PURPOSE OF THE NEW MATHEMATICS PROGRAMS:
To help children better understand
the math they are learning through problem solving, increased communication of
their mathematical reasoning, and providing opportunities for them to explore
and discover the concepts they are learning.
Ultimately, to better prepare our
students for the future in a world that is very different from the world most
adults entered into after they finished school.
WEBSITES OF INTEREST:
The National Library of Virtual
Manipulatives:
http://matti.usu.edu/nlvm/nav/vlibrary.html
Elementary Math Activities:
http://rozauer.tripod.com/elemmath.htm
Middle School Math Activities:
http://rozauer.tripod.com/math.htm
Interactive Mathematics
Activities:
http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml
Websites noted by Dr. Warren
Crown, one of the lead authors of our elementary math program:
National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (NCTM) websites:
http://www.nctm.org/elementary/
The Third International
Mathematics and Science Study / Trends in International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS):
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content
Standards for Mathematics:
http://education.state.nj.us/njsdb/index.php?rm=20;ci=4
"Knowing mathematics means being able to use it in purposeful
ways. To learn mathematics, students
must be engaged in exploring, conjecturing, and thinking rather than only in
rote learning of rules and procedures.
Mathematics learning is not a spectator sport. When students construct personal knowledge derived from
meaningful experiences, they are much more likely to retain and use what they
have learned. This fact underlies
teachers' new role in providing experiences that help students make sense of
mathematics, to view and use it as a tool for reasoning and problem
solving."
Curriculum
and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics: Executive Summary, p. 5