As information technology continues to progress, teaching mathematic with multimedia is becoming a new way of instruction. Integrating technology enables students to become more active in the learning process. When students feel more vested in actual learning, retention of the material tends to rise significantly. This article describes how tools…

Students who have difficulty reading, understanding, and solving word problems because of cultural and linguistic differences present challenges to teachers who are working to help every student achieve mathematical proficiency. In many middle school classrooms, teachers emphasize traditional textbook word problems, which are meant to engage…

Playing mathematical games enables middle school students to engage their minds while discovering and using meaningful strategies. Blokus[R] is one such game. While playing, students exercise spatial awareness, analyze attributes of two-dimensional shapes, compare patterns, and use logic--all of which encompass NCTM's Content Standards. Students…

Interactive whiteboards are somewhat unimpressive at first and look like the whiteboards that already hang on the walls of many classrooms. However, integrating interactive whiteboard technology in a unit on adding and subtracting integers enhances student engagement and understanding. In this article, the author describes how she used an…

When solving problems involving proportions, students may intuitively draw on strategies that connect to their understanding of fractions, decimals, and percents. These two statements--"Instruction in solving proportions should include methods that have a strong intuitive basis" and "Teachers should begin instruction with more intuitive…

Mathematics education is replete with activities that explore real-world problems. A variety of these problems are added to lessons in the belief that merely applying mathematics knowledge to everyday contexts will enhance the transfer of that knowledge to other settings. However, these contexts are hypothetical rather than authentic. This…

The authors wanted their students to consider mathematical notions of space and dimension, which are typically not part of the middle school curriculum. They developed a two-week lesson that was drawn from the curriculum unit "Exploring the Shape of Space" (Weeks 2001). They began by considering implications of living in a two-dimensional…

Every semester, the authors encounter students who are attracted to the visual and spatial aspects of geometry. They have other students who consider geometry to be challenging for the very same reasons. Students are confounded not only by the fact that geometry relies on visual interpretations but also because it has a language of its own and…

When learning the order of operations, students are instructed to adhere to a directive when determining the numerical value of an arithmetic expression. A more typical approach is the use of a popular mnemonic called PEDMAS (parentheses, exponents, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction). The literature is scant on conceptual approaches…

Taiwanese students consistently rank near the top on international exams on mathematics and science. In 2007, Taiwan recorded the highest TIMSS math score for eighth grade. The central education agency in Taiwan publishes detailed mathematics curriculum guidelines, which textbooks and national exams follow closely. In May each year, all ninth…

In the elementary grades, students learn procedures to compute the four arithmetic operations on multidigit whole numbers, often by being shown a series of steps and rules. In the middle grades, students are then expected to perform these same procedures, with further twists. The Reasoning and Proof Process Standard suggests that students need to…

Using a nonroutine problem can be an effective way to encourage students to draw on prior knowledge, work together, and reach important conclusions about the mathematics they are learning. This article discusses a problem on the mathematical preparation of chocolate milk which was adapted from an old book of puzzles (Linn 1969) and has been used…

Teachers are expected to possess not only the necessary knowledge and training to support mathematical content but also the pedagogical skills to support the learning needs of all students. Coteaching can provide solutions for general educators in diverse mathematics environments through collaboration with a special educator. This teaming can have…

The 2008 presidential election is a great backdrop for analyzing graphs, learning about population distributions, and studying the effect on the electoral voting process. To take advantage of the enthusiasm surrounding the election, the authors conducted two activities in the months leading up to the 2008 presidential elections with several groups…

Stories that are presented through literature or popular media can be used to invite students into the world of math; stir their mathematical imaginations; and enhance their ability to read about, write about, and discuss math. This article explores how literature ("Flatland," the book and the movie) and an existing seventh-grade unit (Slices and…