Group items tagged

Current reforms in mathematics education emphasise the need for pedagogy because it offers learners opportunities to develop their proficiency with complex high-level cognitive processes. One has always associated the ability to make mathematical connections, together with the teacher's role in teaching them, with deep mathematical understanding. This article examines the nature and quality of the mathematical connections that the teachers' representations of those connections enabled or constrained. The researchers made video recordings of four Grade 11 teachers as they taught a series of five lessons on algebra-related topics. The results showed that the teachers' representations of mathematical connections were either faulty or superficial in most cases. It compromised the learners' opportunities for making meaningful mathematical connections. The researchers concluded by suggesting that helping teachers to build their representation repertoires could increase the effectiveness of their instructional practices.

Review of Conway's Mathematical Connections, written for undergraduate mathematics courses, with the aim that instructors help students find connections across branches of math. Two similar books for undergraduates, recently published, are mentioned as well.

During the live online event Saturday January 14th 2pm ET, Shad Moarif, the founder of Karismath, will lead brainstorming about mathematical videos and dynamic mathematics in general. Event challenge! What types of the Grid do you see from the pedagogical perspective? Discussions beginning before the event This wiki: discussion tab http://mathfuture.wikispaces.com/message/list/Karismath LinkedIn: "Math, Math Education, Math Culture" group http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=33207&type=member&item=88774229&qid=00e42ab4-4f69-453e-8a79-0a181ab07bc9 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karismath/posts/334691806549990 Math Future email group: http://groups.google.com/group/mathfuture/browse_thread/thread/071299f3319650cf# In a grid, there is an obvious connection between the product cell and the simultaneity of two bits of information coexisting within it. Shad is exploring ways of breaking this connection down into a sequence of transitional steps by distilling them visually. Shad has categorized the Grid into eleven types according to their uses for storing, sorting, and displaying numerical information (see below). What pedagogical types of the Grid come to your mind? How to join Follow this link at the time of the event: http://tinyurl.com/math20event

Learning algebra is difficult for most students. Ask any student what they are learning in algebra and you will probably receive an answer similar to this (after - Why do I need to know this?). "Using Xs and Ys a lot, a bunch of numbers and symbols, and memorizing a lot of rules." This often comes with learning algebra without connection to anything students can relate to. When students learn basic math, they can make a lot of connections.

A framework is provided for making connections between everyday math problem and solving real world math problems. Connections are made regarding project based learning for teachers new to the process, along with recommendations for teachers who are veterans of project based learning.

Teaching Algebra is always a challenge with students, because it is procedural driven and typically taught without any connection to the real-world.

This site is an amazing geometry playground for maths students and teachers. Select points on your screen and connect them up to provide the properties you what. This resource uses HTML5 and works wonderfully across a range of computers, browsers and tablets. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths

This site offers an interactive way to assess your class by connecting your students to your lessons and response to every question on a range of devices, including mobiles. Make a virtual room and set up assessment quizzes, share links instantly and even get students to draw a response to your questions in real time. The data is collated so you can see where your students need more input. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Planning+%26+Assessment

Create an interactive online lesson with this brilliant site. Upload and curate all the resources for a lesson in one place and access them with one click. The site works with Office files, PDFs, flash files, small videos, images and internet links and even connects to Google Drive and Dropbox. Then simply share the link with anyone who need to use view it. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Planning+%26+Assessment

"Mathematician Shinichi Mochizuki of Kyoto University in Japan has released a 500-page proof of the abc conjecture, which proposes a relationship between whole numbers - a 'Diophantine' problem. The abc conjecture, proposed independently by David Masser and Joseph Oesterle in 1985, might not be as familiar to the wider world as Fermat's Last Theorem, but in some ways it is more significant. "The abc conjecture, if proved true, at one stroke solves many famous Diophantine problems, including Fermat's Last Theorem," says Dorian Goldfeld, a mathematician at Columbia University in New York. "If Mochizuki's proof is correct, it will be one of the most astounding achievements of mathematics of the twenty-first century." See additional commentary at: http://bit-player.org/2012/the-abc-game?utm_src=HN2

