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Transforming the Culture of Math: Developing Students as Powerful Mathematical Thinkers

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:26:01 GMT

Jancey Clark concludes her series on transforming the math class environment.

Transforming the Culture of Math: Routines for Making Thinking Visible

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 16:58:36 GMT

Jancey Clark shares her mathematical transformation and then challenges other teachers to build their own math confidence, which will empower them to create a classroom environment rich in student mathematical thinking.

Transforming the Culture of Math

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 10:30:53 GMT

Using Data Stories to Reflect on the Learning, Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 15:31:08 GMT

Jordan Benedict challenges readers to make use of data to tell the story of student learning during the course of the school year.

Using Data Stories to Reflect on the Learning: Part 1

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 16:32:15 GMT

Jordan Benedict challenges readers to make use of data to tell the story of student learning during the course of the school year.

Our Students and Their Mathematical Ideas

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 12:10:32 GMT

In this blog post, Zachary Champagne discusses his fundamental belief that every student who walks into our classrooms has important mathematical ideas.

Mathematics Learning Goals Serve as a Guide

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 10:22:53 GMT

In this follow-up post, Victoria Bill and Laurie Speranzo share how writing mathematical learning goals have helped them make student math talk more productive.

Using Talk to Make Sense of Mathematics

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 11:49:22 GMT

Encouraging students to talk about mathematics opens opportunities for teachers to learn about their students’ thinking and mathematical reasoning.

Sometimes, We Need to Give Them Less

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 10:27:20 GMT

In this blog post, Zachary Champagne challenges teachers to consider whether our efforts to “be helpful” actually impede students stretching their ability to reason mathematically and make sense of problems.

How Might Our Beliefs Impact Our Identity as Mathematics Educators? Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 08:25:55 GMT

In this two-part series, the authors explore whether we base our instructional practices on what we believe as professional mathematics educators or we simply perpetuate practices that we experienced as students.

How Might Our Beliefs Impact Our Identity as Mathematics Educators? Part 1

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 16:15:53 GMT

Analyzing and Designing Story Problems That Matter

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 18 May 2017 16:11:21 GMT

Carefully selecting or creating problems posed to students is an important responsibility because they can influence students’ experiences with mathematics.

Number Choice Matters

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 04 May 2017 10:18:28 GMT

This is the third and final blog post in a series that examines various characteristics of word problems.

Sex, Lies, and Word Problems

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 09:44:59 GMT

In the previous post, we explored the pros and cons of using food as a context in school mathematics word problems. In this post, we will explore what sex, sexuality, and gender have to do with mathematics teaching and learning.

Consider the Context

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 10:19:47 GMT

This is the first in a new series of blog posts. The focus of the series is on analyzing and designing tasks as well as rich problem-solving contexts that are valuable for our students.

“This is easy”: The little phrase that causes big problems

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:09:05 GMT

Tracy J. Zager has adapted this posting from her 2017 book, Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had: Ideas and Strategies from Vibrant Classrooms (Stenhouse Publishers, Portland, Maine).

Watching Classroom Video Productively, Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 10:44:29 GMT

This two-part blog series is a follow-up to “Supporting Excellent Teaching of Common Core Content and Practices with Video Clubs” by Meg S. Bates, Cheryl G. Moran, and Lena Phalen, published in the March 2017 issue of Teaching Children Mathematics.

Watching Classroom Video Productively

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 09:43:04 GMT

By Meg S. Bates, posted February 27, 2017 — In our recent TCM article, my colleagues and I outlined how educators can facilitate effective conversations around classroom video. The question we sought to answer

Noticing and expressing regularity in second grade—Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 11:40:41 GMT

This is the second of a two-part series that explores whether second graders can develop a deep understanding of the concept that increasing an addend by one will have the same effect on the sum.

Noticing and expressing regularity in second grade

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 11:08:48 GMT

Observe a classroom in this two-part vignette as we explore whether second graders can develop a deep understanding of the concept that increasing an addend by one will have the same effect on the sum.

