Describes how graphing calculators can be used to explore different functions, from linear to higher degree polynomials. "Globs" (circles) are drawn around randomly plotted points on the screen, and students devise functions that pass through as many of these globs as possible. Variations on the game are also mentioned. (DPM)

This study, involving 30 elementary students with learning disabilities, found that students performed significantly better on mathematics tests given using a computer than by paper and pencil. It found no differences among variations of computer-assisted instruction, with either static or animated pictures and either utilizing or not utilizing a…

Outlines a framework for shaping reform policies on strategies for enhancing teacher capacity, using interview data from a study conducted in California, Michigan, and Vermont. Michigan has developed subject-matter objectives and assessments, Vermont uses a portfolio assessment system to help teachers learn about problem solving and develop new…

Design and implementation of supplemental instruction (SI), a combination of content review and training in study strategies for students in high-risk courses, are discussed. The context here is college-level mathematics instruction. It is noted that SI in mathematics may require more structure than in some other content areas. (MSE)

Reviews the general principles of the reforms addressed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Curriculum and Evaluation Standards and applies them to community college mathematics. Suggests that challenges to reforming mathematics curricula come primarily from teacher preparation and instruction methodologies and from student-related…

Reports on a study of the move away from abstract calculations toward "mathematics in context" among 50 British female secondary school students. Discusses implications of findings in relation to reported female underachievement and disinterest in school mathematics. (CFR)

Children's literature can provide a context in which young children can explore mathematical concepts in a meaningful way. This article highlights how young students in first-grade classrooms used stories about their families and pets to create and solve mathematical problems in a motivating, meaningful way. (SM)

Describes one elementary teacher's experiences participating in the Talking Mathematics Project, which provided a forum for teachers to teach, reflect on their mathematics knowledge, and think about their practice. Teachers were videotaped in their classrooms. They examined the videotapes alone and in seminars. Reflecting with others enriched the…

Described are activities within extended problem-solving settings which allow middle school mathematics students, particularly at-risk students, to determine applications for a wide range of mathematical processes and concepts. Emphasis is on reality-based projects which often require more than one step as preparation for future consumer…

In an attempt to bridge the perceived distinction between internalized conceptions of mathematics and their external representations, this discussion treats mathematics both as an individual, constructive activity and as a communal, social practice. It is argued that this approach might transcend the tripartite scheme of teacher, student, and…

Connections between science and mathematics are emphasized in a series of activities related to the heart. Worksheets designed for multiple grade levels investigate (1) How Big Is Your Heart? (levels K-2); (2) Every Beat of Your Heart (levels 3-4); (3) What's the Beat? (level 5-6), and Heartifacts (level 7-8). Extensions of the activities are…

Shared are personal experiences in the development and implementation of cooperative learning methods in the mathematics classroom. Presented are methods to begin team building, teach social skills, and promote improved learning results. Benefits include greater student participation, interstudent communication, higher-order thinking, and teacher…

Fashion design is a field perceived as both a female and male domain that utilizes mathematics. Presents creative activities to teach the concept of symmetry as applied in fashion designs in the style of the famous French designer Madeleine Vionnet. (MDH)

P-adic or g-adic sets are sets of elements formed by linear combinations of powers of p, a prime number, or g, a counting number, where the coefficients are whole numbers less than p or g. Discusses exercises illustrating basic numerical operations for p-adic and g-adic sets. Provides BASIC computer programs to verify the solutions. (MDH)

Presents the elementary-level formative evaluation method of functional diagnosis that gives students immediate feedback on completed assignments. Gives three examples of the method as observed in the classrooms of master teachers: putting red dots next to problems needing attention; paired learning, and student answer keys. (MDH)