Teacher Joe Or try these English Jokes, with glossed vocabulary and audio for listening practice, are very popular, teachers can use them in class as well.
Online Encyclopedia Offers the complete online 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica which is now in the public domain. All articles in this online encyclopedia are searchable and alphabetized.
Writing Guidelines for Math -- We're told by teachers who know that many math folks will welcome the chance to examine this declaration of writing standards for written assignments in math. One teacher friend tells us: "As a math teacher who is often frustrated by the shoddy written work that I find in student notes or in handed-in assignments, I was very interested to read the benchmarks that someone took the time to think through. As always, our upfront work will pay off. Our students will be clearer about what exactly we want them to do. Equipped with that knowledge they might even meet our benchmarks!"
Creating a Supportive Math Classroom -- More and more students are becoming afraid to try new things in case they fail, and mathematics, with its emphasis on 'right' or 'wrong' answers, can potentially reinforce these fears, argues Margaret Taplin. She looks at ways mathematics teachers can help to create a secure, supportive classroom environment in which students learn not to fear failure and to value mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.
Algebra One in the Middle Grades -- Use activities at the ExploreMath website to help middle graders get a firm grasp of alegbraic principles. The ideas here follow NCTM recommendations for middle school -- a dynamic exploration of five different representations of algebraic relationships: algebraic formula, table of values, graph, concrete or pictorial representation, and verbal description. Math teachers will find many great tools and ideas at this site. Visit the homepage.
MathNerds -- Created by the Center for Advancement of Teaching, Xavier University, this site allows students to "ask the expert" questions about math that may even have the teacher stumped. The Archive of past questions is searchable by keyword, date, and category. A collection of mind-boggling problems, contributed by users, can be found in the Best of the MathNerds section. (Education World)
MathCove -- Education World calls this site by a Chattanooga math professor a "math teacher's dream." The site uses interactive graphics to teach some challenging mathematical concepts -- including graph theory, transformations, and geometry.
Figure This! -- Middle school math challenges for families. Developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and other organizations, this site aims to make mathematics part of the everyday learning process outside of school. It targets parents of middle school-age children and provides them with a variety of math challenges to work on with their children.
Do Math! --And you can do anything! That's the central message of this new site, developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. It includes age-specific mathematical activities that children can do with their families and on their own. When we visited, the Gr. 6-8 page included 10 problems. The answers are available but they aren't given up easily!
Digital Dozen in Math and Science -- We regularly steal new links from the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse's monthly Digital Dozen list. If you want to cut out the middle-man, you can go directly to the ENC list each month. MiddleWeb was a featured site for January 1999!
Professor Freedman's Math Help -- A mixture of sound, humour, color, animation and graphics with lots of help for the "math anxious" student. Its aim is to give students a self-directed and entertaining way to learn basic math and algebra. Developed for community college students, but teachers will find useful information about the needs of basic math students of all ages.
Algebra Online -- Offers free tutoring and advice to students, parents, and educators looking for help with algebra and other sticky mathmatics assignments. Students are expected to show their specific problem, the work they've done, and to ask specific questions. "Tutors will not do your homework for you. Instead, they will help you to understand what you are doing."
The Mathematics Archives - This comprehensive homepage compiles Internet sites that contain significant collections of K-12 mathematics materials. Categories include lesson plans, schools with significant math projects, and mathematics software resources.
Top-Rated Math and Science Sites -- Each month the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse selects a dozen useful math and science sites for teachers and students. Visit the archives here.
Mega-Mathematics Site -- A middle school math teacher writes: "There's really neat stuff herel I loved the "Hotel Infinity" (which is just about right for grade 8) and the map-coloring problems as well as "Unusual School." It would make a good supplement to the drill and practice part of the program, and you could some creative art and writing related to these topics too!"
College Preparatory Mathematics -- The CPM mathematics program combines traditional mathematics education with a more contemporary focus on complex problem-solving. Studied by more than a million students in California. The CPM homepages explain the program. Favored by some middle school teachers of algebra.
Math-on-Line -- Offers model lessons from a standards perspective.
The Math/Science Clearinghouse - The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse maintains a "treasure trove" of mathematics and science resources. Check out the Clearinghouse's "Digital Dozen," a monthly selection of useful math and science web sites (which are also archived). The Clearinghouse works in concert with ten regional Consortia organizations. For a report on how the regional Consortia work with local school systems, click here. For information about teachers' professional development needs, see this report.
The Guide to Math & Science Reform - A fully searchable database that includes concise entries on more than 1,200 projects, resources, and organization involved in K-12 math and science education improvement in the U.S. Funded by the Annenberg/CPB Math and Science Project. The Guide's "SAMI" feature includes opportunities for students to e-mail questions to science experts.
Math and Science Initiatives -- A free curriculum resource originally developed for rural math and science teachers but available to all.
The Explorer - Self-description: "A collection of educational resources (instructional software, lab activities, lesson plans, student created materials) for K-12 mathematics and science education." Well-organized subject area outlines, many of which include Acrobat or Claris downloads.
Mathematics Archives -- K-12 Internet resources for mathematics teachers and students from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Interactive Mathematics Online -- At this site, mathematics ideas are explained clearly, with examples. Choose geometry, algebra, chaos, and trigonometry.
Bringing Mathematics to Life focuses on how K-12 math teachers are using NCTM standards to create lessons that emphasize problem solving, mathematical reasoning, and real-world applications. The article also includes interviews with leaders in the field. (ASCD article.)
