Listening to Middle School Students' Algebraic Thinking

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-161
Author(s):  
John P. Smith ◽  
Elizabeth A. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
Algebraic Thinking ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Core ◽  
K 12

NO PART OF THE K–12 MATHEMATICS curriculum is more fluid and controversial than introductory algebra. Content and assessment issues lie at the core of this debate: What algebra skills and understandings are important? What kind of evidence suggests that students possess these skills? Neither question can be answered in simple terms; in fact, no single “right” answer may exist for either one.

Take Time for Action: Perimeter or Area? Which Measure Is It?

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-23
Author(s):  
Michaele F. Chappell ◽  
Denisse R. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Past ◽  
Fundamental Understanding ◽  
K 12

During the past twenty years, documents have recommended that the mathematics curriculum include measurement for all grades, K–12 (NCTM 1980, 1989). Indeed, students interact daily with measurement in their physical environment, for example, by finding the distance from home to school, their height and weight, and wall space for posters. Adolescents bring to the classroom varied conceptions of measurement, which may be in the form of basic applications or general formulas. All too often, a fundamental understanding of these ideas is sacrificed while students learn general formulas. This situation is particularly true for attributes of perimeter and area. To what extent do middle school students possess a conceptual understanding of these measurement concepts?

Socrates and the Three Little Pigs: Connecting Patterns, Counting Trees, and Probability

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-161
Author(s):  
Denisse R. Thompson ◽  
Richard A. Austin
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
South Carolina ◽  
New Jersey ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
School Students ◽  
Middle School Curriculum ◽  
Curriculum Frameworks ◽  
Counting Trees

Explorations of concepts of chance should be a part of the middle school curriculum, as indicated in the mathematics curriculum frameworks developed by several states (Florida 1996; South Carolina 1993; New Jersey 1996). The challenge for teachers is to find contexts that interest middle school students and motivate them to explore these ideas.

Cognitive Effects of a Logo-Enriched Mathematics Program for Middle School Students

1988 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra V. Turner ◽  
Michael L. Land
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Minimal Amount ◽  
School Students ◽  
Mathematical Concepts ◽  
Logo Programming

This study investigated the effect of learning Logo on middle-school students' understanding of specific mathematical concepts and on their level of cognitive development. Students in the Logo Group ( n = 91) learned Logo for one hour a week for sixteen weeks as part of their regular mathematics curriculum. The Control Group ( n = 90) did not participate in the Logo program but received the full allotted time for their regular mathematics curriculum. No significant differences were found between the two groups in their understanding of mathematics concepts or in their growth in cognitive development. However, among the students in the Logo Group, those who learned the most Logo gained significantly more than those who learned a minimal amount of Logo both in their understanding of the mathematics concepts and in their level of cognitive development. When the High Logo group was compared to the Control Group, and also to a matched subset of the Control Group, there were large differences in favor of the High Logo group, but the results were not significant. The findings of this study suggest that cognitive development, achievement in mathematics, and achievement in Logo programming all share a common factor and that students who do well in one area are also likely to do well in the other two areas.

scholarly journals Building mathematical knowledge in an authentic mobile phone environment

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wajeeh Daher
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Mathematical Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Building ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
School Students ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Authentic Activities

<blockquote>Although many researchers have examined knowledge building in traditional settings and distance learning, few have examined middle school students' building of mathematical knowledge using mobile phones. The present study uses two well-known models of knowledge building to carry out the examination: the interactive analysis model of knowledge building phases developed by Gunawardena, Lowe and Anderson (1997) and the six themes model of knowledge building characteristics developed by Scadamalia and Bereiter (2006). The findings show that the middle school students participating in this research went through all the knowledge building phases suggested by Gunawardena, Lowe and Anderson (1997). They further experienced other knowledge building phases that fit the authentic context in which they learned. Participants advanced their knowledge of ideas as a community, collaborating to carry out authentic activities using mobile phones. They demonstrated constructive and critical use of information in general and of authoritative information in particular. Participants worked as mathematicians, especially during the second part of the experiment, when they suggested real world phenomena to explore using the mobile phone. My conclusion suggests learning mathematics by carrying out authentic activities using mobile phones, to encourage and enrich the mathematics knowledge building of students in K-12.</blockquote><p> </p>

scholarly journals Exploring Indian Middle School Students’ Conceptions of the Environment Using the Draw-an-Environment Test