Eliminating Deficit Views of Mathematics Learning

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 13:23:39 GMT

TODOS: Mathematics for ALL offers suggestions for teachers to build cultural inclusion in their math classrooms.

2016: The year in review

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 13:27:23 GMT

For mathematics educators, 2016 was an exciting year. Our community—online, in person, and the hybrid of the two—is growing larger and stronger. It’s a community that Zachary Champagne couldn’t be more proud to engage with and learn from.

Making Sense of Math through Problem Solving

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 15:34:03 GMT

Looking for the best road to student strategies? Teach them to problem solve and celebrate their creative thinking.

Strategies Are Not Algorithms

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 14:18:50 GMT

Is this the renaissance in mathematics education? Authors Ian Whitacre and Donna Wessenberg offer a provocative post to challenge our assumptions about students’ invented strategies.

Primary Thieves, Part 3: Repaying the Favor

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 17:47:44 GMT

For far too long, teachers of the early grades were not invited to the math party. In this series of three blog posts, Jamie Duncan challenges teachers of early elementary grade mathematics to not only crash the party but also—in the spirit of Robin Hood—be thieves, robbing from math-rich, upper-grade professional development and bringing the bounty to other primary-grade teachers and students.

Primary Thieves, Part 2: Stealing the Understanding

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 16:12:48 GMT

Primary Thieves, Part 1

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 14:53:16 GMT

Wait! What are we counting? On Ambiguity and Units

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 14:20:22 GMT

Ambiguity can be messy and also a great way to stimulate learning mathematics. In the second of two blog posts, Christopher Danielson continues to make a case for the value of introducing ambiguity in math classrooms.

The power of having more than one right answer: Ambiguity in math class

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 14:47:18 GMT

Ambiguity can be messy and also a great way to stimulate learning mathematics. In this pair of blog posts Christopher Danielson makes a case for the value of introducing ambiguity in math classrooms.

Mathematical Discourse, Part 4: Putting it All Together

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 11:23:43 GMT

Facilitating effective mathematical discourse doesn’t just happen. In this four-part series, Zack Hill discusses important considerations for every teacher who wants a classroom environment rich in math discussion.

Mathematical Discourse, Part 3: Planning for the Task (Monitoring and Connecting)

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:53:32 GMT

Mathematical Discourse, Part 2: Planning for the Task (Anticipating, Selecting, and Sequencing)

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 13:59:47 GMT

Mathematical Discourse, Part 1: Choosing a Task to Talk About

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 14:56:21 GMT

I Don’t Teach First Grade; I Teach Mathematics Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 12:30:19 GMT

As conversations with my fifth-grade counterpart continued, we started to discuss some of the questions posed the previous week: What concept, big idea, standard, or domain is the most challenging for my students? What can I do to find out more about what my students already know about this concept? What specifically about this concept is challenging for students?

I Don’t Teach First Grade; I Teach Mathematics

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:07:00 GMT

While teaching first grade, I sought out a partnership with a fifth-grade teacher to co-teach some math lessons in both of our classes. After experiencing just a few lessons in fifth grade, I realized that this partnership was opportunity to see into the future. I couldn’t believe how much of what they were learning in first grade connected to what they were expected to do in fifth grade.

Noticing and Wondering about Special Education Math Tasks

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 16:37:53 GMT

I notice proponents of sense making in math class encouraging teachers to present a perplexing scenario to students and let them develop questions where math can be useful. As a special education math teacher, I often wonder how much to explain or “front-load” for my students before engaging in the problem-solving process.

Opening the Middle of Special Education Math Tasks

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:24:18 GMT

How can we broaden our scope for students with disabilities but still work on the skills that they need to be successfully independent adults? By opening the middle of math tasks in special education classes.

What Can We Do about Gender Differences in Math?

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 19 May 2016 13:45:45 GMT

By Colleen Ganley and Sarah Lubienski, posted May 23, 2016 — The research suggests that although gender differences in math are small, some differences still exist in mathematics skills, attitudes, and career choices that we should pay attention to. Considering the research in a historical context is important, as gender differences in math course-taking, achievement, and career plans have decreased drastically over time, and these differences vary in different countries.

