Mathematics Education part of the Education Reform Network

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Best practice

The processes, practices, or systems identified in public and private organizations that performed exceptionally well and are widely recognized as improving an organization's performance and efficiency in specific areas.

• "Early Childhood Mathematics: Promoting Good Beginnings,� NAEYC and NCTM
  Comprehensive, excellent article pointing out the need for teachers to collaborate. This joint statement describes what constitutes high-quality mathematics education for children 3-6 and what is necessary to achieve such quality.
• "Encouraging Mathematical Thinking, Discourse around a Rich Problem"
  Read this video paper on-line from the Math Forum at Drexel. Outstanding! .
• "Inquiry on Practice" (Illuminations at NCTM)
  �Inquiry on Practice� from Illuminations at NCTM has video vignettes, interactive math content, research reports and articles to encourage thinking and discussion about how to improve mathematics teaching and learning by all students.
• "Motivating American Indian Students in Science and Math," Gregory A. Cajete
  ERIC digest offers insight and constructive suggestions to motivate American Indian students who tend to drop out of high school math and science. Worthwhile and concise; applicable to a wider population.
• "Petals Around the Rose: Building Positive Attitudes About Problem Solving" by Marie Appleby
  Middle school students take charge of their own learning once this math teacher presents an intriguing puzzle. Student journal entries are included.
• Creating Jigsaws and Web Quests
  Jigsaws and web quests promote cooperation and high level thinking skills, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Here is a guide for creating your own as well as examples to check out.
• Equal Mathematics Education for Female Students, ERIC Digest
  Discourse! �This digest reviews common teaching practices and methods of communication in the classroom--known as discourse--to indicate the treatment of female students that inhibits their ability to successfully learn math.� .
• Exemplars
  Exemplars offers differentiated, classroom-tested, standards-based assessment tasks and instruction materials. Each task comes with alternatives, rubrics, and student samples.
• Helping Children Learn Mathematics, Jeremy Kilpatrick and Jane Swafford, Editors
  Information to guide efforts to improve mathematics instruction pre--kindergarten through grade 8. Stresses the importance of parents, teachers, administrators, and policy makers working together to guarantee a mathematically literate society.
• i-Math Investigations (Illuminations at NCTM)
  These multimedia math investigations are online and interactive using Java applets and video clips. Complete i-Maths include investigations for students, teacher notes, answers, and related professional development activities.
• Improving Mathematics Education: Resources for Decision Making
  Designed to inform stakeholders about the decisions they face, this 60 page report is based on eight documents. Addresses questions such as: Does working in small groups help students to develop math proficiency? What should be taught? How? and much more.
• Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol
  Look for inquiry based teaching methods in your own math or science classroom. With the help of a friendly observer, determine the degree to which your classroom (K-20) instruction meets national standards.