Building sets, video games, and scatterplots may seem unrelated, but when they are combined into a problem-based learning (PBL) lesson, these elements join to create a unique learning experience. PBL lessons drive instruction by focusing learning and activities around a central challenge or question while providing a relevant, captivating, and…

Just as a compass orients a traveller, the OECD Learning Compass 2030 indicates the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values students need not just to weather the changes in our environment and in our daily lives, but to help shape the future. The Learning Compass 2030 is composed of seven elements: (1) core foundations; (2) transformative…

The primary objective of the activity presented here is to allow students to explore the frequency components of various simple signals, with the ultimate goal of teaching them how to remove unwanted noise from a voice signal. Analysis of the frequency components of a signal allows students to design filters that remove unwanted components of a…

The velocity selector is a classic first-year physics problem that demonstrates the influence of perpendicular electric and magnetic fields on a charged particle. Traditionally textbooks introduce this problem in the context of balanced forces, often asking for field strengths that would allow a charged particle, with a specific target velocity,…

COVID-19, the most severe global pandemic since the Spanish flu that followed World War I, threatens nearly every country, from global powers to developing nations. This threat presents a concurrent challenge for educational systems. With schools closed during the pandemic, students and teachers have had to stay at home worldwide. This shift has…

Mastering the ability for learning to learn is the most ambitious goal of modern educators. A distinction is made between two relatively independent components of this expertise: (a) the reflective component of the learning to learn ability that allows a person comprehend what knowledge and skills he or she lacks to act in the new situation; (b)…

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is increasingly popular in K-12 schools, not just in the United States but around the world. PBL is a great way to engage students in their learning. In this article, the author presents what PBL is and is not.

Top-down implementation of technology is one of the most pervasive phenomena of the last couple of decades in educational history. It is the subject of many books, articles, and blog posts on how to fix schools or why educational technology is not working in the classroom. The idea of providing teachers with technology so they can make students…

Mathematical modeling is an important and accessible process for elementary school students because it allows them to use mathematics to engage with the world and consider if and when to use it to help them reason about a situation. It fosters productive struggle and twenty-first-century skills that will aid them throughout their lifetime.

Teaching teachers to participate in mathematical inquiry has the potential to both transform belief systems about mathematics and to transform teachers from consumers of mathematics to producers of mathematics. The focus of this paper is to describe the use of a problem, based on a non-traditional binary operation, to encourage and teach…

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010) propose a new vision for the mathematics classroom with updated content standards and Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP). These practices are founded on NCTM processes (Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Communication, Representation, and Connections) and abilities…

Historically, individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) were limited in the amount of assets that they could earn. However, the enactment of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act in 2014 provided for significant increases in the amount of earnings and savings allowable. Many of these individuals are capable of saving money and…

The oxidation of iron is an important reaction due to its high economic impact. In this laboratory exploration, the total order of this reaction was determined using commercially available handwarmer packets that rely on the iron-oxygen reaction to generate heat. The active ingredient in the handwarmer packet is iron, which interacts with…

A Number Talk is a brief activity (10-15 minutes in length) that is designed to support students' mathematical sense making and promote flexible thinking. During a Number Talk, students engage in mental computations. Number Talks help students do the following: (1) Develop number sense focused on making sense of quantity and mathematical…

Research in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) education suggests development of STEM competency requires effective learning environments, including the use of varied representations (e.g., visual, symbolic) and opportunities for students to make connections among them. Although such practices have been advocated in the teaching…