Mathematics Web Site Links
Diocese of Toledo - CYSS Workshop
Thursday and Friday, 23-24 June 2005
Presented by Daniel J. Brahier
Questions can be directed to Dan Brahier, BGSU or Ann Sardeson, CYSS
At this two-day workshop, approximately 30 teachers explored Web sites on the Internet that support the teaching and learning of mathematics. The following is a brief description of each site and a link to the Web address that was visited.
We began with a discussion of specific problems that can be explored on the Web. Specifically, we looked at the following:
Two sites were explored as a source of information about National and State Standards for mathematics and the professional organizations that support the Standards. Participants were encouraged to visit the following sites and to become members of both organizations:
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Arguably the best Web site on the Internet that supports implementation of the Standards is called "Illuminations" and was established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). There are four areas on this site devoted to Lessons, Tools, Web Resources and Standards. Participants visited all four areas.
There are two Web sites that were specifically designed to help Ohio teachers to implement the National and State Standards. These sites are located at the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Resource Center. We explored both of these sites as resources for model lessons and lesson planning ideas, respectively.
Ohio Department of Education Model Lessons
One of the most popular sites for both teachers and students is The Math Forum located at Drexel University. From the front page, there are areas designated for Teachers, Students, Parents, and Research. We did discover that the Problem of the Week feature is now a "pay" area of the site. However, most of the site is still free, including the popular Ask Dr. Math area where students and teachers can search for responses to questions about mathematics problems (or submit their own).
Teachers in the workshop were given lists of over three dozen different lesson planning and resource Web sites. In small groups, we explored the sites, and each small group presented its favorite site from the ones assigned. As a group, the following ten Web sites were described and recommended by participants:
Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
Finally, we discussed the broader issue of reform in mathematics education. Some schools are considering the purchase of National Science Foundation funded curriculum products or have already moved in that direction. NSF has funded three Web sites to support dissemination of information about these research-based programs, as follows:
The ARC Center (for Grades K-6)
The Show Me Center (for Grades 5-9)
We concluded the session by visiting NCTM's "Reflections" site, at which lesson plans, sample student work, video clips, and discussion questions can be accessed for professional development of mathematics teachers: