The Internet can be a spark for changing and shaping students' opportunities for learning mathematics. In that regard, this book helps teacher educators, college students preparing to become mathematics teachers, and teachers in elementary, middle, and secondary schools to become better acquainted with some of the resource materials and information available on the Internet to support the teaching and learning of mathematics.
All websites described in this book have been carefully reviewed to ensure that they are useful and of sufficient quality. The sites were functional at the time of writing; however, it is impossible to guarantee that the sites will remain functional over time.
Chapter 1 is intended to help you become Internet literate. It describes briefly what the Internet is and how to access information found on it. A short tutorial is included to help you learn how to use Yahoo!, a search directory, to search for mathematics education sites. A list of Internet tutorial sites is also provided. The sites are useful for learning how to surf the Net.
Chapter 2 is the heart of this book. It provides substantial guidance on the learning of mathematics through a discussion of teaching scenarios that involve the Internet. It discusses issues with past mathematics instructional practices and provides a view of teaching mathematics for the twenty-first century that is based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. The chapter discusses in some detail how the Internet can be used to support the learning of mathematics. That discussion helps to clarify how to use the Internet as an instructional tool in ways that reflect current reform in teaching mathematics.
Chapter 3 is the main website directory of this book. It lists a wealth of websites containing resources that are consistent with the NCTM Principles and Standards. Student and practicing teachers will find these resources useful for teaching mathematics.
The sites listed in Chapter 3 are organized into six categories that directly concern the daily teaching needs of teachers. The categories are:
- Lessons and Activities (sites that provide ideas for lessons/activities)
- Problems (sites that provide problems for students to solve)
- Mathematics Content (sites that provide information on mathematics itself)
- Statistics (sites that provide access to numerical data or that involve resources for teaching statistics)
- Comprehensive Gateways (sites that provide links to a multitude of education sites)
- Other Math-Related Matters (sites that provide resources that do not fit readily into the above categories)
Each site listing includes a description and a profile consisting of eight components: intended audience, grade level, curricular fit, type of resources, authorship of site, navigation, visual appeal, and interactive activity.
Chapter 4 is also a directory chapter. It is devoted to websites that concern the professional development needs of teachers. These sites are organized into six categories:
- Associations, Organizations, Projects, Centers (sites that provide access to and information on a variety of professional development concerns)
- Information on Reform (sites that provide information on various aspects of reform in mathematics education)
- Information on Assessment (sites that provide information on assessing the mathematical understandings and skills of students)
- Collaboration (sites that facilitate collaboration and communication among teachers)
- Gender Concerns (sites that provide information on addressing gender issues in mathematics education)
- Multicultural and Minority Groups Concerns (sites that provide information on addressing multicultural and minority group issues in mathematics education)
Descriptions are provided for professional development sites, but profiles are not included.
Appendix A is an annotated list of electronic journals that pertain to teaching mathematics. Appendix B is a glossary of terms associated with the Internet.
Acknowledgments
A sincere thanks to Scott Wellman, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba, for the technical assistance that he has provided. A sincere thanks to John Anchan, Faculty of Education, University of Winnipeg, for his helpful advice. Thanks also to the reviewers of the manuscript for their insights and comments: David Reid, Acadia University; Anne L. Madsen, University of New Mexico; Anna O. Graeber, University of Maryland; Jay Graening, University of Kansas; Dennis Showers, SUNY at Geneseo; and Steven W Ziebarth, Western Michigan University.
Jerry A. Ameis, Ph. D.
Jazlin V. Ebenezer, Ed. D.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
