Keywords: Representations......
Ref: Sheila1
Author(s): Preston, Ronald V.; Garner, Amanda S.
Date: 2003
Title: Representation as a Vehicle For Solving and
Communicating
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: Vol. 9, September, 38-34
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: February 14, 2005
This article talks about the value in using representation in math problems. An example lesson in a seventh-grade pre-algebra class is given. The lesson involves finding the best, meaning cheapest, place to hold a class party given that the number of students is unknown (each student may or may not be able to bring a friend). This lesson is analyzed in terms of what part representation plays in solving and communicating the results of a problem. The goal is to have the students better understand the connections between the varieties of representations available. The students found pros and cons of using table, graphs, equations, and word rules as representation. An important thought for teachers to take away from this article is that exposing students to multiple representations is important so that they find they have choices when solving or communicating.
I thought the information provided was helpful in understanding the need of building the representation aspect of mathematics. The lesson is also one that sounds good to use in multiple classes of math and provides an example related to the students life’s concerns. I found the chart in the article on the different types of representation, their typical uses, advantages and disadvantages helpful in clarifying the variety of areas representation covers and how to use them.
Keywords: Teaching Strategies, Algebra...
Ref: Sheila2
Author(s): Petrella, Gerald
Date: 2001
Title: Subtracting Integers: An Affective Lesson
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol. 7, November, 150-151
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: February 16, 2005
This article emphasizes the principle of teaching. Many math teachers struggle with the fact that most students see mathematics as primarily procedure-based and rule-driven. Students see a math teacher’s job as stating rules and demonstrating its application, while their job is to mimic the application of the rule shown. This article demonstrates a way to introduce subtracting integers while providing meaning for the procedure. The lesson includes looking at a strictly nonmathematical context of which some friends are positive people and others are more negative. The goal is to find a way to describe how you would make either type of friend less extreme. Finding issues with which the students readily identify to connect meaning to procedures seems to present the most clarity to them. Using familiar vocabulary that is previously grounded in nonmathematical context also helps students understand a mathematical procedure.
This article is a great resource for those who do not know how to
explain subtracting integers in a meaningful way in which their
students will understand. It is a short article but leads to further
brain storming about how we as teachers can change the focus of
mathematics to finding the meaning of the process as opposed to just
remembering rules and procedures.
P>Return to Index
Keywords: Curriculum, Probability, Technology
Ref: Sheila3
Author(s): Arbaugh, Fran; Scholten, Carolyn M.; Essex, Kathryn
Date: 2001
Title: Data in the Middle Grades: A Probability WebQuest
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics: Teaching in the Middle
School
Volume, Issue, Pages: Vol. 7, October 2001, 90-95
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: February 21, 2005
This article introduces a website program that a middle school teacher, Carolyn Scholten, from southern Indiana created to teach students about probability concepts. She developed a web-based unit called, “Is This Your Lucky Day,” using NCTM’s Principles and Standards for Mathematics as a guide. She specifically focused on the data analysis and probability standards for middle grades. Her goal (for the first section she had fished at the time this article was written) was to give students numerous opportunities to engage in probabilistic thinking about simple situations from which the students can develop notions of chance. The greatest advantage in using a computer as opposed to completing tasks such as flipping coins by hand is that the students can spend more time analyzing outcomes and trying to explain equations the computer uses to generate the data. Also you can get a much larger sample simulated by a computer than would be practical of a typical class period. The website includes: links to definitions, journal assignments, experiments, practice and exercises, simulations and grading rubrics. To use this website in your classroom go to www.socs.k12.in.us/schools/ovms/cscholten/probability/ProbabilityWQ.htm.
I think this article is an excellent resource in how
to bring in technology and use an interactive way of teaching
probability. The website activities give you a way to allow your
students to develop an understanding of probability concepts by
discovering the results of various actions and analyzing the results.
They will come up with a description of probability in their own words.
Then gradually through the program they will add the terminology of
probability through questions and definition links.
Return to Index
Keywords: Teaching Strategies, Planning, Keyword 3,
Optional...
Ref: Sheila4
Author(s): Broman, Sarah M.
Date: 2002
Title: Making Minutes More Meaningful: The Ninety-minute
Mathematics Class
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics: Teaching in the Middle
School
Volume, Issue, Pages: Vol. 7, May 2002, 530-532
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: February 23, 2005
This article is a great resource for teachers who teach in a ninety-minute block schedule. The author of this article is an eight-grade mathematics teacher who recently started working at a new school with block scheduling. Her first thought on how to fill the extra time was that she should do double the lecture and give double the assignment to keep the students on track. She found her students lost interest in mathematics with this plan. So she did some research to help her plan more engaging lessons. She came across a book called Teaching Mathematics in the Block, by Susan Gikey and Carla Hunt. This book gave her several suggestions such as breaking up the lesson into several smaller activities and using instructional strategies such as group discovery, cooperative learning and simulations. Alternate assessment methods such as journal writing, portfolio entries and projects we also mentioned. After implementing these ideas she came across another problem. This time the problem was she. She was overwhelmed in trying to plan such complex lessons. With more research she found some key ideas to teaching a successful lesson. One is to include social interaction and movement. These actions promote engagement, which results in learning more. The second key is involving at least 3 different activities within a period. She devised a schedule outline to use on a daily basis as follows: · Warm-up activity (5-10 Minutes): write journal entries, review problems from old material and preview problems for new material · Homework review (15-20 minutes) · Short lecture or introduction of new topic (20 minutes) · Lab or other group activity (20-25 minutes): discovery, and data gathering and analysis of results · Skill practice (15-20 minutes) · Wrap-up discussion (5 minutes) >From this outline she would create variety by choosing how each of the tasks are completed. Teachers must remember that not every task needs to be presented in a different way every day.
I really like the fact that the author continually did research to find answers. In fact you may be doing the same if you are reading this article review. If co-workers do not have much for ideas or seem to busy to help it is important to know that, just like when you were the student in school, whenever you want to know about something you research it! The article was rather short so the information I provided above is probably sufficient to actually reading the article. I feel that the suggestions provided are helpful and practical.
Keywords: Teaching Strategies,
Representations...
Ref: Sheila5
Author(s): Schaffer, Karl; Stern, Erik; Kim, Scott
Date: 2001
Title: Math Dance with Dr. Schaffer and Mr. Stern
Journal or Publisher: Schaffer, Stern, Kim; Preliminary ed.
Volume, Issue, Pages: 131 pages
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: February 28, 2005
The authors of this book make an interesting and some may find surprising trio. Karl Schaffer is a mathematics professor at DeAnza College in California, Erik Stern teaches dance at Weber State University in Utah, and Scott Kim designs educational games in California. These men found that the most memorable way to learn mathematics concepts is by acting them out through your own body. With this common belief and their individual strengths in their professions the three came together to develop workshops, conferences and finally a book called Math Dance with Dr. Schaffer and Mr. Stern. The book is full of activities to teach both mathematics and dance. The activities themselves treat math and dance as a single discipline. Each activity explores a different mathematical idea such as symmetry or probability by way of physical activity engaging the whole body. Most activities use cooperative learning in small groups with minimal materials other than a large open space. All activities can work for a wide range of students. (Activities in the book are suggested for grades 4-12.)
I was excited to find math dance activities that engaged students in a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. I also enjoy the fact that these activities are not just geared toward elementary grades. From the sample of activities I read through I think that the authors have come up with new and exciting ways to present mathematical material for both the teacher and the student. I especially like the cooperative learning that these activities bring to the classroom through group interaction. Most activities require at least a partner. I would recommend this article to those teachers (math or dance) who are in need for a bit of spice in their lessons.
Keywords: Algebra, Teaching Strategies...
Ref: Sheila6
Author(s): Amit, Miriam; Klass-Tsirulvikov, Bella
Date: 2005
Title: Paving A Way To Algebraic Word Problems Using A
Nonalgebraic Route
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics: Teaching in Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: Vol. 10, February 2005, p.271-276
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: February 28, 2005
This article reflects on how most students are unable to link real-life and classroom mathematics. So the authors have found a way to teaching algebraic word problems without focusing on algebra using the following Three-Stage Method: 1) Create a meaningful problem setting, 2) Creating a logical structure by nonalgebraic means, and 3) Accommodation of algebraic techniques. The second step means the students explore the logical structure of the problem. They identify the different components and notice how the components are related within a problem. This task helps those who are acquainted with algebra techniques by preventing mechanical errors and interpreting the answer correctly. For example, if a student got 31.33 as an answer related to number of buses, the student may realize the number of buses needs to be rounded to a whole number. This stage also helps those new to algebraic techniques by helping them create numerical patterns from which algebraic concepts emerge.
