MA308 -- Mathematical Problem Solving for Middle School Teachers

Course Information

Course Notes and Resources

Ongoing Course Notes
Thursday, January 13
- Room Diagonal Problem
- Jessie Clark Middle School Geometry Project
Tuesday, January 18
- Mathematics Education and Outreach Resources
- Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Adopted by Kentucky and numerous other states
- Google SketchUp
- Homework #1
- Locker Problem (temporary)
- Locker Problem Additional Questions (temporary)
- Locker Problem Reflections (temporary)
- Connected Mathematics Project A middle school curriculum
- Locker Problem applet
Thursday, January 20
- National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
- Factor Tree Applet
- Connecting Mathematical Ideas by Boaler and Humphreys
- Division of Fractions Transcript (temporary)
- Division of Fractions Questions (temporary)
Tuesday, January 25
- Dividing Fractions Problem
- WolframAlpha
- Division of Fractions Questions (temporary)
- Homework #2
Thursday, January 27
- Crossing the River Problem
- Teaching Beliefs, by Cathy Humphreys
Tuesday, February 1
- GeoGebra
- Jing
- Dropbox
- Homework #3
Thursday, February 3
- Adding it Up Problem
- Three Problems
- Towers of Hanoi Problem
- Exam #1 Review
Tuesday, February 8
- Fraction Multiplication
- Homework #4
Tuesday, February 15
- Animal Problem
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
- Car Talk Puzzlers
- Review of Problem Solutions
Thursday, February 17
- Say it With Symbols (temporary)
- The Prisoner, the Warden and the Hats Problem
- Algebra Tiles Applet
Tuesday, February 22
Thursday, February 24
- Microsoft Mathematics
- Soda Can Problem
- Homework #6
Tuesday, March 1
Thursday, March 3
- Exam #2 Review
Tuesday, March 8
Thursday, March 10
Tuesday, March 22
- Guitar Fret Problem
Thursday, March 24
- Interactivate
- Homework #7
- Jessie Clark Geometry Project notes
- Guitar Fret Problem
- Virtual Keyboard
- Google SketchUp
- Google SketchUp videos
- Line Segment Rotation Problem and Point Rotation Problem
- LaTeX mathematical typsetting system
Tuesday, March 29
- Infinity Elephants video
- Three dimensional printer video
- Google SketchUp
- Line Segment Rotation Problem and Point Rotation Problem
- GeoGebra
Thursday, March 31
- Homework #8
- GeoGebra
- Illuminations (NCTM)
- To Fret or not to Fret
- Symmetry Introduction
Tuesday, April 5
- The Hobart Shakespeareans
Thursday, April 7
- Wallpaper Patterns Flow Chart
- Exam #3 Review
Tuesday, April 12
- Some wallpaper patterns
- Video on cross-sections of a human
- "Proof" that all triangles are isosceles
- Video: All triangles are isosceles
Thursday, April 14
Tuesday, April 19
- Scott Kim
  - Ambigram handout
  - NCTM Talk
- Soma Cube puzzle
- Virtual Geoboard
- Probability problems--See Day Three
Thursday, April 21

Homework

Resources

Mathematics Education and Outreach Resources

Problem Solving

Some Problems

Standards and Curricula

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Adopted by Kentucky and numerous other states
Connected Mathematics Project A middle school curriculum
Mathematics Videos and Software for Reconceptualizing Mathematics -- IMAP
Modeling Middle School Mathematics
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Websites and Technology

Readings

Connecting Mathematical Ideas by Boaler and Humphreys
Fostering Algebraic Thinking by Driscoll
Fostering Geometric Thinking by Driscoll, DiMatteo, Nikula, and Egan
How Students Learn: Mathematics in the Classroom, edited by Donovan and Bransford
NCTM Research Clips and Briefs
NCTM Research Summaries