Current Research on Gender Differences in Math

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 03 May 2016 14:35:01 GMT

By Colleen Ganley and Sarah Lubienski, posted May 9, 2016 — Are there still gender differences in math? It actually depends on which math outcomes we look at. At both elementary and secondary levels, boys and girls score similarly on many state tests, and girls get relatively good grades in math classes. However, some gender differences in math attitudes and skills appear during elementary school, and ultimately, boys are much more likely than girls to pursue careers in some key math-intensive fields, such as engineering and computer science.

Modeling with Mathematics through Three-Act Tasks, Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:53:34 GMT

By Graham Fletcher, posted on April 4, 2016 – In case you

Modeling with Mathematics through Three-Act Tasks

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 16:06:04 GMT

By Graham Fletcher, posted April 11, 2016 – When the Common Core State

Do the Math—Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 16:26:10 GMT

By Zachary Champagne and Michael Flynn, Posted March 28, 2016 –

Do the Math—Explore Mathematical Content to Enhance Instruction

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 15:58:08 GMT

By Zachary Champagne and Michael Flynn, posted March 14, 2016 –

First Graders and Functional Thinking, Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 12:26:16 GMT

By Angela Murphy Gardiner and Katie Sawrey, posted on February 29, 2016 –

First Graders and Functional Thinking, Part 1

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 16:59:16 GMT

By Angela Murphy Gardiner and Katie Sawrey, posted on February 15, 2016 – What

Even and Odd Numbers, Part 2: A Journey into the Algebraic Thinking Practice of Justification

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 14:51:33 GMT

By Isil Isler, Ana Stephens, and Hannah Kang, posted February 1, 2016 –

Even and Odd Numbers: A Journey into The Algebraic Thinking Practice of Justification

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 09:10:10 GMT

By Isil Isler, Ana Stephens, and Hannah Kang, posted January 18, 2016 –

Counting Isn’t Just for Primary Grade Students, Part 4

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 15:58:20 GMT

By Lynsey Gibbons and Kendra Lomax, posted January 4, 2016 – Learning about counting and number

Counting Activities to Try with Primary Students

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 13:38:42 GMT

By Lynsey Gibbons and Kendra Lomax, posted December 21, 2015 –

Counting with Muna

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 14:51:06 GMT

By Lynsey Gibbons and Kendra Lomax, posted December 7, 2015 – What do

Counting: Why is it Important and How Do We Support Children? Part 1

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:15:53 GMT

By Lynsey Gibbons and Kendra Lomax, posted November 23, 2015 – Counting

Thoughts about Conceptual Fraction Comparisons

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 11:38:31 GMT

By Shelby P. Morge, posted November 9, 2015 – Classroom time

Fraction Comparisons on a Clothesline

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 14:43:06 GMT

By Shelby P. Morge, posted October 26, 2015 – One of

Even Their Mistakes will Change - Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 13:31:12 GMT

By Juli K. Dixon, posted October 12, 2015 –

Even Their Mistakes Will Change

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 08:39:23 GMT

Making Mathematical Connections - Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 09:54:36 GMT

Making Mathematical Connections: The Power of Reasoning

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 15:58:58 GMT

Flexibity with Fractions

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 11:24:06 GMT

By Matt Haber, posted August 17, 2015 – I read a blog

Some Reflections on Connections

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 14:53:29 GMT

By Matt Haber, posted August 3, 2015 – The teaching and learning

Making Fractions Meaningful through Oral Language Development, Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:20:26 GMT

By Michelle Pace, posted July 20, 2015 – By the time you

Making Fractions Meaningful through Oral Language Development

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 09:41:32 GMT

By Michelle Pace, posted July 6, 2015

Engaging Students in Three Acts, Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 15:16:59 GMT

By Lisa Englard, Posted June 22, 2015

Engaging Students in Three Acts

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 14:31:44 GMT

I recently had a chance to work with a group of students who had performed poorly on a

Tasks, Questions, and Practices Revisited

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 21 May 2015 13:59:10 GMT

By Chandra Hawley Orrill, Posted May 25, 2015 –

Tasks, Questions, and Practices

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 06 May 2015 16:11:41 GMT

We know that to understand how our students think, we need to ask them good questions. We read

Why Play Math Games?