This article shares the details of how teaching the
three stages went when implementing it into actual classrooms, which
gives more weight to the positive results the process had. The
Three-Stage Method seems to let student see the problem and how to find
the answer with out the anxiety of mathematical computation.
Ref: Sheila7
Author(s): Rogers Schooler, Susan
Date: 2004
Title: A "Chilling" Project: Integrating Mathematics,
Science and Technology
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: Vol. 10, No. 3, October
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: 4-18-05
The article described a project that a eighth grade mathematics teacher and a technology teacher developed together. The project consists of working in groups to solve the following problem: Given certain restrictions of size of container and amount of water construct a container that will keep water frozen for at least 24 hours. The project is two weeks long and consists of researching, keeping a log, presenting ideas, drawing scale drawings, using the IDEATE design process and actually constructing and testing containers. The math focused on in this project is calculating surface area and volume as well as working with ratios.
The results of the project sound
promising. The students are guided in their projects but still have a
lot of room to be creative as well as use their problem solving skills.
I really liked the idea of the students presenting their ideas to other
groups (after they had done some research) so that those groups that
were having a hard time could be inspired. After all, the point is not
to have one winner, but to have all students gain knowledge on the
matter and practice synthesis, analysis, and evaluation skills. The
project definitely promotes building a tendency to contemplate and
analyze problems before attempting a solution.
Ref: Sheila8
Author(s): Bush Hoiberg, Karen; Sharp, Janet; Hodgson, Ted;
Colbert, Jim
Date: 2005
Title: Geometric Probability and the Area of Leaves
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: Vol. 10. No. 7, March 2005
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: 4-18-05
The article begins asking questions like: "Why do some plants have larger leaves than other plants? Why do the overall shapes of different kinds of leaves vary? How does one determine the area of a peculiarly shaped leaf?" These questions caught my attention. Right away, I knew this was going to be a good lesson that incorporates mathematical concepts with real life experiences and problems. The lesson is set up by posing the question: A biologist wants to know which of two plants species carries out the most photosynthesis. They are both of similar in size, but different in shape. How could we figure out this problem? Thus the lesson focuses on the area of irregular shapes. Instead of using rectangular grids however, the concept of geometric probability is introduced. The article goes through in detail how to unfold the lesson to introduce this technique to fifth graders. Before getting to actual geometric probability they suggest activities to talk about spatial randomness, areas of familiar shapes and areas of complex shapes.
This article presented an exciting lesson on a topic I never really knew existed, geometric probability. I really liked how the lesson connected mathematical concepts both new and building off things the fifth graders already knew. I also liked how they incorporated the students' interest of leaves (a topic they were studying in science).Keywords: Manipulatives, Games, Activities
Ref: Sheila9
Author(s): Welchman-Tischler, Rosamond
Date: 1992
Title: Start with Manipulatives
Journal or Publisher: Cuisenaire Company America, Inc.
Volume, Issue, Pages: 92 pages
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: March 2, 2005
This book is a guide for activities to do with a variety of manipulatives that come with it. But even if you were to borrow the book to read and did not have the manipulative the text give you great ideas of how to create a box of manipulatives for each student by collecting natural objects such as rocks and other objects most people consider junk, like bottle caps. The text talks about the importance of manipulatives when learning math. It also stresses the importance of the students needing guidance in using the manipulatives; more is required than simple handling of concrete objects. The teachers need to guide the students to help them achieve new understanding and higher levels of thinking. Manipulatives are great tools for acting out mathematical thinking processes as well as verifying results of more abstract thinking or to present problems that require more than handling the materials. The text has a number of activities and games for all areas of math.
I like how the activities suggested cover various
areas of math and yet they offer a number of activities that build on
each concept. This enables the student to use the manipulative to go
from acting out the mathematical process to actual deep thinking.
Although the book is not set up by units or lesson plans directly, the
ideas are great to include in a lesson and inspired me to think of
other ways to use manipulatives.
Ref: Sheila10
Author(s): McCoy, Leah P.; Shaw, Jean M.
Date: 2003
Title: Patchwork Quilts: Connections with Geometry,
Technology, and Culture
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: Vol. 9; No. 1, September 2003
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: 4-18-05
This article presents ideas for a unit plan on quilts. It suggests the students begin by researching online about various types of quilts. Typical patterns with a large amount of history connected to them are listed in the article. It seems best to focus on them so that students can put together a whole presentation on the geometry, history and cultural connections a quilt pattern has. Multiple websites are also listed. Eventually the students were to find the basic geometry, area percents, perimeter and symmetry of the patterns on the quilts they researched. Then more technology is brought in as the students figure out how to construct their quilt patterns on Paint Shop. I also recommend Cabri Geometry if the program is available.
I like how the unit can get the kids personally invested in it, because they can find connections to their own heritage, and people from the community can be brought in to share quilts. The article also suggested a lot more mathematical concepts that can be taught through quilt patterns than I had anticipated.
Keywords: Connections, Activities, History
Ref: Sheila11
Author(s): Yolles, Arlene
Date: 2001
Title: Making Connections with Prime Numbers
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics: Teaching in the Middle
School
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol. 7, October 2001, 84-86
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: March 19, 2005
This article shares a number of ways to help your students make connections to prime numbers through patterns and how they are related to composite numbers. The process starts by simply defining what a prime number is then goes into using the Sieve of Eratosthenes. In the Sieve activity, the student predict how many prime numbers there are from one or one hundred. The students use a 100s chart to record what they found and look for patterns. Another activity includes talking about the conjecture of Goldbach that every even number greater than two can be expressed as the sum of two primes. Again they use the chart to look for patterns. Then the fundamental theorem of arithmetic is introduced: every composite can be expressed uniquely as the product of prime factors. The activities also helps the student to come to the realization that there is not a greatest prime number and why.
What I really like about this article is that is relates math to its history which will help students understand why someone would sit around and come up with a thing called prime numbers in the first place. And by the end of the activities the students should be able to make some connection as to how prime and composite numbers connect to other mathematical thought and operations. Most of the activities described in the article take little preparation or supplies so they would be easily added to your current curriculum budget.
Keywords: Representations, Activities, Problem Solving
Ref: Sheila12
Author(s): Hardy, Michael D.
Date: 2001
Title: Burgers, Graphs, and Combinations
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics: Teaching in the Middle
School
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol. 7, October 2001, 72-76
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: March 19, 2005
The activities described in this article were launched by a real life example of combinations. The author had previously been to a restaurant called Stakes 'n Shakes who advertise that you could eat there a whole year and never have the same meal twice due to their variety of plater combinations that can be made. This claim became a springboard for a whole series of teaching lessons on the topic of combinations. Graphs are suggested as a way in which combinations can be represented and solved. Middle school students are not typically exposed to concepts graph theory, but the author shows the importance of teaching them the fundamental concepts at this early age.
I like how the activities suggested incorporate cooperative learning, but use individual discovery before getting into groups. Also, I like how this article demonstrates multiple ways of representing combinations such as lists, charts and graphs. All of the activities help the students to increase their understanding of methods of calculating combinations as well as build connections among mathematical topics and real life.
Keywords: Number and Operation, Algebra, Teaching Strategies
Ref: Sheila13
Author(s): Blackwell, Sarah B.
Date: 2003
Title: Operation Central
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics:Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol. 9, September 2003, p. 52-57
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: March 19, 2005
I loved this article and copied it immediately so that I can use it in one of my future classes. The article is a copy of a play that a math and drama teacher wrote on the order of operations called "Operation Central." The play includes humor, silliness and a play on words. The plot is about a boy who has an illness known as the "big confusing math problem." Varies doctors such as Dr. Pear-in-the-Seas help the boy through a surgery that solves the problem. After the play has been performed the students fill out a chart that describes what each of the doctors would say about solving a problem (each doctor represents an operation). This intern helps the students to clearly identify the order and stipulations of operations.
This play not only is an excellent visual way of demonstrating the orders of operation so that some students can remember it easier, but does so in a fun interactive way that incorporates other subjects besides mathematics. Too often you hear students say they are not a "math" person, but more of an "artsy" person, or a "music person." When in fact mathematics offers so much more as a interdisciplinary study.
Keywords: Management......
Ref: Sheila14
Author(s): Thurston, Cheryl Miller
Date: 1975
Title: "Junior High? Good Grief!
Journal or Publisher: Today's Education (from cd unit 1)
Volume, Issue, Pages: Sept,-Oct. 1975
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: March 19, 2005
Every beginning middle school teacher should read this article. It give great tips and suggestions for the odd situations you may find yourself in with middle schoolers. The author talks about the things middle school teachers need to know by suggesting the title of a college course that should be offered and what it would all in tail. Numerous personal stories are shared which gives the information some backing.
Despite the date this article was written, I feel most of the comments still ring true. My favorite topic touched on in the article is irrelevance; how to be prepared for it and what to do when a student says something completely off topic. All that is said in the article is not necessarily beneficial or helps you solve your dilemma, but it will make you laugh and smile. This would be a great article to read after having a bad day to lift your spirits and just laugh at the silliness of adolescence.
Ref: Sheila15
Author(s): Maus, John W.
Date: April, 2005
Title: Every Story Tells a Picture
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: Vol. 10; No. 8, April 2005
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: 4-18-05
This article presents a great idea for introducing graphing. The author found that looking at the action in the plots of stories can be represented on a coordinate system giving students more of a concrete connection to the representation a graph creates, while forcing the students to explain their reasoning as to why the line travels in the direction it does. The activity especially gets students to think about critical points in the graphs, or where change occurs. The students will find there is a variety of ways to present their line (steep, step-like, curvy, etc.) and most importantly identify and explain why their line does this by relating it to the events in a story. Slope is one concept that can be identified before a name is put to it. The slope of the line tells how quickly or slowly something happened. The students worked with stories they knew as well as making a graph of the events in their day (that day).
I really like this idea of mixing subject areas. I think it is a
good example of how knowing the content is more important that the
vocabulary. The activity brings up a lot of discussion such as the
importance or unimportance of a uniform scale or labeling of the axes.
Ref: Sheila16
Author(s): Various MTMS readers
Date: all Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School Magazine
Title: Menu of Problems
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages:
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: 4-18-05
The "Menu of Problems" is a section included in each issue of
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School. Under it is a number of
problems readers submit. They are categorized under Appetizers, Main
Courses and Desserts. This can be a good place to look when trying to
find a "problem of the day" or a launch problem for your lesson. Also I
like the idea of Appetizers, Main Courses, and Desserts as dividers.
You could use the names in your class as launch problems, more in depth
problems and evaluation problems. Adding the fun names could add
interest for your students.
Keywords: Curriculum, Standards, Number and Operation
Ref: Sheila20
Author(s): Burton, Grace M.
Date: 1993
Title: Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School
Mathematics on Number Sense and Operations; Addenda series greades k-6
Journal or Publisher: National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: 55
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: 4/4/05
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics put out this book is to illustrate and help translate the standards into classroom practice. Many of the ideas are typically used in a math class but have been redesigned with investigation in mind. The ideas do not make up a full text book for any grade or unit. Instead the book gives ideas for grades k-6 on how to incorporate the number sense and operations into your math program easily. The activities require the student's role to move from passive recipients to active participants.
I like this book because it offers connections to other subject areas and gives you tips on how to enhance students' self-confidence which are not often focused on in math classes or teacher guides. The activities are those that practice computation while using application and activities that provide an understanding. The book combines the ideas that make up mathematic proficiency, which are understanding, computing, applying, reasoning and engaging. I wish it were a full text with complete units, however.
Keywords: Curriculum, Probability, Standards
Ref: Sheila21
Author(s): Chapin, Suzanne
Date: 2002
Title: Navigating through Data Analysis and Probability in
Grades -5
Journal or Publisher: National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: Navigation Series
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: 4/5/05
This book is put out by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The object of publishing this book is to supply activities to elaborate the vision put forth in the standards for data analysis and probability. The material is not intended to be complete curriculum or a unit plan for this standard, but rather supplement it. The material includes activities and investigations to use in conjunction with other instructional material. The set up and purpose of this book/ book series seems much like the Addenda series also put out by National Council of Teachers Of Mathematics, only the focus seems more to be on questioning and methods for finding an answer.
I like this book and feel it would be beneficial to any classroom as would the Addenda Series. But, I feel this book builds more on itself as one goes through the lessons, where as the Addenda series, from what I have seen, is more like a collection of somewhat random activities.
Keywords: Teaching Strategies, Technology, Assessment
Ref: Sheila17
Author(s): Speaker: Barb Stoflet
Date: April 30, 2005
Title: Differentiate Using Two Problems a Day
Journal or Publisher: Speach given at MCTM conference
Volume, Issue, Pages: K-2
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: May 1, 2005
The speaker talked about how she closes the gap between students abilities in math and other subjects by taking pictures with a digital camera then later analysing them. Mainly she analyses the way students approach math and mathematic manipulatives. She does not have a scientific way about it, but rather years of experience where certain behaviors or choices describe a students best learning style. By taking the time to learn about each one of her students she can attend to their individual needs to differenciate assignments as often as possible or needed. Taking "Baby Steps" was her moto. To expect to attend to all students needs all the time is impractical, but making a few modifications to assignments each time around will give you a supply of ideas to put in your file for next time making it less time consuming to provide for individual needs the next time you use the lesson.
I enjoyed this speaker and
feel her ideas are worth trying. I like her idea of using technology to help
her document her findings. She mentioned that she gives the pictures of each
student to their parents on a CD that plays music in a slide show presentation
at the end of the year. The parents enjoy seeing the progression of their child
since they miss that part of their child's growing.
Keywords: Representations, Geometry, Teaching Strategies
Ref: Sheila18
Author(s): Speaker: Larry Copes
Date: April 30, 2005
Title: Dancing and Mathematics: Contradance
Journal or Publisher: MCTM Conference
Volume, Issue, Pages: General
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: May 1, 2005
The speaker began by teaching us a contradance that was complicated enough in its patterning to be interesting, yet the steps were simple enough steps that the typical "non-dancer" could do them. In describing the dance he used terminology such as turn in a cirlce three quarters around. So the dancers had to think mathematically interms of positioning and space. At first I thought this was all the math he was going to relate to the dance. But after we learned the entire dance and successfully danced it to music we talked about the mathematical representation that the dance produced. He asked us to pretend that a square mattress was between our group of four dancers then to think about what happened to the mattress as we danced. Basically, how did it move and in what direction. After walking through it with a piece of paper modeling the mattress we found the mattress rotated, flipped on various axises and turned. This activity will stimulate students abilities to visualize complex images often used in graphing.
This is a great way to attend to multiple intelligence
within a classroom. I like how it can be used for a variety of ages depending
on how complicated you want to make the dance and whether you want to stick with
just talking about the movement in terms of fractions or talking about the
mattress representation of the movement.
Keywords: Equity/Diversity......
Ref: Sheila19
Author(s): Robert Q. Berrry III
Date: September 2004
Title: The Equity Principle Through the Voices of African American
Males
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School
Volume, Issue, Pages: Vol. 10, September 2004
Reviewer: Sheila
Date of Review: May 3, 2005
The article gives an example of where equity at one time was not being withheld. A school in the Twin Cities, like many other schools, gives a test to students entering junior high to find out what math class they should be in. Thus, an alarming number of students end up never taking Algebra by the time they are out of high school and do not have the requirements for college. People began vocalizing a need for change; a need to give all students worth while opportunities, accomodating differences and providing resources. The school now makes it so every student is able and supported in taking Algebra. They have set up support systems to make sure the "lower" students do not fall through the cracks.
As a teacher we need to really care about all of our students, not just the high, the low or the medium, not just the black or white, poor or wealthy. When it comes to getting the requirements for college I think we should be encouraging those who may have a tougher time and finding ways to support them rather than claim they are not smart enough for the class and should not even try.