Editor’s note: When he’s not writing and editing for education non-profits, our consultant John Norton likes to work on his favorite personal project: spotting and sharing web-based teacher resources through vehicles like his MiddleWeb site and biweekly newsletter. As a summer treat, John has agreed to compile 5 blog posts highlighting some of what he thinks are the best resources on the Web for teaching math, history, science, English/language arts – and for integrating technology into everyday teaching and learning. Here’s the first installment of his Summer Sources: Mathematics.
First, don’t be overly influenced by the “middle school” in the title. This NSF-supported resource has plenty to offer math teachers across grades 4-9 (at least, but decide for yourself!). What makes it so great is the time and attention given to it by a team of educators at Ohio State University. They continue to develop smart teaching units and “idea collections” based on needs they see in real schools. Among the former, you’ll find units on statistics, the math of money, triangles, measurement, algebraic thinking, and curriculum “focal points” based on NCTM standards for grades 5-8. And there’s plenty more. Also browse what I’m calling the “idea collections,” which include topics like teaching with trade books; using math family nights & fairs to build parent support; developing quantitative literacy, and assessing math learning. I predict that just about any math teacher who visits here will spend MANY hours exploring this amazing free collection.
INTERACTIVE MATH DEMONSTRATIONS
Part of the Wolfram Demonstrations Project, the math pages at this website include interactive demonstrations of many math concepts and operations for grades K-12. I asked Marsha, a sixth grade math teacher friend, to try out some of the content. To run the demos, you need the free Mathematica Player (provided), which Marsha says is “no big deal” to download and run. While similar resources are available through NCTM’s Illuminations website, these demos can be downloaded to your own computer, Marsha adds, making them useable in a variety of settings (blogs, wikis, powerpoints, etc.). “That could be a great bonus to our kids when they are learning concepts,” she believes. “I will definitely use them and may try to organize them in ways that students could look at them while they do homework.” At this page, click on the first item, “Mathematics,” and then in the dropdown menu choose “School Mathematics.” You’ll see links for all the grades and also for math topics.
FREE PD: MATHEMATICS ILLUMINATED
Mathematics Illuminated is a 13-part multimedia learning resource developed by and for teachers by Oregon Public TV. The videos and other materials are available at the Annenberg Media teacher resources website at no cost. “The series explores major themes in the field of mathematics, from mankind’s earliest study of prime numbers to the cutting edge mathematics used to reveal the shape of the universe.” It includes “groundbreaking videos,” interactive Web exploration, text materials, and group activities. While the math focus is mostly high school, the series is perfect for any math teacher looking to deepen content knowledge or intrigued by materials that “approach mathematics as a means to greater understanding, rather than as a successive set of skills to be mastered.” NOTE: You can watch the videos online for free once you establish an account. Go to the “home” for each unit (‘The Primes’ is the first) to find the video link and many other resources.
BONUS: TEACHING MATH THROUGH STORY
I hesitate to offer a resource that carries a price tag, but there’s a free demo at the Ko’s Journey site. If you’re attracted to the idea of engaging students (Grades 5-8) in mathematical thinking through a fantasy adventure, try it out.
Next time: History and social studies!
