Schools are facing increasing demands to prepare students for rapid economic, environmental and social changes, for jobs that have not yet been created, for technologies that have not yet been invented, and to solve social problems that have not yet been anticipated. Underpinning the E2030 project is the premise that education needs to do more…

The purpose of this conference sponsored by the French Commission of the Methods of Teaching was to give deep reflection as to the place of algorithms in the teaching curriculum and learning of mathematics. Devoted to the concept of new teaching methods at levels 1-4 of compulsory school education, the debates of this seminar were an occasion for…

Three short essays provide teaching suggestions for lessons on base two, order of operations, and ratios used to motivate a number of mathematical ideas. (MK)

This response to Usiskin's editorial comment on calculator use in the May 1983 issue considers why arithmetic is taught. The belief that mathematics improves thinking and the humanist position that it is part of our cultural heritage are noted. The role of mathematics in the curriculum should be reconsidered. (MNS)

This study was implemented to test the relative effectiveness of two subtraction procedures (decomposition and equal addends) with respect to accuracy in solving subtraction problems requiring regrouping. Results favor the decomposition approach. (MP)

This is the second unit of a 15-unit School Mathematics Study Group (SMSG) mathematics text for high school students. Topics presented in the first chapter (Informal Algorithms and Flow Charts) include: changing a flat tire; algorithms, flow charts, and computers; assignment and variables; input and output; using a variable as a counter; decisions…

Ideas on the long-term effects of using microcomputers in mathematics are presented. The changing perception of mathematics, the role of algorithms, the use of short computer programs, the effects on mathematical understanding, implications for teaching methods, logistic problems, examinations and assessment, and planning for the future are…

A survey of general mathematics students whose teachers were taking an inservice workshop revealed that they had not yet mastered division. More direct introduction of the standard division algorithm is favored in elementary grades, with instruction of transitional processes curtailed. Weaknesses in transitional algorithms appear to outweigh…

Three types of arithmetic algorithms are discussed and compared. These are algorithms designed to get the right answer, computer algorithms, and algorithms designed to get the right answer and understand why. (MP)

The need for incorporating algorithmics into mathematics instruction is presented. The proliferation of computers is seen to have made the designing of algorithms an essential skill. Examples are given, and the view that mathematics will lose much prestige and importance if algorithmics is not integrated into it is presented. (MP)

Four procedures used by children for deriving answers to unknown subtraction facts are described. They are counting forward, counting backward, derivation, and bridging. (MP)

Raises and responds to questions about what and how to teach mathematics with the availability of calculators to all students. Discusses whether students need basic facts, mechanical skills, and knowledge of computational algorithms. Argues that students need to develop number sense and analytical skills using simple, symbolic, and graphing…

Two questions were investigated in this study: (1) How did the computational proficiency of sixth graders who had one year's experience with Developing Mathematical Processes (DMP) materials compare with an equivalent group of students who used the usual textbook program; and (2) What occurs when sixth graders study algorithms as sequences of rule…

The author presents two examples of lattice multiplication followed by a computer algorithm to perform this multiplication. The algorithm is given in psuedocode but could easily be given in Pascal. (PK)

Describes activities in a mathematics class for six-year-olds. The article makes several points, including: working independently is very absorbing; investigative work is as important as algorithms; and children working in groups can achieve more than even the brightest child working alone. (PK)