With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), many teachers are changing their classroom structure from teacher-directed to student-centered. When the author began designing and using problem-based tasks she saw a drastic improvement in student engagement and problem-solving skills. The author describes the Cake…

This article describes how teachers address issues and tensions that students meet in learning division of fractions. First, students must make sense of division of fractions on their own by working individually and in small groups, using concrete or pictorial representations, inventing their own processes, and presenting and justifying their…

Parents in the United States expect their students to have homework; and students, especially in middle school and high school, expect daily homework assignments from their teachers. However, it is difficult to create effective homework assignments. Despite the challenges involved, the authors believe that homework "can" be an important…

As current mathematics standards, such as the Common Core, are being implemented throughout the United States, it has become evident that teachers need support to enact the tenets of those standards. To help in this endeavor, this article was published as a guideline to emphasize to mathematics education stakeholders that "effective teaching…

Describes going from teaching 8th grade mathematics in 45-minute class periods to teaching in a block schedule. Presents some strategies for making the change and keeping student interest. (NB)