Teachers share success stories and ideas that stimulate thinking about the effective use of technology in K–grade 6 classrooms. This article describes a set of lessons where sixth graders use virtual pattern blocks to develop proportional reasoning. Students' work with the virtual manipulatives reveals a variety of creative solutions and promotes active engagement. The author suggests that technology is most effective when coupled with worthwhile mathematical tasks and rich classroom discussions.
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Pattern-block frenzy
Katie L. Anderson
Informing Practice: Examples as Tools for Constructing Justifications
research matters for teachers
Kristen N. Bieda and Jerilynn Lepak
Research explores how to help students build from, instead of building with, examples when justifying mathematical ideas.
A Super Way to Soak in Linear Measurement
Terri L. Kurz
After analyzing advertising claims regarding water shooters, students present their findings.
Math for Real: Packaging Golf Balls
“when will I ever use this?”
Randy Hall
A package of three golf balls provides the real-world scenario for this ratio and area activity.
A smorgasbord of assessment options
Kathy A. Bacon
Presented with a variety of palatable, inquiry-based, creative learning choices in geometry, this teacher and her fifth graders found tremendous satisfaction in meeting target goals for reasoning skills and taking important “next steps” in learning.
