Valerie Faulkner

Bio

Valerie Faulkner is a Teaching Professor in the Teacher Education and Learning Sciences department at NC State. A dynamic speaker, her 2012 TEDxNCSU lecture “Teaching Math to the Analog Brain in the Digital World” was chosen as a lecture of the month by TED later that year. Her NC State TUFFTALK on the opportunity gap in schools can also be found online. Dr. Faulkner approaches the work of improving mathematics instruction and student outcomes in mathematics from a cultural perspective and as such has worked extensively to prioritize cooperation and collaborative efforts between teachers, schools, districts, NCDPI and institutes of higher education.

In 2019, Faulkner and co-authors Patricia Marshall, and Lee Stiff released The Stories We Tell: Math, Race, Bias, and Opportunity.

She is co-author and State Level trainer of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Foundations of Mathematics and is the co-author of two textbooks designed to support high school students who have not yet been placed in Algebra (Faulkner, Dupree (2010) Foundations of Algebra, Introduction to High School Mathematics, Walch Educational). Her most recent articles include practitioner articles on the Opportunity Gap (Kappan, 2016), Subitizing (APMC, 2017), and Equality (APMC, 2016) as well as a research article on mathematics placement decisions and race (JRME, 2014). She is currently PI of an NC Quest grant in collaboration with Durham Public Schools and designed to target the mathematical understanding of mathematics teacher leaders, and their principals, within the district.

As well as the activity outlined below, Faulkner stays connected to local, state, and regional schools through an active schedule of professional development and collaboration with NC State partner schools as well as schools and districts across the state of North Carolina.

Book/Book Chapters/Textbooks

Faulkner, V.N., Marshall, P.L., Stiff, L.V. (2019) The Stories We Tell: Math, Race, Bias, and Opportunity. Rowland & Littlefield.

Walkowiak, T. & Faulkner, V.  (Proposal Accepted 2021).  Book Chapter: Embracing Behaviorism, Constructivism, and Central Conceptual Structure: Identifying key elements of teaching teachers to teach elementary mathematics. Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators Professional Book Series, Volume 5.

West, H., Wiseman, A., Faulkner, V. (In press 2021).  Book Chapter: A Semiotic Approach to Understanding Elementary Students’ Visual Representations in Mathematics.  Educational Studies in Mathematics.

Faulkner, V. & Dupree, S., (2010). The Foundations of Algebra: Student Text and Teacher Resource Book. Portland, Maine: Walch Education.

Faulkner, V. & Dupree, S., (2010). Introduction to High School Mathematics: Student Text and Teacher Resource Book. Portland, Maine: Walch Education.

 Journal Articles

Cain, C., Faulkner, V., Fanelli, K., (2020) Understanding mathematics instruction: Developing number sense through subtraction exploration.  Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 25(2) p26-30. 

Faulkner, V.N., Ainslie, J. (2017) Subitizing through the years! Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 22(1) pp. 28-36

Faulkner, V.N., Marshall, P.L, Stiff, L.V., Crossland, C.L. (2016). Less is more: The limitations of Judgment. Phi Delta Kappan, 98 (7), pp. 55-60

 Faulkner, V.N., Walkowiak, T.A, Cain, C, Lee, C. (2016) Equality matters: The critical implications of precisely defining equality. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, Vol. 21, Issue 4, pp. 11 – 15.

Faulkner, V.N., Stiff, L.V., Marshall, P.L., Crossland, C., Nietfeld, J. (2014) The Impact of Race and teacher perceptions as Predictors of Algebra Placement, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 45 (3) pp. 288-311.

 Faulkner, V.N., Crossland, C.L., Stiff, L.V. (2013). Predicting Eighth grade algebra placement for students with IEPs, Exceptional Children, Vol. 79, No. 3, pp. 329

Faulkner, V.N., Cain, C. (2013). Improving the Mathematical Content Knowledge of General and Special Educators: Evaluating a Professional Development Module That Focuses on Number Sense

Teacher Education and Special Education, May 2013 vol. 36 no. 2 115-131. doi:10.1177/0888406413479613

Faulkner, V.N. (2013). Why the Common Core changes math instruction. Phi Delta Kappan, 95(2) pp.59-63.

Cain, C., & Faulkner, V.N., (2011) Teaching number in the early elementary years. Teaching Children Mathematics 18(5), 288-295.

Faulkner, V. (2009). The Components of Number Sense: An instructional model for teachers. Teaching Exceptional Children 41(5), 24-30.

