In this article, the author describes a different theory of multiple abilities, the Prism Model, developed with Usanee Anuruthwong from Thailand, and further evolved with Belle Wallace from the UK and Leonie Kronborg from Australia. Using this model, insights gained will be shared that have been gained from working with children and adults from…

In this article, fourth-grade teacher Tabetha Finchum describes how a program called Arizona Master Teacher of Mathematics (AZ-MTM), a Noyce grant funded through the National Science Foundation, helped boost her confidence and broaden her understanding of the philosophies, curricula, and instructional decisions being implemented by other teachers.…

Tasks to Advance the Learning of Mathematics (TALMs) were developed to stimulate grades 5-8 students' curiosity about complex mathematical relationships, inspire them to reason abstractly and quantitatively, encourage them to consider and create alternative solution approaches, develop their skills to persuade others about the viability of one…

This article describes a teacher-led school "Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy" (MSLA) that is part of the Denver Public Schools. At MSLA, teachers collaborate to make authentic and substantive decisions about how the school operates and seek to meet each student's needs. At teacher-led schools, teachers hire their own…

In redesigning the preclinical curriculum and shifting from a discipline-based approach to an organ system-based approach, faculty at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson took the opportunity to restructure the sequence of introductory histology content to make it more engaging and relevant. In this article, the author describes…

The Department of Education has been under attack by people motivated by the perceived failure of the system to improve educational achievement on the elementary and high school levels or the desire to dramatically reduce spending and waste during troubled economic times. A new program introduced in four states seems to address competency and…

The authors describe a Modeling Instruction program that places an emphasis on the construction and application of conceptual models of physical phenomena as a central aspect of learning and doing science. (Contains 1 table.)

Cochise College, Cochise County, and the Cochise Community Foundation partnered to create the Cochise County Quality of Life Index--the first to be developed in Arizona. The project brought together stakeholders to address shared problems in new ways, based on non-traditional partnerships. The college's Center for Economic Research provided…

Over a three-month period, Arcadia High School and Arizona State University formed a community partnership with the help of New York modern dance choreographer David Dorfman to create an original dance titled "Here." Dorfman's community-building approach is based on personal refection, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving,…

This document presents a summary of changes made to the 2008 Mathematics Standard for grade 8. The table presented in this document offers a summary of the: (1) Removed Performance Objectives (POs); (2) POs Moved to a Different Grade Level; (3) POs Moved within the Grade Level or from another Grade Level; and (4) New POs.

Since 2002, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has been the leading advocacy organization in the United States focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. Its "Framework for 21st Century Learning," the result of a consensus among hundreds of stakeholders, describes the skills, knowledge, and expertise students need to…

Every student should understand and use all concepts and skills from the previous grade levels. The standard is designed so that new learning builds on preceding skills. Communications, Problem-solving, Reasoning & Proof, Connections, and Representation are the process standards that are embedded throughout the teaching and learning of all…

Using play learning and real-world problem solving, an alternative Arizona program is cultivating confidence and love of learning in bilingual first-graders. Children learn by using their own language (Spanish), learning styles, and thought processes. Besides problem-solving, the "cube train" teaches estimation, number relationships,…

Participating in an Indian youth leadership conference which used a group interaction model were 125 persons from various school districts, tribes, and Indian organizations throughout Arizona. Goals of the conference were: (1) to give Indian students the opportunity to express needs and exchange resources and ideas leading to possible solutions…

Large lecture classes can often be quite impersonal. Creating a teaching team, consisting of the instructor, graduate assistants, and a few undergraduates, is one of the ways the University of Arizona has adopted in order to make the large lecture class more personal. As members of the Department of Mathematics we train the undergraduates, who are…