2023 Elementary Mathematics Laboratory to be held in Detroit, MI

TeachingWorks April 14, 2023

For the first time in its 16-year history, the next Elementary Mathematics Laboratory (EML) will be held in Detroit, MI at the Marsal Family School of Education’s partnership school, The School at Marygrove. The program will feature TeachingWorks Director Deborah Loewenberg Ball and Research & Design Specialist Darrius Robinson teaching a five-day mathematics class to early-grade elementary students from The School at Marygrove and the surrounding area.

“I am excited that the EML will take place in Detroit for the first time this summer,” Ball said. “The School at Marygrove provides a rich environment for us to showcase the brilliance of young children as they learn complex mathematics. Our work together will support teachers, teacher educators, researchers, and others invested in education—from Detroit and around the country—as they develop specific ways to advance justice through mathematics teaching and learning.”

Deborah Loewenberg Ball

The EML supports educators in exploring the complexity of teaching mathematics and investigating what it looks like in practice to harness the power of teaching to create a more just society. Each day, participants of the EML at Marygrove will observe the young children working on mathematics in a live, two-hour class. They will discuss what is happening in the class with other educators and with the lab class teachers, and participate in an afternoon workshop of their choice. In daily pre- and post-class discussions, participants will talk through instructional decisions, examine the mathematics content and activities, and critically interrogate issues of equity embedded throughout the work.

“The Marygrove Learning Community is home to innovative and powerful programming that serves Detroit youth and educators,” said Marsal Family School of Education Dean Elizabeth Moje. “I am proud that the TeachingWorks team at the Marsal Family School of Education will offer the Elementary Mathematics Laboratory on the vibrant Marygrove campus this summer. The strength of the Detroit P-20 Partnership and the Marygrove Learning Community is evident in opportunities such as this one.”

Marsal Family School of Education Dean Elizabeth Moje

Hosting the 2023 EML in Detroit was made possible by a gift from Dede Feldman, and in collaboration with Patrina Caldwell, Elementary Assistant Principal at the School at Marygrove, and Carla Shalaby,  Coordinator of Social Justice Initiatives and Community Internships at the Marsal Family School of Education.

TeachingWorks will announce additional updates about the program, including registration information, professional learning workshop offerings, and other logistical details soon. In the meantime, learn more about the 2023 EML here.