The post Math-ish appeared first on YouCubed.

The post Limitless Mind appeared first on YouCubed.

The post Grade K-8 Books appeared first on YouCubed.

“Jo Boaler has written a stunning book. Clearly written and carefully researched, it is a model of technical rigour. A wide range of qualitative and quantitative data is marshalled to produce exhaustive case studies of two contrasting mathematics departments – one traditional and one progressive. Boaler’s findings represent a major challenge to the ‘back to basics’ credo. This book should be read as a matter of urgency by politicians, mathematics teachers, and educational researchers.” –Stephen Ball, Professor of Sociology of Education, King’s College, London

“Anyone with an interest in making sure that every child is numerate should read this book” –Sally Tomlinson, Professor of Sociology of Education, Goldsmith’s College, London

Experiencing School Mathematics is the first book of its kind to provide direct evidence for the effectiveness of ‘traditional’ and ‘progressive’ teaching methods. It reports upon careful and extensive case studies of two schools which taught mathematics in totally different ways. Three hundred students were followed over three years and the interviews that are reproduced in the book give compelling insights into what it meant to be a student in the classrooms of the two schools. The different school approaches are compared and analysed using student interviews, lesson observations, questionnaires given to students and staff and a range of different assessments, including GCSE examinations. Questions are raised about:

• the effectiveness of different teaching methods in preparing students for the demands of the ‘real world’ and the 21st century
• the impact of setted and mixed ability teaching upon student attitude and achievement
• gender and learning styles and new evidence is provided for each. The book draws some radical new conclusions about the ways that traditional teaching methods lead to limited forms of knowledge that are ineffective in non-school settings. The book will be essential reading for maths teachers, parents and policy makers in education.

The post Experiencing School Mathematics: Teaching Styles, Sex, and Setting appeared first on YouCubed.

These practical insights are combined with important advances in theory. Several of the authors address the nature of learning and teaching, including the ways in which theories and practices of mathematics education recognize learning as simultaneously social and individual. The issues addressed include teaching practices, equity, language, assessment, group work and the broader political context of mathematics reform. The contributors variously employ sociological, anthropological, psychological, sociocultural, political, and mathematical perspectives to produce powerful analyses of mathematics teaching and learning.

The post Multiple Perspectives on Mathematics Teaching & Learning appeared first on YouCubed.

• the ways in which “traditional” and “reform oriented” mathematics teaching approaches can impact student attitude, beliefs, and achievement;
• the effectiveness of different teaching methods in preparing students for the demands of the “real world” and the 21st century;
• the impact of tracking and heterogeneous ability grouping; and
• gender and teaching styles–the potential of different teaching approaches for the attainment of equity.

The book draws some radical new conclusions about the ways that traditional teaching methods lead to limited forms of knowledge that are ineffective in non-school settings.

This edition has been revised for the North American market to show the relevance of the study results in light of the U.S. reform movement, the “math wars” and debates about teachers, assessment, and tracking. The details of the study have been rewritten for an American audience and the results are compared with research conducted in the U.S. This is an important volume for mathematics teachers and researchers, education policymakers, and for students in mathematics education courses.

NOTE: This is a revised edition of Experiencing School Mathematics first published in 1997 by Open University Press, © Jo Boaler. This revised edition is for sale in North America only.

The post Experiencing School Mathematics: Traditional and Reform Approaches To Teaching and Their Impact on Student Learning, Revised and Expanded Edition appeared first on YouCubed.

Connecting Mathematical Ideas contains two-CDs worth of video case studies from Humphreys’ own middle-school classroom that show her encouraging students to bridge complex mathematical concepts with their prior knowledge. Replete with math talk and coverage of topics like representation, reasonableness, and proof, the CDs also include complete transcripts and study questions that stimulate professional learning. Meanwhile, the accompanying book guides you through the CDs with in-depth commentary from Boaler and Humphreys that breaks down and analyzes the lesson footage from both a theoretical and a practical standpoint.

In addition to addressing the key content areas of middle school mathematics, Boaler and Humphreys pose and help you address a broad range of frequently asked pedagogical questions, such as:

How can I organize productive class discussions?
How do I ask questions that stimulate discussion and thought among my students?
What’s the most effective way to encourage reticent class members to speak up?
What role should student errors play in my teaching?
Go inside real classrooms to solve your toughest teaching questions. Use the case studies and the wealth of professional support within Connecting Mathematical Ideas and find new ways to help your students connect with math.

The post Connecting Mathematical Ideas: Middle School Video Cases to Support Teaching and Learning appeared first on YouCubed.

“Help children to learn to love the subject… Make mathematics more the mathematics that people need out there in the world.” -BBC Radio 4’s ‘Woman’s Hour’

Why do millions struggle with mathematics and what can teachers do to change that?

Jo Boaler has followed the progress of thousands of pupils in two countries (the UK and USA), monitoring how they learn maths through their school carers and then following them into adult life. This remarkable research is the foundation of her investigations into the impact that differing maths experiences can have on an entire generation. Jo Boaler outlines what has gone wrong, identifying the problems facing children in mathematics classrooms today and offers concrete solutions for parents and teachers that will revolutionise children’s experiences with maths.

“A very interesting book which addresses some common problems found in the maths classroom which has been well researched and provides positive solutions and practical activities for those interested in trying to encourage students of today to become mathematicians of tomorrow.”
Times Educational Supplement online

The Elephant in the Maths Classroom offers concrete suggestions on ways to teach maths well, and ways to help children in the home, that will offer new and more effective ways of learning maths. This is an exciting way forward, a new approach that teaches children to reason and problem solve; helping all children, even those who think that they are maths failures and that they could never enjoy maths.

An indispensable guide and resource for parents, teachers and educationalists, that inspires and enthuses as much as it teaches.

The post The Elephant in the Classroom appeared first on YouCubed.