Math Links

Abstract: "Students' attitudes toward mathematics and its learning have been subject to numerous studies in the past six decades. These studies treat such attitudes as both desirable learning outcomes and correlates of mathematics achievement. Many Likert-type attitude scales have been devised to measure significant constructs underlying mathematics-related attitudes, such as confidence, anxiety, and utility of mathematics. The psychometric properties of these attitude scales may be culture and age dependent. As part of a research project called Singapore Mathematics Assessment and Pedagogy Project (SMAPP), an effort was made to devise and validate an attitude toward learning mathematics scale that can be used with lower secondary school students in Singapore. This paper explains the use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to reduce an initial 57-item questionnaire to one with 24 items that cover these six dimensions: Checking solutions, Confidence, Enjoyment, Use of IT in mathematics learning, Multiple solutions, and Usefulness of mathematics. The data comprise responses from about 890 Secondary 1 (Grade 7) students in 2010, who took the 57-item questionnaire, and another 850 students who took the 24-item questionnaire in 2011. The nature of the final questionnaire is discussed. This effort contributes to the continual effort to devise validated attitude scales that are suitable for different cultures and student groups."

Abstract: "Australian pre-service teachers have to acquire layers of knowledge as school classrooms are multicultural in composition. To what extent does the experience of an overseas professional experience tour contribute to the development of pre-service teachers in meeting recognised professional teaching standards? This paper describes the perceptions of Australian preservice mathematics teachers who participated in educational and cultural activities during planned tours to Malaysia. The data set was collected through the use of questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions."

by David Berlinski, published January 2013. "In The King of Infinite Space, renowned mathematics writer David Berlinski provides a concise homage to this elusive mathematician and his staggering achievements. Berlinski shows that, for centuries, scientists and thinkers from Copernicus to Newton to Einstein have relied on Euclid's axiomatic system, a method of proof still taught in classrooms around the world. Euclid's use of elemental logic-and the mathematical statements he and others built from it-have dramatically expanded the frontiers of human knowledge. The King of Infinite Space presents a rich, accessible treatment of Euclid and his beautifully simple geometric system, which continues to shape the way we see the world."

Collaborative LaTex, or as the site describes, like Google Docs with LaTex added

Three math courses among those recommended, offered via partnership with Coursera

from the article: "it's algebra, the academic subject that more than any other strikes fear in grown-ups' hearts. But these are 5th graders. And some are struggling learners. The lesson is plenty rigorous, as you'll see. But the kids get a useful assist from the "manipulatives," concrete objects -- pawns and blocks -- that support a program called Hands-on Equations. Kids use the objects to build and break down algebraic equations."

"Late last month, Curtis Cooper of the University of Central Missouri moved one small step closer to Euclid's infinity, when he announced that 257,885,161-1 is prime. This is now the largest known prime number, eclipsing the previous record-holder, which had been discovered at UCLA in 2008. The new number has 17,425,170 digits-just writing them down makes for a 22.45-megabyte text file. The UCLA number had knocked an earlier number of Cooper's, from 2006, out of the record books. "

Examining the evidence behind guidelines for encouraging girls into math and science and confronting stereotypes

The role of mathematics in complex economic problems such as the consumer price index

"Hart uses music notation, a Möbius strip, and backwards Bach to explain space-time"

Abstract: "The purpose of this study is to propose a design principle and framework of educational control (in particular, method for collaborative learning support) that induces and activates interaction between learners intentionally to create a learning opportunity that is based on the knowledge understanding model of each learner. In this paper, we explain the design philosophy and the framework of our game-based learning environment (GBLE) called "Who becomes the king in the country of mathematics?". In addition, we describe the method of collaborative learning support control that incorporates a "learner support agent" to support each learner and a "game control agent" to control the game into the learning environment."

"Estonia said it plans to adopt an innovative math curriculum developed by a UK-based group called Computer-Based Math. The effort is the brainchild of Conrad Wolfram, brother of Stephen Wolfram who cofounded Mathematica, a computational software program designed to help with project workflows in almost any industry. "

An open source "general-purpose" computer algebra system.

"Mathics is a general-purpose computer algebra system. Enter queries and submit them by pressing Shift + Return. See the gallery for some neat examples or the documentation for a full list of supported functions. Mathics uses MathJax to display beautiful math."

Video featuring Abby Brown, Math Teacher, Torrey Pines High School : ""Mathematica has changed how I think about teaching and how my students learn mathematics. The conversations in our classes focus so much more on concepts and ideas and understanding the mathematics rather than how do I solve the problem."

Each day of the school year I present my students with an estimation challenge. I love helping my students improve both their number sense and problem solving skills. I'd like to share the estimation challenges with you and your students. Here's a handout for your students. Happy Estimating!

"New president is a nationally known math professor and educational innovator" "In 1997, Burger became one of the first individuals to make instructional mathematics videos accessible to a broader audience through mediums such as CD-ROMs and the Internet. Since then, he has created more than 3,000 such videos covering the curriculum from kindergarten through college-level mathematics that are watched by millions of people from around the world. "

"I have two children. One is a boy born on a Tuesday. What is the probability I have two boys?" The solution is delightful!

Published 2012. "Spherical trigonometry was at the heart of astronomy and ocean-going navigation for two millennia. The discipline was a mainstay of mathematics education for centuries, and it was a standard subject in high schools until the 1950s. Today, however, it is rarely taught. Heavenly Mathematics traces the rich history of this forgotten art, revealing how the cultures of classical Greece, medieval Islam, and the modern West used spherical trigonometry to chart the heavens and the Earth. Glen Van Brummelen explores this exquisite branch of mathematics and its role in ancient astronomy, geography, and cartography; Islamic religious rituals; celestial navigation; polyhedra; stereographic projection; and more. He conveys the sheer beauty of spherical trigonometry, providing readers with a new appreciation for its elegant proofs and often surprising conclusions. Heavenly Mathematics is illustrated throughout with stunning historical images and informative drawings and diagrams that have been used to teach the subject in the past. This unique compendium also features easy-to-use appendixes as well as exercises at the end of each chapter that originally appeared in textbooks from the eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries."