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Biography: Maria Blanton

Maria Blanton
Senior Scientist
617-873-9640
maria_blanton@terc.edu

Program/Areas of Interest

Mathematics Education - (1) Children's algebraic thinking; (2) Students' understanding of proof in advanced mathematical thinking; (3) Sociocultural perspectives on learning mathematics; (4) Learning progressions applied to mathematical thinking

TERC Projects

Biographical Summary

Maria Blanton is a Senior Scientist at TERC in Cambridge, MA. Prior to joining TERC, she was a Professor of Mathematics Education in the STEM Education Department at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Her primary research interests include teaching and learning algebra in the elementary grades and the application of sociocultural theory in teaching and learning proof in undergraduate classrooms. Her expertise has led to numerous national and international presentations, publications (in, e.g., Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, Teaching Children Mathematics), and federally-funded research projects. She is co-editor of the research volumes Algebra in the Early Grades (2008, Taylor/Francis) and Teaching and Learning Proof Across the Grades (2009, Routledge), author of Algebra and the Elementary Classroom: Transforming Thinking, Transforming Practice (2008, Heinemann), and co-author of Developing Essential Understanding of Algebraic Thinking for Teaching Mathematics in Grades 3–5 (2011, NCTM). She recently served as Chair of the Editorial Panel for the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education and secretary of the SIG-RME. Dr. Blanton is currently PI of NSF-funded projects investigating grades K-2 children’s understanding of functions and the impacts of sustained early algebra education on children’s algebra understanding.

Download Curriculum Vitae (download)

Associations

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), American Educational Research Association (AERA), The North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA)