Mathematics Teaching 217 - Mar 2010

Mathematics Teaching is the journal of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics. It is a professional journal sent to all members of the Association. It is not a refereed journal. Submissions are reviewed by the editorial team. Many articles have additional information or associated files placed on the journal website.

MT217 Contents

Editorial - Margaret Jones

These cover all phases and interests, and together focus on the role of the teacher in the classroom to provide not only stimulating and interesting activities, but also attempt to engage the learner in the mathematics rather than the task.

Directed numbers - Emma Armstrong

it quickly became apparent that students, as old as year eleven, were having trouble with addition and subtraction involving negative numbers.

Functional mathematics - Derek Ball

Derek Ball shares part of an article from The Guardian and asks some questions.

RISP - Parabolic clues - Jonny Griffiths

It is not possible for all four clues to be true together...why not?

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How to anamorph - John Sharp

I believe in teaching mathematics through art: it gives ownership to learners. By this I mean they are creating their own work and they have to be able to express themselves and produce their own result.

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Fibonominoes - Paul Stephenson

Paul Stephenson drew attention to an NRICH environment in which you can manipulate polyominoes based on Fibonacci numbers. Here is an analysis of the pieces themselves.

Simulating gravity - Savas Pipinos

Savas Pipinos works with students to simulate gravity by employing Euclidean Geometry in the classroom.

Geometer's Sketchpad files to accompany this article

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Rachel measures - Helen Williams

Rachel is certain they need to be strapped in for their trip into space, and, to this end, wraps a long length of wool around herself and her chair. She notices Connie isn't strapped in and speaks to me.

Otherwise engaged - Jenni Ingram and Robert Ward-Penny

Pupils' engagement with tasks can often be mistaken for an engagement with mathematics.

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Puzzle page - Richard Goodman

2 more than the square root of 1 less than 5 across.

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Straight line graphs - Tom Krueger

During the lesson I probably accused my class of not thinking hard enough when inside me I knew that it was me who had failed to do exactly that - think.

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Conjecture Rolle's Theorem - Bill Brakes and Bob Burn

Rolle's Theorem takes its name from Michel Rolle who in 1691 was able to show that between two adjacent roots of a polynomial, there was a maximum or minimum of that polynomial.

Preparing for Rolle's Theorem prompt sheet

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Not for teaching - Derek Ball

AQA say their GCSE "will allow learners to develop and refine their problem solving strategies and build the confidence and skills required to tackle unfamiliar challenges".

An engaging learning environment - Tom Krueger

The display work doesn't stop in a classroom of course but continues throughout the maths department for very much the same reasons - we want 'Regulars' and 'Visitors' to get inspired by the Mathematics around them.

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An ocean of possibilities - Doug Williams

Between us we have taught millions of young people. A few have dived in and kept swimming, some have lingered on the shore playing in pools, but most have dipped their toes in and run like heck in the other direction never to return.

Download the 'Working Mathematically' prompt sheet

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