| Mathematics Education in Today's News |  |
- Educators are encouraged to teach math in context
Teaching math in context -- rather than in isolation -- is among the strategies educators should employ in their effort to improve students' math achievement, says Linda Gojak, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. "We are moving away from traditional methods to help kids deeply understand and identify why these things [methods] work; a lot of kids don't get math, and also for them to explain the reasoning, and not just [give] the right answer," Gojak said following a teach-in at a school in Chicago, where NCTM recently held its Regional Conference and Exposition. Examiner.com
(12/3)
    
- 7th grade is seen as pivotal year for math students
Students who struggle with math in seventh grade should be steered toward a comprehensive pre-algebra course in eighth grade before they try taking Algebra I in ninth grade, according to a recent report on math achievement in the schools by WestEd's Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning. Seventh-grade math performance was noted as a strong predictor for future math success or struggle, and researchers found that sending students into Algebra I without a strong foundation can result in ongoing academic problems. EdSource
(12/6)
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"Wakes us up and challenges us to infuse new life, depth, and joy into the warm-up segment of our math block."
—Lucy West. Number Sense Routines for grades 3-5 shows how routines like Today's Number, Quick Images, and Counting Around the Circle can help students learn to think in more sophisticated ways. Preview the entire book! |
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| Curriculum
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- Singapore math finds a home in some Ill. classrooms
A math program based on a curriculum developed in Singapore has students in Skokie, Ill., schools spending less time on memorization and more time understanding the concepts used to solve equations. And they're doing it with more hands-on work, which has teachers noticing a more positive response from students so far this school year. "Our teachers keep telling us the kids get the math," said Laurie Heinz, assistant superintendent for instruction. "They understand how to do it, but more importantly, they understand why they're doing it. That's one of the things we love the most about this." Skokie Review (Ill.)
(12/6)
| Standards
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- Chicago school reports higher achievement under common core
At an elementary school in Chicago that enrolls primarily low-income students, achievement has improved 16 points on state exams since the school began piloting the Common Core State Standards three years ago. A small number of Chicago schools are using the common core this year, with district officials acknowledging that test scores are expected to drop sharply with the more rigorous standards. Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis said lower scores could be a "death sentence" for teachers' careers and schools because evaluations depend on student test performance.  The Huffington Post
(12/4)
| STEM
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- Businesses help train students in skilled trades
Students at Herman Secondary School in Windsor, Ontario, are learning metal-cutting through a partnership of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and local machining, and tool and die shops. Students in the program say it could help address a shortage in the area of young workers with technical job skills. The program allows students to earn credits toward a general machinist's apprenticeship, while earning a high-school diploma. The Windsor Star (Ontario)/Business blog
(12/6)
| Policy & Legislation
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- District purchases classroom sound systems, iPads
A Massachusetts school district has used a $100,000 grant to install high-tech sound systems in two schools, which allows students and teachers to better hear each other in the classroom. The sound systems, which were piloted last year, include speakers and microphones. The district also used a portion of the grant to provide iPads for some first-grade students, as well as high-school students. GloucesterTimes.com (Mass.)
(12/4)
| NCTM News
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Write for a new series of books from NCTM
Annual Perspectives in Mathematics Education (APME) is a new series of books from NCTM, with one volume planned for release each year. The first APME volume, Using Research to Improve Instruction, will be published in 2014 and will focus on bringing research to practice and practice to research in mathematics education. We invite chapters that discuss research projects (including classroom-based action research projects) and collaborations that present findings and information that are relevant to both researchers and practitioners. Learn more.
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British brewer, philanthropist, writer and legislator
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