U.S. mathematics education has been criticized for being too broad. This article examines ways middle school students use simple problems and situations to foster a deeper understanding of underlying concepts. Presents a sample area and perimeter problem, describes extending the problem using tiles to determine minimum perimeter, and discusses…

Guidelines for implementing a problem-solving approach to teaching mathematics concepts and skills to students with mild disabilities include: establish connections to daily life; use visual presentations; use manipulatives; use peer-mediated instruction; provide models, cues, and prompts; teach self-management techniques and learning strategies;…

Provides a conceptual framework that can be used by teachers to analyze student responses that incorporates learning technologies. Introduces an assessment task on exponential functions that illustrates how the rubric can be used to identify an individual's level of performance. (ASK)

Describes the use of Calculator-Based Laboratory (CBL) technology and a projectable TI-83 graphing calculator to demonstrate the kinetic behavior of a complex reaction. Explains how the CBL is used to review first-order reactions and the graphing calculator is used to determine the rate constants for a series of consecutive first-order reactions.…

Describes the benefits of using calculator-based laboratory equipment in science classes. (WRM)

This paper recounts the experiences of eighteen student teachers who used graphics calculators to teach mathematics in secondary schools. As part of their formal assessment, they submitted twenty accounts, listing the problems and benefits they had encountered in the course of using this technology. These accounts are analysed in terms of the…

High school algebra and geometry teachers use graphing calculators extensively in their classes today. National and state mathematics curriculum standards recommend their use for class work, tests and assignments. Because of recent legislation, including "IDEA 2004" and "No Child Left Behind", most students with mild…

Calculators can be used in primary schools in a number of situations. They are most beneficial when working with large numbers, dealing with real data that leads to complex calculations, performing repetitive calculations, developing concepts, estimating and checking, problem solving, and looking for patterns and/or relationships. But what if the…

Research has often found little or no significant differences in overall performance for math students using graphing calculators compared to traditional (non-calculator) classes. However, when performance is divided into procedural and conceptual levels, significant differences appear at the conceptual level. This study investigates the relation…

The goal of this guide is to address a major environmental dilemma: worldwide habitat destruction and the disappearance of species. This guide is one of six that are included in the Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP), a holistic life science curriculum that involves students in an in-depth study of ecology. HELP includes six teaching guides…

The goal of this guide is to address a major environmental dilemma: worldwide habitat destruction and the disappearance of species. This guide is one of six that are included in the Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP), a holistic life science curriculum that involves students in an in-depth study of ecology. HELP includes six teaching guides…

The goal of this guide is to address a major environmental dilemma: worldwide habitat destruction and the disappearance of species. This guide is one of six that are included in the Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP), a holistic life science curriculum that involves students in an in-depth study of ecology. HELP includes six teaching guides…

This publication is a collection of papers portraying an American view of the happenings of the Seventh International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-7). Papers included: (1) "ICME-7 and Tertiary Level Mathematics: Une Petite Affaire" (Shirley Hill); (2) "Technology and Mathematics Education at ICME-7" (James T. Fey); (3) "Assessment in…

This three-part volume provides a summary, for use by practitioners, of a project concerned with how novices learn to become creative educational computer users. The first chapter examines techniques for increasing the novice's understanding of computers and computer programming, and specifically analyzes the potential usefulness of five…

In this statement the Instructional Affairs Committee of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics identifies and justifies nine key uses of the hand-held calculator in the mathematics classroom. Examples of each use are provided. (SD)