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Eric.ed.gov – One Instructor’s Quest for a Collaborative Professional Culture

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: With a B.S. in math but no prior math education training, the author’s first job as a math teacher was at an alternative charter school with a holistic mission. The author struggled tremendously and no doubt left numerous opponents to math reform in his wake. Fortunately, he attributed his ineffectiveness to his lack of experience and skill as a facilitator and curriculum writer, not to a flaw in the vision. Though he has no way of knowing, he has since wondered what percentage of new educators in similar situations would draw a different conclusion, something like, “Math is different from other subjects. It can’t be learned collaboratively. You just have to memorize.” This experience motivated him to understand why and how math teachers can become effective in… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The American Competitiveness Initiative: Addressing the STEM Teacher Shortage and Improving Student Academic Readiness. BHEF Issue Brief

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: America’s leaders are increasingly concerned about U.S. competitiveness in a rapidly globalizing world. In response, during the 2006 State of the Union Address, President Bush introduced the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) to promote policy that bolsters student achievement in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). At the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) summer 2006 meeting, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings discussed provisions of the ACI that address teacher shortages in mathematics and science, and corresponding student academic readiness. Specific ACI education provisions include the Adjunct Teacher Corps, the Advanced Placement-International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) Incentive Program, the National Math Panel, Math Now for Elementary Students, and Math Now for Middle School Students. (Contains 2 boxes, 2 figures and 1 table.) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – New Perspectives on Problem-Solving: Autonomous Math Learning Behavior and Math Achievement.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Autonomous Learning Behavior (ALB) as mediators between internal and external influences and performance on high level cognitive tasks was proposed as a possible explanation for gender-related differences in mathematics. This study developed a measure of ALB by drawing on teachers’ working knowledge and the literature on problem-solving, including self-regulatory and metacognitive strategies. The Math Assessment Project Questionnaire was used to assess students’ awareness of their behaviors in a mathematics class and a non-routine word problem solving was used to measure the ALB. Students’ confidence and achievement were also collected as data. No gender differences were found on the math achievement measures, the ALB questionnaire, or the confidence measure on two-tailed t-tests. However, the inclusion of the interaction term between gender and confidence showed a significant rise in… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – A Preliminary Case Study of SCALE Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Factors Influencing Change Initiatives in STEM Undergraduate Education, Teacher Training, and Partnerships with K-12 Districts. WCER Working Paper No. 2007-2

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This report on the SCALE Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Case Studies line of work provides preliminary findings about SCALE activities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). This study focuses on the structural and behavioral dynamics influencing the implementation of the four core SCALE strategies for effecting change in IHEs: (1) reform undergraduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses; (2) promote collaboration between STEM and education departments regarding pre-service teacher education; (3) promote collaboration between IHEs and K-12 districts regarding in-service professional development; and (4) improve institutional policies and practices at the IHE level that support faculty engaged in pre- and in-service activities. Preliminary findings indicate that SCALE is making progress in each of these areas. Through the Math Masters and Immersion Unit professional development programs… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – “New Directions for Traditional Lessons”: Can Handheld Game Consoles Enhance Mental Mathematics Skills?

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper reports on a pilot study that compared the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) handheld game consoles (HGCs) with traditional teaching methods to develop the automaticity of mathematical calculations and self-concept towards mathematics for year 4 students in two metropolitan schools. One class conducted daily sessions using the HGCs and the Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training software to enhance their mental maths skills while the comparison class engaged in mental maths lessons using more traditional classroom approaches. Students were assessed using standardised tests at the beginning and completion of the term and findings indicated that students who undertook the Brain Training pilot study using the HGCs showed significant improvement in both the speed and accuracy of their mathematical calculations and self-concept compared to students in the control… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Arts for Academic Achievement. Changing Student Attitudes toward Math: Using Dance To Teach Math.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper presents results of a study that sought to answer the question, “How does integrating dance and math in an intense co-teaching model of integration affect student attitudes toward learning math?” The goal of the dance/math project was to engage students in math in ways that reached students’ multiple intelligences and encouraged them to make complex connections and try new problem solving techniques. The classroom teachers who designed and implemented the project hypothesized that students who worked with a dancer once a week to learn math concepts would become more engaged in mathematics and have more successful and positive experiences with mathematics than students who did not work with a dancer. Overall there was a significant difference between the dance/math students’ and the non-dance/math students’ attitudes… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – What Principals Need to Know about Teaching Math.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Designed for principals of elementary and middle schools, this guide addresses the essential elements of a high-quality mathematics program and is intended to be a practical, ongoing resource. The guide begins with an overview of the important issues in mathematics education and a discussion of the basic elements of a mathematics program. It continues with guidance on how mathematics should be taught, ways to use assessment data to inform mathematics instruction, and approaches for assisting students who are struggling in mathematics. Finally, it outlines strategies for collaborating with teachers and parents, improving teachers’ skills in delivering mathematics instruction, and conducting effective observations of mathematics lessons. The guide includes checklists and other materials to use to evaluate a school’s mathematics program and to collaborate with teachers and parents;… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – (Dis)empowerment: The Implementation of Corrective Mathematics in Philadelphia Empowerment Schools

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The need to improve math education around the country has been well documented, especially in urban school systems like Philadelphia. In Spring 2010, only 56.6% of students in Philadelphia Public schools scored proficient or advanced on the Pennsylvania State Standardized Assessment (PSSA). In Philadelphia Empowerment Schools, the 107 lowest performing schools in the Philadelphia School District, only 45.8% of students scored proficient or advanced (PSSA preliminary results). Yet, across these schools, there is wide variation. While over 80% of students in some Empowerment schools scored proficient or advanced in math, in other schools less than 20% of the student population reached math proficiency. In October 2009, former Philadelphia Public School Superintendent Arlene Ackerman implemented the Science Research Associates (SRA) Corrective Mathematics and Corrective Reading curriculum in all… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – A Perspective on Race Equity and Science and Math Education: Toward Making Science and Math for All.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This keynote address focuses on equity in science and mathematics education. The science and math achievement of minority and poor children are discussed from an instructional policy perspective with emphasis on who gets access to what knowledge. The discussion about the politics of knowledge acquisition involves a discussion of race, class, and gender and highlights the fact that even though there have been substantial gains, the fact remains that a student’s status as minority or poor or female severely impairs that student’s likelihood of acquiring a quality educational experience, particularly with regard to science and math. An analysis of data reveals that with respect to curriculum there are no substandard schools; however, there are significant differences in teacher qualifications and teacher attitudes. Compared to students not in… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Science–Math Project: Junior High.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The guide, developed as part of an exemplary program for junior high school students, presents a plan for science and mathematics activities for grades seven and eight which aims at researching occupations which stem from experience students obtain in the general classroom curriculum. The unit is designed to operate in three stages: preparation of career backgrounds with students, completion of the career description form after the research field trip, and completion of the occupational interview sheets and reports to the class. The guide includes lists of objectives, preparation steps, activities (general and specific for science and math), and a discussion of results and evaluation. It also includes a sample interview sheet and career card. (JR) Link til kilde