This article describes the reasons behind the introduction of an AP Statistics course for high schools. The NCTM wants students to study math during all four years of high school and understands that the only college-level courses offered are Calculus AB and BC. Though the number of students taking AP Calculus has been increasing, the NCTM realized that many students do not want to take calculus, and consequently do not take any math courses their last two years of high school.
The NCTM also recognized that more and more college students are required to take statistics for many different majors. This lead to the deveoplment of an AP Stats course, which would give students another opportunity to earn valuable college credit.
This article also describes the AP Stats course a bit. The main themes of AP Stats are exploring data, planning a study, anticipating patterns in advance, and statistical inference.
The article also described the AP Stats exam and listed addresses that teachers can use to contact the College Board and receive more information about the AP Stats course. The AP Stats course began in May 1997.
I am glad that they introduced an AP Stats course. I agree with their
observations about AP Calculus and the need for college-level Stats in
the high school. I am excited to teach this class!
Keywords: Standards
Ref: Cathleen2
Author(s): Stepanek, Jennifer
Date: 1997
Title: Science and Mathematics Standards in the Classroom:
It's Just Good Teaching
Journal or Publisher: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
Volume, Issue, Pages:
Reviewer: Cathleen
Date of Review: 2/18/02
This booklet introduces the idea of teaching with standards. It points out that standards are not meant to bring a rigid formula to classroom instruction, but rather to set criteria to challenge students, enrich curriculum, and offer a framework for active learning. The article lists the national mathematics standards as: learning to value mathematics, becoming confident in one's ability, becoming a mathematical problem solver, learning to communicate mathematically, and learning to reason mathematically. These standards shift the focus of mathematics education from being able to solve individual problems to identifying, examining, using and testing different mathematical concepts.
The job of a teacher then becomes more involved when using standards. Teachers are expected to pose tasks, orchestrate and promote discourses, encourage and accept the use of technology, create a learning environment and engage in ongoing analysis of teaching and learning. That's a lot more that simply teaching!
This requires teachers to continue learning and continually evaluate the students' and themselves.
For me, this is good, because it means that teachers don't have to know
everything before they start teaching. As a teacher I will use what I know,
continue to try out new ideas, and teach reflectively.
Keywords: Standards
Ref: Cathleen2
Author(s): Schoemer, Cathy G.
Date: 1997
Title: "Some Pratical Possibilities for Alternative Assessment
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol.90, no.1, pp.46-49
Reviewer: Cathleen
Date of Review: 2/21/02
This article is about how standards change assessment. With standards, assessment becomes more than a test at the end of each unit, it becomes an integrated part of the classroom. The author suggests periodic projects to assess student progress.
This thinking cam about because the author was asked the question "how are you doing?" This made the author think about how to assess learning in the standards-based classroom. Assessment needs to be more than it has previously been. The teacher needs to check for connections, reasoning, and communication in the students. This means that assessment become more focused on journal, projects, interviews, and other creative means.
This alternative assessment allows students to communicate more elaborately than traditional ways of assessment. It also challenges them to really learn the information and the concepts instead of just memorizing facts (rote learning).
I agree with the ideas offered in this article. I also see that it will
be more challenging for teachers, as we must become creative in our lesson
planning and assessment to meet the needs of the students and challenge
them towards excellence.
Keywords: Technology, Standards, Connections
Ref: Cathleen3
Author(s): Groden, Claire
Date: 1995
Title: Making Connections Using Embedded Software
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol.88, no.6, pp.500-502
Reviewer: Cathleen
Date of Review: 2/21/02
This article gives real life examples of many of the theories we are learning in math methods. In response to the 1989 Standards, teachers are encouraged to connect mathematics to the world outside the classroom, to use technology and to teach constructively. Part of teaching constructively is building upon students' previous knowledge and relating what they learn to things that interest them. The author of this article has done all these things in what she calls "real-world applications in the mathematics classroom."
This article describes 5 different software programs and how they can be used to challenge students mathematically through interdisciplinary projects. The projects are design your own home, bridgebuilder, physics explorer, aldus superpaint, and sprout. These integrate art, physics, creativity, and design into the mathematics classroom, while using previous learned mathematical concepts.
This is good because it will help the students be active and interested in their learning. It also provides the teacher with creative ways to assess students' learning. Finally, it incorporates technology into the mathematics classroom in a practical and challenging way.
These ideas can be used in the classroom by a teaching wanting to teach
by the standards.
Keywords: Activities, Number Theory
Ref: Cathleen4
Author(s): Miller, Catherine; Veenstra, Tamara
Date: 2002
Title: The Number in the Fibonacci Sequence Appear All Around
Us
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol. 7, no.5
Reviewer: Cathleen
Date of Review: 2/25/02
This article introduces some activities that can be used to study and discover the Fibonacci numbers. The discovery part is done by counting the number of scales on the bottom of a pine cone. These activities are for middle school students and they really do a good job of differentiating teaching. There are always more questions and activities to challenge all levels of students. The activity goes on by finding patterns and trying to have the students “discover” the Fibonacci numbers for themselves. Once they see the pattern, they are lead to find other results including the Greatest Common Factor and the Golden Ratio. Not only does it lead to other areas of mathematics, but it relates to science, as math is seen in nature.
This activity connects disciplines, differentiates teaching, allows for discovery learning and leads students to understand pure and applied mathematics. I would use this activity and the resources listed in this article when talking about Fibonacci numbers in a math class.