Teaching Mathematics: Foundations to Middle Years connects teacher education students to the bigger picture of mathematics. It shows them how to communicate mathematically, feel positive about mathematics and their role in teaching it and to enter the classroom confident they are equipped with the practical knowledge, skills, strategies and activities to teach mathematics at any level of school.
The text contains a rich set of pedagogy to assist understanding and teaching. These include:
Vignettes at start of each part: Short stories with some exploratory questions to engage the pre-service teachers with the underlying themes and concepts of each chapter.
Big Ideas: Introduce the main concepts of the chapter and encourage mathematical thinking.
Consider and Discuss: Specific tasks/questions/activities that will get everyone involved in tutorials.
Making Connections: links the big ideas in mathematics to other disciplines, and relevant mathematical learning.
Did you know?: short historical and cultural facts that show math it in the larger context and illustrate why mathematics is viewed and taught in the way it is today.
Issues in Teaching: discussion of contentious topics.
Integrating Technology/ ICT: Suggests uses of software, interactive whiteboards, social networking sites, mobile phones, and other digital technologies.
For the Classroom (and you!): activities students can pick up and take with them into the classroom.
Communicating Mathematically: develop student's communication skills in mathematics by illustrating conventions, uses of language, materials, symbols diagrams, interaction patterns.
Handy Hints: practical tips to help students prepare their lessons with confidence.
Think and link: to help students navigate their way throughout the book, drawing on information introduced in earlier chapters and then elaborated on in later chapters.
Chapter objectives, key terms, review questions to help students cement their learning.
