Connecting Mathematical Ideas: Middle School Video Cases to Support Teaching and Learning

by Jo Boaler, Cathlee Humphreys, Deborah Loewenberg Ball (Foreword)

In math, like any subject, real learning takes place when students can connect what they already know to new ideas. In Connecting Mathematical Idea s, Jo Boaler and Cathy Humphreys offer a comprehensive way to improve your ability to help adolescents build connections between different mathematical ideas and representations and between domains like algebra and geometry.

Genres: Education, Mathematics

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2005

About the author

Dr Jo Boaler is a Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University and co-founder of www.youcubed.org. Formerly the Marie Curie Professor of Mathematics Education for England, a mathematics teacher in London comprehensive schools and a researcher at King's College, London. She is the author of eight books including What's Math Got To Do With It? (2015) and Mathematical Mindsets (2016). She is the recipient of the NCSM award for equity, the author of the first MOOC on mathematics learning for teachers and parents, a White House presenter and an advisor to the PISA team at the OECD.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty spectacular. This is probably the best resource (at a reasonable price) for video cases of a reform-based mathematics classroom. It really captures the power of a good mathematical discussion. In one such discussion, the class starts with an understanding of the volume formula for a rectangular prism, and ends with students generalizing how to find the volume of any prism. How did that just happen?!

Ms. Humphreys is the classroom teacher in the videos, and she really rocks. For a math teacher who aims to be well-read while challenging her students to make math "make sense," Cathy is a good role model. This book goes well with Making Sense by Hiebert et al. I needed a middle-school version of Making Sense, and it's presented here.

Tons of great ideas in this book. A little unorganized. But still spectacular.