Editorials

Faulkner, V., Hollebrands, K., Elrod, E., West, H. (2021). Equity, Identity, and Power: Disrupting Neutrality Myths.  Mathematics Teacher Educator. NCTM/AMTE 9 (3), pp. 163-167DOI: 10.5951/mte-2021-0011

 West, H., Elrod, E., Hollebrands, K., Faulkner, V. (2020) Analyzing eight years of mathematics teacher educator articles: Where we were, where we are, and where we are going. Mathematics Teacher Educator.  NCTM/AMTE 8(3), pp. 83-87

 Faulkner, V. (2020) Building a knowledge base: A ‘thinking model’ to understand the flow of an MTE manuscript. Mathematics Teacher Educator. NCTM/AMTE 8 (2), pp. 3-7DOI: 10.5951/mte-2020-0012

National – Invited Keynote/Featured Speaker

Faulkner, V. & Cain, C.  Keynote Address (2017). Why is the Number Line so Important? Utah Council for Exceptional Children: General and Special Education State Teacher Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Faulkner, V. Keynote Address (2016). Equity, Math, and the Opportunity Gap: What does it mean to Schools and Systems? Michigan Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC), Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM), Michigan’s Integrated Mathematics Initiative 2nd Annual Joint Educational Conference “Making Math Meaningful through Collaboration”, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Faulkner, V., Featured Speaker (2016) Workshop: Teaching the Numeration System for K-5,” Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Ann Arbor, MI. Michigan Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC), Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM), Michigan’s Integrated Mathematics Initiative 2nd Annual Joint Educational Conference “Making Math Meaningful through Collaboration”, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Faulkner, V.  Featured Speaker (2016). Algebraic Reasoning and Linear Equations. Utah State Office of Education – Utah Multi-tiered Systems of Support Conference, Logan, Utah

Faulkner, V.  Featured Speaker (2015) Algebraic Reasoning and Linear Equations. Utah State Office of Education – Utah Multi-tiered Systems of Support Conference, Logan, Utah

Faulkner, V., Cain, C.  Featured Speaker (2015) Conceptual Math. Utah State Office of Education – Utah Multi-tiered Systems of Support Conference, Logan, Utah

Faulkner, V. Invited Speaker (2014) Conceptual Algebra and Linear Equations (2014).   Kansas Multi-Tiered System of Supports Symposium. Kansas City, Kansas, US

 National Juried Conference Presentations

Ainslie, J. Faulkner, V., Hunt, J. (2020). Place-Value Understanding through the lens of an elementary student: Seems so easy, but it it? National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (National Conference Virtual Series).

Edgington, C. P., Faulkner, V. N., (2019). Using Digital Storytelling in an Undergraduate Methods Course. Annual Meeting of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, Orlando, Florida.

Faulkner, V. N. (Author Only), Ainslie, J. (Presenter & Author), (2019) Building Arithmetic Fluency with Conceptual Subitizing!  National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Conference, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, San Diego, CA.

Faulkner, V. N., (2018) National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Conference, Equity, Math, and the Opportunity Gap: What does it mean for your school? North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Washington, DC.

Huggins, E. (Author Only), Faulkner, V. N. (Presenter & Author) (2018) Impact of Targeted Video Projects on Preservice Teachers Ability to Effectively Communicate Mathematical Issues of Subtraction. Annual Meeting of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, Houston, Texas.

Walkowiak, T. & Faulkner, V. (2014) Preparing elementary mathematics specialists: An examination of participant change, challenges, and implications. Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE). Irvine, CA.

 McIntyre, E., Fleener, J., Maher, M., Carrier, S. Walkowiak, T., & Faulkner, V. (2013). STEM-Focused elementary teacher preparation: Program features and research on teacher development and effectiveness. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Orlando, FL.

 Faulkner, V. N., Cain, C. (2010) The Components of Number Sense: An instructional model for teachers. Council for Exceptional Children – National Conference, Nashville, TN.

 National Recognition  – Juried Public Lecture

Faulkner, V.N. (2012) TEDxNCSU: Teaching math to analog brains in the digital world.  (2012) North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.  National Honor: TED Editor’s Pick of the month: Chosen October 2012 as a TEDx lecture of the month. Renamed: Let’s teach the substance behind math. Over 10,000 views

National Service

Associate Editor (January 1, 2018 – Present). Mathematics Teacher Educator. Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators/National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, international, appointed, academic.

National Consultation

2015-2016        Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City Consulting on how to implement North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Foundations of Mathematics (NCFoM) (Faulkner, Cain, Hale, 2006).

2015-2016        Maine Department of Public Instruction, Portland, ME Consulting on how to implement North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Foundations of Mathematics (NC FoM) (Faulkner, Cain, Hale, 2006).

2013-2015        Kansas University/Department of Education/Project SUCCESS, Wichita, KS. Consultation on how to transform the NC FoM Training (Faulkner, et al, 2006) into a hybrid training for Kansas.  This included creating videos and consulting on content.  There is a reciprocal agreement with NCDPI so the materials are now available for use here.

Area(s) of Expertise

K-2 Mathematics
Conceptual Algebra
Equity and Mathematics