The Elementary Mathematics Laboratory 2018 Collection comprises documentation of a summer mathematics class taught by Deborah Loewenberg Ball, an experienced elementary school teacher and faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Education. EML2018 is a two-week summer mathematics laboratory designed to foster strong mathematical and academic identities in students, provide opportunities to work on complex mathematical ideas and practices, and develop additional practices of learning.

Laboratory classes are structured to make it possible for educators, policymakers, and education advocates to deeply engage in the close study of teaching practice, through examining a “live” instance of public teaching with others. The laboratory setting also allows for experimentation – to develop and test different instructional techniques and curricular approaches derived from earlier research as well as to inform ongoing research. These classes are not intended as examples of “how to teach,” but rather provide a context for studying teaching and learning. The University of Michigan School of Education has been hosting elementary mathematics laboratories each summer since 2003. More information about this program can be found on the Mathematics Laboratory page on the TeachingWorks website.

The video and lesson artifacts from the program are intended to serve as a valuable resource for attendees of the EML 2018 working in a variety of settings to extend their learning and reflect on student growth. The following resources are currently available or will be available shortly after the conclusion of the EML.

• Ten mathematics laboratory class sessions of approximately two-hours each
• Twenty additional videos of education professionals discussing the lessons -- ten discussions prior to each class session, and ten after each session
• Lesson artifacts including lesson plans, lesson materials, class handouts, seating charts, digital scans of handwritten student notebooks, homework papers, study guides, and test papers.
• Day-by-day overview format summarizing lesson highlights, available videos, and featured lesson artifacts