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 16:05:25 GMT

People of all ages love to play games that are funand motivating. Games give students opportunities to explore fundamental numberconcepts, such as the counting sequence, one-to-one correspondence, and computationstrategies. Engaging mathematical games can also encourage students to explorenumber combinations,

What Do the Standards for Mathematical Practice Mean to You?

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 13:40:55 GMT

The Common Core’s Standards forMathematical Practice (SMPs) focus on what it means for students tobe mathematically proficient. I have heard many people say that the SMPs arethe heart

Debunking the Calculator Myth

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 13:43:40 GMT

Numerousmyths surround the use of calculators in the elementary school mathematics classroom.These myths emerge from numerous individuals; for example, from parents onemight hear, “I learned math without them; so should my child.” Or the companionargument, “If students

Using Calculators to Explore Mathematical Thinking

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 10:05:09 GMT

For decades, calculators served as a source of debate formany people who have a vested interest in education, including parents,teachers, and students. Over time we’ve learned that when used in meaningfulways, a calculator can be a valuable

Critical Foundations, Part 4

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 10:54:29 GMT

Welcome to the fourth and final installment in our Critical Foundations series, with a continued look at fraction equivalence. See the full introduction to our look at fraction equivalence . This

Critical Foundations, Part 3- Fraction Equivalence

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 14:49:36 GMT

As noted in the two previous blog posts, Part 1 and Part 2, perhaps the “signature expectation” of any pre-K–grade 6 mathematics experience is the development of a sense of number. Firmly establishing and maintaining flexibility with number is simultaneously ongoing and foundational to working with operations involving whole numbers and fractions.

Critical Foundations, Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:56:14 GMT

Welcomeback! As noted in my previous post and worth repeating here, to me, the “signature expectation” of any pre-K–grade 6 mathematics experience is theongoing nurturing and development of a sense of number, and the ongoinginstructional

Critical Foundations

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:53:50 GMT

To me a—perhaps the —“signatureexpectation” of any Pre-K–grade 6 mathematics experience is the ongoingnurturing and development of a sense of number. Yes, number sense. Althoughelusive, establishing and maintaining flexibility with number (and this iscertainly not the

Cut-a-Card Task Revisited

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:50:09 GMT

In our previous blog post , we described the Cut-a-Cardactivity, which provides students with opportunities to visualize the effectsof three-dimensional flips and rotations. Before giving students opportunitiesto create their own notecard puzzles, we engaged them in conversation. Afterstudents

Cut-a-Card Task

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:47:39 GMT

With increased attention onSTEM-focused curricula at the elementary school level, we are often interestedin activities that afford opportunities for students to engage in designprocesses connected to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM).Geometry standards provide a particularly fertile

Preparing for Problem Solving and Revisiting Freckleham

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:47:04 GMT

Although Teaching Children Mathematics isbuilding a great collection of rich tasks on this blog, we thought it might bea good time to step back and examine one way to support students as they tacklethe tasks. One way

Preparing for Problem Solving

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:44:10 GMT

Highlyeffective teachers know their students well. They can attend to students’mathematical thinking, and then design instruction that capitalizes on whatstudents know and are able to do. Our collaborative efforts often center oncontextualized tasks, or story problems, where students have

Addition and Subtraction Fluency through Games

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:43:12 GMT

In the November 2014 issue of Teaching Children Mathematics , authorsJennifer Bay-Williams and Gina Kling shared a collection of fun games that canbe used to develop students’ fluency with addition and subtraction facts. Theyexplained that (1) games should

More on the Story of Gauss

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:42:01 GMT

Welcome back! I hope you andyour students had the opportunity to explore finding the sum of a series ofconsecutive numbers. This problem can easily be adapted for any grade level andcan offer opportunities for good classroom discourse. At the

The Story of Gauss

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:15:31 GMT

I love the story of Carl Friedrich Gauss—who, as an elementarystudent in the late 1700s, amazed his teacher with how quickly he found the sumof the integers from 1 to 100 to

What Is the Largest Number You Cannot Make? Part 2

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 16:44:41 GMT

If you have not had a chance to engage your students in the What Is the Largest Number You Cannot Make? problem, you can find the task here . What interesting patterns did your students find? What strategies did

What is the Largest Number You Cannot Make?

