This book was written as a resource for middle and high school teachers hoping to ease their students' transition to algebra. Drawing on experiences with three professional development programs, key "habits of thinking" that characterize the successful learning and use of algebra are outlined. Strategies teachers can use to cultivate…

Suggests that the history of mathematics is a fluid field within which lively debate occurs. Shares a math problem that requires a community of scholars to simulate the process by which the history of mathematics is actually developed. (KHR)

This paper introduces a teaching unit on using spiral symmetry in a geometry course for secondary education majors. The TI-92 graphing calculator is used to exploit the exponential function to analyze the geometric topic of similarity and to study the derivative of spirals. The paper provides some procedures and programs to generate spirals using…

Offers some tips to help make learning logs an integral part of mathematics instruction. Includes examples of learning logs. (KHR)

Examines existing research literature which suggests that introducing computing tools can help students focus on the relevant aspects of a problem, function at higher levels of geometric understanding, distinguish between drawings and constructions, and develop and reason about conjectures on the basis of generalization of patterns. (KHR)

Examines four areas of difficulty with graphing and modeling, identifies confusions and misconceptions, and shows how these areas interact in the presence of data-collection devices. (KHR)