The "Reasoning Algebraically about Operations Casebook" was developed as the key resource for participants' Developing Mathematical Ideas seminar experience. The thirty-four cases, written by teachers describing real situations and actual student thinking in their classrooms, provide the basis of each session's investigation into the…

In this article, a mathematics teacher educator presents an activity designed to pique the interest of prospective secondary mathematics teachers who may doubt the value of learning abstract algebra for their chosen profession. Herein, he contemplates: what "is" intended by the widespread requirement that high school mathematics teachers…

We present an algorithm for a matrix-based Enigma-type encoder based on a variation of the Hill Cipher as an application of 2 × 2 matrices. In particular, students will use vector addition and 2 × 2 matrix multiplication by column vectors to simulate a matrix version of the German Enigma Encoding Machine as a basic example of cryptography. The…

Let R be a ring with identity. Then {0} and R are the only additive subgroups of R if and only if R is isomorphic (as a ring with identity) to (exactly) one of {0}, Z/pZ for a prime number p. Also, each additive subgroup of R is a one-sided ideal of R if and only if R is isomorphic to (exactly) one of {0}, Z, Z/nZ for an integer n = 2. This note…

Mathematics educators and researchers have advocated for the use of manipulatives to teach mathematics for decades. The purpose of this article is to provide illustrative uses of a readily available manipulative rather than a complete list. From an Australian perspective, Pop-it fidget toys can be used across the mathematics curriculum. This paper…

This paper presents a mobile app, AlgeOps, created to assist students in understanding addition and subtraction of integers. The design of the app amalgamated the neutralization model (based on cancelling integers of opposite signs) and the number line model to offer a more holistic representation of integers. Furthermore, since AlgeOps presents…

In the present research, we provide empirical evidence for the process of symbolic integration of number associations, focusing on the development of simple addition (e.g., 5 + 3 = 8), subtraction (e.g., 5 - 3 = 2), and multiplication (e.g., 5 × 3 = 15). Canadian children were assessed twice, in Grade 2 and Grade 3 (N = 244; 55% girls). All…

This article draws on some ideas explored during and after a writing workshop to develop classroom resources for the reSolve: Mathematics by Inquiry (www.resolve.edu.au) project. The project develops classroom and professional learning resources that will promote a spirit of inquiry in school mathematics from Foundation to year ten. The…

Whole number arithmetic is the foundation of higher mathematics and a core part of elementary mathematics. Awareness of pattern and underlying problem structure promote the learning of whole number arithmetic. A growing consensus has emerged on the necessity to provide students with the opportunity to engage in algebraic reasoning earlier in their…

Fractions are troublesome for many children, especially students with learning difficulties and disabilities in mathematics. To address this serious educational concern, this article recommends the use of number lines to build fraction sense. Math activities that center on the number line build fraction concepts as early as third grade. A number…

There is a call for enabling students to use a range of efficient mental and written strategies when solving addition and subtraction problems. To do so, students should recognise numerical structures and be able to change a problem to an equivalent problem. The purpose of this article is to suggest an activity to facilitate such understanding in…

During the past few years, several of the authors have incorporated student problem posing as a regular instructional feature in their classrooms. When they offer their students the opportunity to construct their own problems, particularly during the course of an entire school year, they create many novel tasks. Student-created tasks not only…

The Common Core State Standards Initiative stresses the importance of developing a geometric and algebraic understanding of complex numbers in their different forms (i.e., Cartesian, polar and exponential). Unfortunately, most high school textbooks do not offer such explanations much less exercises that encourage students to bridge geometric and…

This submission contains the Proceedings of the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group (CMESG), held at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec June 2-6. The CMESG is a group of mathematicians and mathematics educators who meet annually to discuss mathematics education issues at all levels of learning. The aims of the…

In this paper we articulate an approach, termed culturally-mathematically relevant pedagogy (CMRP), for fostering urban English language learners' mathematical progression. CMRP integrates three aspects, the use of (1) adaptive teaching to build on students' funds of knowledge for mathematics, (2) tasks that make sense to students given their…