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"Inside Mathematics provides a resource for educators around the world who struggle to provide the best mathematics instruction they can for their students. Too often, teachers who excel at reaching students have few ways of sharing these strong practices with others - and teachers who struggle, struggle alone. Our classroom doors have remained closed too often and for too long. Inside Mathematics opens those doors: to tested demonstration lessons presented to children and groups of observing teachers; to guided tours of reflective mathematics practice, identifying what makes teaching, learning, and improving instruction in mathematics a difficult enterprise and providing resources for teachers to improve their practice; to mathematics teaching and learning tools and resources to support classroom teachers', math coaches', and administrators' daily practices; and to a professional learning community in which you are invited to open your own classroom door and engage in conversation about your own mathematics teaching and learning. This initiative grew out of the Noyce Foundation's Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative. SVMI is based on high performance expectations, ongoing professional development, examining student work, and improved math instruction. The initiative includes a formative and summative performance assessment system, pedagogical content coaching, and leadership training and networks. Coaches in SVMI learn strategies of re-engagement with students around mathematics assessments, and demonstration lessons on re-engagement are featured here."

"We are in the middle of our polynomial unit and I decided now would be an appropriate time to teach exponent rules. I had prepared a concept attainment for the exponent rules before I talked to my coach. She suggested that we stray away from teaching 'rules' and rather teach the concept behind it. So basically, I only taught the concept of multiplying the coefficients and adding the exponents. When it came to the power to a power rule, we literally expanded it out and then multiplied coefficients and added the exponent. The more that we practiced the concept and writing them out, the more students figured out the shortcut of taking the coefficient to the power and then just multiplying the exponents. "

Something I find incredibly valuable for my teaching practice is to regularly seek anonymous student appraisal of my teaching.

"Wolfram talks about how computers should be used to advance the understanding of math the way it's really used in the real world. Kalman talks about using computers to deliver traditional math instruction and gold stars. Kalman reinforces the "teaching" paradigm; Wolfram blows it up and insists we look critically at what's being taught. Both these talks are about "improving education with technology" - but they couldn't be further apart in world view. But the TED audience applauds them both. This is why conversations about reforming education are difficult."

A great post and comments on two diverse approaches to the use of computers in maths education. Contrary or Complimentary?

"What does it take to learn the Index Laws? Surprisingly little if you (i) can fold a piece of paper (ii) can multiply by two. I first observed my head teacher do a version of this lesson last year with his Year 7 class, and had the joy of doing a more advanced version with my Year 9 this year. I have a feeling the idea goes back to the dawn of maths teaching, but I haven't seen a resource explaining it, so thought it would be fun to share my take on it."

"Welcome to Inside Mathematics, a professional resource for educators passionate about improving students' mathematics learning and performance. This site features classroom examples of innovative teaching methods and insights into student learning, tools for mathematics instruction that teachers can use immediately, and video tours of the ideas and materials on the site. We are glad you're here and look forward to learning with you! News - Inside Mathematics is aligning its resources with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics."

Division of Fractions e-book

Several teachers, in the US and Australia, have asked us for assistance in teaching division of fractions.

My colleague Catherine Pearn (University of Melbourne) and I have written a short account of division of  fractions, aimed at teachers. Version 1.0  is freely available here:   Division_of_Fractions_Davis_&_Pearn

What I am writing to others in my school... I am again teaching statistics and would like my students to engage with real data collection and analysis. The Australian Bureau of Statistics runs the Census at School project that allows students to engage with real statistics about themselves and other Australian school students of their own age. I am seeking permission - ongoing permission- for participation in this project to be at the core of our statistics education program for middle school here at Carey Baptist College. You will find the necessary documentation required for us to go ahead.

"I got this game off of the ilovemath,org wiki but I had to change some of the problems since we hadn't done all of that yet. It's a review game based on the 'win a fish' carnival game. "

"Calculation Nation® uses the power of the Web to let students challenge opponents from anywhere in the world. At the same time, students are able to challenge themselves by investigating significant mathematical content and practicing fundamental skills. The element of competition adds an extra layer of excitement."

learned about this game at a Pippin's math conference which I blogged about here. It's sad that that was almost a year ago and I'm just now using it. You can use a regular review worksheet or my personal favorite, a Powerpoint of review problems.

"Students often forget geometric language they learned in earlier grades The meaning - precise or vague - of words such as parallelogram, rhombus, angle bisector, acute angle, escape them. They have not learned to talk "geometry". But the language is only a small part of the issue. Much harder is that their teacher is almost certainly thinking about geometry in ways they cannot imagine: they cannot know what they do not know."