Opportunity to Learn (OTL) stems from the basic premise that there is an important relationship between the quality and intensity of classroom instruction and students' levels of academic success. For many students with disabilities, an emphasis on OTL has become national priority, yet measuring its impact is a complex challenge. The first purpose…

Building physical models relative to a concept can be an important activity to help students develop and manipulate abstract ideas and mental models that often prove difficult to grasp. One such concept is "time". A method for helping students understand the cyclical nature of time involves the construction of a Time Zone Calculator through a…

This section of the journal contains computational activities designed to be used with a calculator. These activities enable students to practice skills of estimation, skip counting, place value, and computation. (RH)

Described is the calculator's place in the classroom and its potential for reshaping our computationally oriented curriculum. Activities are suggested for ways calculators can effectively be used to develop four types of mathematical thought. (Author/DS)

Calculator riddles can interest elementary students in math. Solving riddles where a numerical answer turned upside down reveals a word answer provides an amusing way to practice mathematical operations and learn about calculator functions. The paper explains how to create word riddles and includes student work pages. (SM)

Suggests math activities for elementary students that are designed to strengthen problem-solving, computation, and calculator skills by revolving around the real-life situation of a picnic. The article suggests designing a class project to plan and carry out a class picnic, stressing the use of mathematics and calculators. (SM)

The Calculators in Primary Mathematics Project was a long-term investigation into the effects of the introduction of calculators on the learning and teaching of primary mathematics. The Australian project commenced with children who were in kindergarten and grade 1 in 1990, moving up through the schools to grade 4 level by 1993. Children were…

An activity is presented in which students use eight-place pocket calculators to demonstrate their knowledge of correct order of operations for mathematical expressions. After performing an indicated computation and getting a result, the student inverts the calculator to obtain a word or abbreviation to be entered in a crossword puzzle. (MN)

Argues that calculator activities, even in the early grades, can present situations in which basic mathematical thinking processes come into play. The activity described involves developing efficient calculator guess-and-test strategies and requires only an introductory notion of the four basic operations of arithmetic. (PK)

This document presents 20 activities for grade 1 students and emphasizes using a calculator. It is related to topics from a primary mathematics curriculum. Mathematical topics addressed include counting, addition and subtraction, the commutative property, greater than and less than, and place value. Each activity includes a statement of skills to…

Presents practical, teacher-tested tools and techniques based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards for teaching mathematics. Covers Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) technique; story problems across the curriculum; advantages of using calculators in instruction; and manipulatives for plane geometry. Includes a chart…

This article addresses some important issues in mathematics instruction at the middle and secondary levels, including the structuring of a district's mathematics program; the choice of textbooks and use of calculators in the classroom; the need for more rigorous lesson planning practices; and the dangers of teaching to standardized tests rather…