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:40:28 GMT

Aninteresting problem that I have used with elementary school students, classroomteachers, and preservice teachers involves opportunities to engage in variousproblem-solving strategies. The most important step in this problem is Understanding the problem. It offersstudents the chance to

Frogs and Worms, a Second Look

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:37:28 GMT

How did your students do with the Frog problem and the Worm problem?When I have used these problems in the past, typically students have quickly decontextualized them, representing theproblems in some way and finding a solution. Below

Frogs and Worms

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:34:45 GMT

With school starting, many of us are focusing on the need tosupport students’ engagement in the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP). Regardlessof whether your state has adopted the Common Core State Standards, the SMP representprocesses and proficiencies that we

Reflecting on the Counterfeit Bill Problem

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:32:33 GMT

I hope that you and your students or colleagues enjoyeddiscussing the Counterfeit Bill problem. I suspect that a variety of solutionswere offered, including these: $40—Theshoe owner gave $20 to the grocer and $20 (counterfeit) to

The Counterfeit Bill Problem

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:30:42 GMT

I am oftenasked what the best way is to start the school year. My answer is always, “Witha problem, of course!” Not just any problem will do, though, as I want aproblem that will spark discussion by eliciting

13 Rules That Expire

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:26:44 GMT

Inthe August 2014 issue of Teaching Children Mathematics, authors Karen S. Karp, Sarah B. Bush,and Barbara J. Dougherty initiated an important conversation in the elementarymathematics education community. We are dedicating this discussion space as aplace where that

When is Halving Not Halving

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:21:59 GMT

Exploring the relationship (orlack of relationship) between perimeter and area is interesting for students—evenfor simple shapes like rectangles. For example, if you cut a rectangle’s areain half, do you also cut the perimeter in half? Using

Reflecting on the Build a Number Problem

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:14:41 GMT

Ihope you have had a chance to try the Build a Number problem with yourstudents. I had lots of fun with it when I tried it with some third- and fourth-gradestudents. Recallthat students were

Build a Number Problem

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 15:12:54 GMT

In a lot of school districts inmy region, there is an emphasis on building proportional reasoning even beforeit is formally introduced in the curriculum. A problem I used recently is theone I’ve proposed here. You would

Reflecting on the Pondering Patterns Problem

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 17:05:49 GMT

Greetings! Over the past few months, it has beengreat fun sharing some of my favorite “Math Tasks to Talk About” with you andbecoming a blogger in the process. The plan for the TCM blog is for a

Pondering Patterns

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:57:09 GMT

I hope you’ve been enjoying TCM’s “Math Tasks to Talk About.” From those who understand a lotmore about how these things work, I gather the blog is getting a good number ofvisits, which is really nice to

Reflecting on the How Many Squares on a Checkerboard? Problem

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:54:13 GMT

So,how did things go in your classroom with the How Many Squares on a Checkerboardtask? I’m told that we’re still getting a good number of visits to the blog,but few visitors are taking the next step and leaving a

How Many Squares on a Checkerboard?

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:45:24 GMT

Now that I’m an official blogger (withtwo blogs posts under my belt), I found selecting the next problem to be a realdilemma. I have decided to post another “classic”problem. Howmany squares are on a standard

Reflecting on the Handshake Problem

nctm@nctm.org (NCTM Customer Care) — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:42:04 GMT

Well, I’ve now been officially initiatedinto the blogosphere (is that actually a word?)I really appreciated those who took the time to comment on the first task, and Iam sincerely hoping that this blog entry, the discussion of the task,encourages