s research (and preliminary findings from her ongoing research) in which elementary students engage in creating mathematical proofs. She will share student work samples and video clips of students explaining their mathematical thinking.

Bio: A former classroom teacher and district education consultant, Dr. Cathy Marks Krpan is a professor at OISE where she teaches mathematics education courses in the graduate programs. An award-winning educator and author, Cathy has written many publications including The Write Math, Math Expressions and Math Readers. Her current publication, Teaching Math with Meaning was released in the fall of 2017. She has worked with educators, district leaders and parents across North America, Asia, and Europe on effective teaching strategies in mathematics. Cathy is interested in how to ensure that all diverse learners in mathematics experience success. Her primary research interests focus on how to support struggling learners and enhance the development of student communication and problem-solving skills in mathematics. She enjoys facilitating research in classrooms and learning alongside teachers and students.