The Math Learning Center Blog

When I was going through school, I always gravitated toward mathematics (and math-based science classes). I never really thought about what math actually is, only that, well, I liked it. As long as my grades were good, I didn’t really pause to consider what the numbers stood for. I already had some idea of the various math disciplines: in geometry we worked with shapes, in algebra we solved for x...

The "Four Cs"—critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication—are widely recognized as the hallmark of 21st century learning. In reality, I have less than 30 minutes in my first grade teaching day that isn’t designated for the three Rs—reading, writing, and arithmetic. So how do I incorporate technology and the four Cs using my current curriculum? I think about HOW I teach. A 21st...

One of my fifth grade students walked into class and said, “My mom doesn’t get why we don’t just say ‘the answer’ instead of ‘product.’ I had to teach her what a product is!” Thus began a conversation in which students first recalled vocabulary used for different kinds of “answers”—sum, difference, product, quotient—and considered how language points us to a specific mathematical operation. Using...

Recently I watched a toddler in a doctor’s office working to sort shapes in one of those wooden shape sorter benches. He concentrated intently on his work. Rather than trying a block in each opening, he would study the block in his hand carefully before attempting to fit it into the correct spot. Often he had the right shape but needed to reposition it to fit. We become aware of shapes around us...

At the beginning of the school year, I establish “Attendance Person” as one of the classroom jobs. Our Attendance Person counts heads around the circle to determine if everyone is present. This helps us practice one-to-one counting as well as oral counting skills. We use Attendance Sticks—two stacks of Unifix cubes numbered to represent how many should be present and how many actually are present...

Each year we partner with the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) to offer scholarships to teachers across the nation. Recipients of this scholarship are able to enhance their knowledge, teaching, and leadership by enrolling in university coursework that will result in becoming a certified mathematics specialist. Congratulations to this year's winners: Kristin Peters, from...

“In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.” So begins a modern classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The story follows a ravenous caterpillar’s path as he eats his way through one apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on—until he is really fat and has a stomachache. Theorists in education philosophy have long pointed to an integration of...

Playground consultant—this sounds like a dream job for a fourth grader, doesn’t it? Sheridan Elementary School teacher Lisa Gross thought so. After beginning a Bridges STEM unit on playground design and simple machines, she reached out to the parks department in the city of Lake Forest, Illinois, to see if there was an opportunity for her students. Her class of fourth graders is now consulting...

I’m sure all of you have heard about the underrepresentation of women in the professional fields of Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM). I’ve recently written quite a bit about this situation, and links to these materials are in the references given below. Current research and school performance results show that girls are as capable as boys in the STEM disciplines. As educators, you...

Over the years, many educators ate more than their share of eggs in order to collect enough cartons for students to study fractions. A time-tested model for fractions, egg cartons breathe new life when paired with MLC’s free app, Number Frames. (And you won’t have to eat quite so many eggs!) In a few short steps, you can learn how to use the Number Frames App to create egg carton fraction models...