Some math teachers find themselves confronted by students who ask, "Why do we have to learn this?" or "When am I going to use it?" These are vexing questions for sure, and one suggestion might be to incorporate the history and development of the field of mathematics into the formal study of the subject. That is exactly what a dedicated team of individuals at the Mathematical Association of...

The University of Washington's Institute for Science and Math Education has been creating partnerships for "equity-focused" STEM education models since 2008. The Institute is based on three core strategies, which can be found in the About section of the web site. They intend to create mutually-beneficial collaborations, build educational practice based on research, and transcend the inequity that...

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School students. This annual event began in 1959 in Romania, with 7 countries participating and has gradually expanded to over 80 countries from 5 continents. The location alternates each year, with the current 2004 IMO scheduled for July 4-18 in Athens, Greece. The IMO Advisory Board ensures...

The Mathematical Association of America presents this series of in-depth articles on "undergraduate mathematics education." Only eight articles have been contributed since the column's beginning in 1996, but there have already been two excellent ones for 2003. The first is titled Learning and Teaching Ordinary Differential Equations, which explores a change in the way the subject is taught, both...

Created as part of the Mathematical Association of America's (MAA) outreach efforts, MathDL Mathematical Communication is "a developing collection of resources for engaging students in writing and speaking about mathematics, whether for the purpose of learning mathematics or of learning to communicate as mathematicians." The site contains materials on giving successful math presentations, talking...

April 2005 is Mathematics Awareness Month, which is sponsored each year by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics "to recognize the importance of mathematics through written materials and an accompanying poster that highlight mathematical developments and applications in a particular area." In addition to the free poster, which can be downloaded or requested by mail, the website also offers...

Supported by grants from the Gabriella and Paul Rosenbaum and William Randolph Hearst Foundations, the Mathematics Science Research Institute (MSRI) offers a Journalist-in-Residence Program in an effort to make mathematics accessible to the layman. Responding to complaints that mathematics is "too abstract; too remote from 'real life' to be of interest to the general public," the program...

This website is an excellent resource for math teachers teaching any age and level of students. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), "support[s] teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development and research." Visitors interested in making math fun will certainly want to read the lead...

How can schools around the United States turn "the opportunity of the Common Core into reality in every classroom, school, and district?" This very question occupies the minds at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. This thoughtful report gives guidance to teachers, mathematics coaches, administrators, parents, and policy makers. Visitors can learn about eight essential mathematics...

This website for the Peabody College of Education: Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University describes current projects in mathematics education research. Findings and innovations developed from several projects are available from this website. Current and completed projects include: Investigating Multimedia Case Studies as a Tool for Pre-service Teacher Development,...