Seeking to leverage students' interests into mathematical tasks and noticing how their students excitedly discussed the NCAA's Division 1-A football rankings every year, the authors devised a mathematical modeling task in which students could use mathematics to justify their rankings. The task takes students on a journey to consider the complexity…

This guidance report focuses on improving the quality of teaching of mathematics to pupils in Key Stages 2 and 3. The decision to focus on these Key Stages was made after an initial consultation period with teachers, academics, and other stakeholders. Schools are seeking advice on adjusting to a new curriculum, and there is also concern about…

Many physical educators have limited dance experience and may lack the skills, knowledge and confidence to teach dance in their school programs. Yet, including dance units in physical education curriculums can provide positive experiences for students who may not enjoy traditional instruction. This article provides step-by-step instructions for…

The ability to write effectively and use writing as a tool for learning is essential for students' success in the middle grades--and beyond. This practice guide highlights several research-based practices that can be used school-wide to help middle grades students become better writers. This paper presents four questions middle grades educators…

In this article, the authors share a variety of ways to formatively assess basic fact fluency. The define fluency, raise some issues related to timed testing, and then share a collection of classroom-tested ideas for authentic fact fluency assessment. This article encourages teachers to try a variety of alternative assessments from this sampling,…

Sound is typically thought of something that is heard. Can it be seen or felt? Most students experience the noises that surround them in everyday life, but few stop to think about what sound is, how it travels, and the biological challenges associated with perceiving sound. Since students are already familiar with everyday sounds, inquiry-based…

In many post-secondary, introductory mathematics courses failure and withdrawal rates are reaching as high as 50% and average GPA is steadily decreasing. This is a problem that has been witnessed across the globe. With widespread reforms taking place in K-12 mathematics education, many innovative teaching strategies have been created, implemented,…

Teaching design to middle and high school students can be challenging. One of the first procedures in teaching design is to help students gather information that will be useful in the design phase. An early stage of engineering design as described by Lewis (2005), calls for the designer to establish the state of the art of the problem. During this…

Teachers routinely ask and answer a series of three questions with and for students: Where are my students headed? Where are they right now? How can I close the gap between where they are and where I want them to be? This text suggests that teachers also ask these parallel questions of themselves: (1) Where am I going?; (2) What can formative…

Multiple-choice testing is an educational reality. Rather than complain about the negative impact these tests may have on teaching and learning, why not use them to better understand your students' true mathematical knowledge and comprehension? Maryann Wickett and Eunice Hendrix-Martin show teachers how to move beyond the student's answer--right…

This guide is intended to assist teachers in the measuring of student learning over the course of the school year. Teachers in the six groups of IMPACT will write teacher-assessed student achievement (TAS) goals at the beginning of the year to gauge student achievement. With the principal's approval, teachers may adapt, as appropriate, the…

Homework has been an integral part of the educational system for over 100 years. What likely began as simple memorization tasks has evolved into complex projects and sparked an increasingly heated debate over the purpose and value of homework assignments. This "Focus On" examines the purpose of homework, how to create homework that has value,…

For most students, test taking is a challenge. For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, classroom quizzes, tests, and exams are even more challenging. Standardized tests--The SAT, ACT, state proficiency tests, No Child Left Behind annual tests, and psychoeducational evaluations--present additional challenges for students who are deaf or hard…

Educators know that standardized tests are a fact of life. They can produce useful information, but the results often are too late, too shallow or not what they needed to find out. Research shows that administering more and more of these types of tests does nothing to raise student achievement. Instead, if educators want to see real gains in…

What do we mean by reflective practice? What does it involve? How can it help you develop as a teacher? "The Teacher's Reflective Practice Handbook" is an essential source of advice, guidance and ideas for both student and practising teachers. Helping you to translate pedagogical knowledge into practice, this "Handbook" guides you through studying…