Geared toward developing good instructional strategies for entry level geo-science courses at the post-secondary setting, the suggestions can easily be applied to 6-12 setting and are just good instructional practices. Well organized and includes different perspectives and connected content. I thoroughly agree with the mathematical modeling discussion. It's worth reading

Why use Web 2.0 tools in science and math classes? The primary reason is they facilitate access to input and interaction with content through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. These tools offer enormous advantages for science and math teachers, in terms of helping their students learn using Web 2.0 tools. For example: * Most of these tools can be edited from any computer connected to the Internet. Teachers can add, edit and delete information even during class time. * Students learn how to use these tools for academic purposes and, at the same time, can transfer their use to their personal lives and future professional careers. * RSS feeds allow students to access all the desired research information on one page. * Students learn to be autonomous in their learning process.

In this lesson, students learn how to measure the area of the tire footprint on a car and to find air pressure using a tire gauge. Students then find the weight of the car using their fraction multiplication skills. Learning Objectives   Students will: Estimate weight of a large object Use a ruler and a tire gauge to take measurements Collect and record data Review square units of measure Calculate area by multiplying fractions Materials   Strips of poster board Ruler Tire gauge How Much Does a Car Weigh? Activity Sheet Computer with internet connection Car Instructional Plan In preparation for this lesson, place a car in a safe lcation for the students to measure the tire footprints and pressure. In case of bad weather, find a covered location. Be sure to measure the tire footprint and the pressure (in PSI) of each tire ahead of time, so that you will be able check the accuracy of students' measurements. Also, check the accuracy of your calculation by comparing to it to the weight of the car listed on the sticker inside the driver's door or in the vehicle manual. By the end of the day, data may change because air has leaked out of the tires while students were using the tire gauge. For safety, check the tires before driving home.

When students are engaged in learning science or math which is personal to them (real world problem solving), they become more engaged in the learning process. Project based learning situations in science and math increase opportunity for students to internalize and make connections.

Nice list of resources from around the world, some of the sites are not in English, but most are. Worth looking at as there are a lot of connections to other topics.

Teaching math to elementary students is critical for establishing a foundation of success in mathematics. There is a need for some basic memorization of facts, because students who do not memorize arithmetic functions struggle in upper grades. However, math must be fun and interesting, along with making connections with real-world applications.

NSDL Science Literacy Maps are a tool for teachers and students to find resources that relate to specific science and math concepts. The maps illustrate connections between concepts as well as how concepts build upon one another across grade levels. 

From the abstract: "This research examined the effects of the objectifying gaze on math performance, interaction motivation, body surveillance, body shame, and body dissatisfaction. In an experiment, undergraduate participants (67 women and 83 men) received an objectifying gaze during an interaction with a trained confederate of the other sex. As hypothesized, the objectifying gaze caused decrements in women'smath performance but notmen's. Interestingly, the objectifying gaze also increased women's, but notmen's,motivation to engage in subsequent interactions with their partner. Finally, the objectifying gaze did not influence body surveillance, body shame, or body dissatisfaction forwomen or men. One explanation for themath performance and interaction motivation findings is stereotype threat. To the degree that the objectifying gaze arouses stereotype threat, math performance may decrease because it conveys that women's looks are valued over their other qualities. Furthermore, interaction motivation may increase because stereotype threat arouses belonging uncertainty or concerns about social connections. As a result, the objectifying gazemay trigger a vicious cycle in which women underperform but continue to interact with the people who led them to underperform in the first place. Implications for long-term consequences of the objectifying gaze and directions for future research are discussed." (Full text available online (.pdf) )for now) ) (Winner of the 2011 Georgia Babladelis Best Paper Award)

Wow, what an amazing study!