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-178
Author(s):  
Leslie Elizabeth Sprong ◽  
Sonya N. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
Future Research ◽  
School Students ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Quality environmental education (EE) is key for supporting sustainable development and use of resources. Educators in rural India face considerable challenges to teach EE in K-12 school settings. This study took place in Assam in Northeast India where non-governmental organization (NGO) educators are working to develop an EE program for students in rural areas. To reveal students’ perceptions of the environment, researchers administered the Draw-an-Environment Test (DAET) to 277 middle school students in government schools. Analysis of students’ drawings of the environment revealed that while students recognized humans have an impact on the environment, they did not fully understand the impact could often be negative and drawings did not necessarily reflect the reality of the local environment. Implications for how these findings can be used to develop responsive EE curriculum that challenges and extends students’ conceptions of the environment and the need for future research are discussed.

The Effects of Prompting Appropriate Behavior on the Off-Task Behavior of Two Middle School Students

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee Faul ◽  
Karoline Stepensky ◽  
Brandi Simonsen
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
General Education ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
School Students ◽  
Baseline Phase ◽  
Simple Strategy ◽  
Task Behavior ◽  
Study Results ◽  
K 12

Prompting is a simple strategy that has been demonstrated to increase appropriate (and decrease inappropriate) behavior when used (a) as a stand-alone strategy with preschool students and individuals with disabilities and (b) in combination with other strategies (e.g., active supervision) with K-12 students in general education settings. Until now, no studies have specifically investigated the effectiveness of prompting as a stand-alone strategy in a general education setting. This study used a single-subject alternating treatment design, with a baseline phase, to explore the relationship between the presence (or absence) of prompting and off-task behavior of two male middle school students in general education. Study results document a decrease in off-task behavior with prompting. Results and implications are discussed in light of limitations.

Perspectives on Middle School Esports

2021 ◽  
pp. 210-228
Author(s):  
Melissa Burns
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Young Female ◽  
School Students ◽  
Central Canada ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

Competitive video games, or esports, have been making their way into high schools across Canada, though most middle school students have been left out of the game. This chapter will examine the identity and role of the various shared stakeholders at the middle years level, highlight the benefits of scholastic esports for middle school learners, and examine obstacles that may hinder the implementation of such programming, leaning on the experience of one such program in central Canada. The author will examine data collected over a span of four years on the impact of both coed and girls-only gaming environments in middle schools and how to support young female learners through gaming. Finally, this chapter will highlight the current landscape of K-12 scholastic esports with recommendations on how and why scholastic esports should have a place in Canadian schools.

Do You Understand Your Algorithms?

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-47
Author(s):  
Jamar Pickreign ◽  
Robert Rogers
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Middle School Teachers ◽  
Algebraic Thinking ◽  
Computational Algorithms ◽  
Successful Completion ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
School Students

Because an increasing number OF school districts requires the successful completion of an algebra course to graduate from high school, many middle school teachers are beginning to focus more attention on introducing algebraic thinking to their students (NCTM 2003). Consequently, it becomes important to consider ways to ensure that these experiences are meaningful and connected to arithmetical experiences from the earlier grades. We believe that presenting middle school students with activities that involve exploring computational algorithms—how and why they work—can contribute to the development and promotion of algebraic thinking.

Mathematical Connections from Biology: Killer Bees Come to Life in the Classroom

1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 350-356
Author(s):  
William L. Rubink ◽  
Sylvia R. Taube
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Integrated Curriculum ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
Mathematics Classroom ◽  
School Students ◽  
Mathematical Connections ◽  
Fields Of Study ◽  
Career Opportunities ◽  
Hands On

The middle school mathematics curriculum emphasizes integrated curriculum projects in response to the need to give students opportunities to explore and broaden areas of investigations. These interdisciplinary experiences help students understand the challenges faced by professionals. Although many educators concur that data analysis and statistics taught in the mathematics classroom should use data from real-world situations (NCTM 1989), mathematics teachers often need additional resources, both human and material, and must search beyond their textbooks for exciting activities. One way to breathe more life into mathematics teaching is to bring in ideas from other fields of study, particularly career opportunities that involve collecting and analyzing data. We describe a field-tested interdisciplinary-unit activity that involves collecting data about honeybees. In this activity, middle school students gain hands-on experiences with collecting, transforming, and analyzing data by using actual techniques employed by entomologists, the scientists who study insects. Ultimately, students acquire a sense of the methodology that scientists use to obtain a quantitative “view” of the world, one in which they conceptualize objects as things that can be measured (Thompson 1995).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document