Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching

✍ Scribed by Boaler, Jo

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Year: 2015
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 311
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Banish math anxiety and give students of all ages a clear roadmap to success "Mathematical Mindsets "provides practical strategies and activities to help teachers and parents show all children, even those who are convinced that they are bad at math, that they can enjoy and succeed in math. Jo Boaler--Stanford researcher, professor of math education, and expert on math learning--has studied why students don't like math and often fail in math classes. She's followed thousands of students through middle and high schools to study how they learn and to find the most effective ways to unleash the math potential in all students.

There is a clear gap between what research has shown to work in teaching math and what happens in schools and at home. This book bridges that gap by turning research findings into practical activities and advice. Boaler translates Carol Dweck's concept of 'mindset' into math teaching and parenting strategies, showing how students can go from self-doubt to strong self-confidence, which is so important to math learning. Boaler reveals the steps that must be taken by schools and parents to improve math education for all. "Mathematical Mindsets" Explains how the brain processes mathematics learning Reveals how to turn mistakes and struggles into valuable learning experiences Provides examples of rich mathematical activities to replace rote learning Explains ways to give students a positive math mindset Gives examples of how assessment and grading policies need to change to support real understanding

Scores of students hate and fear math, so they end up leaving school without an understanding of basic mathematical concepts. Their evasion and departure hinders math-related pathways and STEM career opportunities. Research has shown very clear methods to change this phenomena, but the information has been confined to research journals--until now. "Mathematical Mindsets" provides a proven, practical roadmap to mathematics success for any student at any age.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Foreword......Page 9
Introduction......Page 11
Chapter 1 The Brain and Mathematics Learning......Page 19
Chapter 2 The Power of Mistakes and Struggle......Page 29
Mistakes in Life......Page 31
How Can We Change the Ways Students View Mistakes?......Page 33
Chapter 3 The Creativity and Beauty in Mathematics......Page 39
Conclusion......Page 49
Chapter 4 Creating Mathematical Mindsets: The Importance of Flexibility with Numbers......Page 51
Number Sense......Page 53
What about Math Facts?......Page 55
How Important Is Math Practice?......Page 60
What about Older Students?......Page 68
Wuzzit Trouble......Page 69
Number Rack......Page 71
Motion Math......Page 72
Conclusion......Page 73
Chapter 5 Rich Mathematical Tasks......Page 75
Case 1. Seeing the Openness of Numbers......Page 76
Case 2. Growing Shapes: The Power of Visualization......Page 78
Case 3. A Time to Tell?......Page 84
Case 4. Seeing a Mathematical Connection for the First Time (Pascal’s Triangle)......Page 87
Case 5. The Wonders of Negative Space......Page 89
Case 6. From Math Facts to Math Excitement......Page 92
From Cases of Mathematics Excitement to the Design of Tasks......Page 94
1. Can You Open the Task to Encourage Multiple Methods, Pathways, and Representations?......Page 95
2. Can You Make It an Inquiry Task?......Page 96
4. Can You Add a Visual Component?......Page 99
5. Can You Make It Low Floor and High Ceiling?......Page 102
6. Can You Add the Requirement to Convince and Reason?......Page 104
Conclusion......Page 108
The Elitist Construction of Math......Page 111
The Myth of the Mathematically Gifted Child......Page 112
When Math Inequalities in Course Placement Become Illegal......Page 114
2. Work to change ideas about who can achieve in mathematics......Page 120
3. Encourage students to think deeply about mathematics......Page 121
4. Teach students to work together......Page 122
5. Give girls and students of color additional encouragement to learn math and science......Page 123
6. Eliminate (or at least change the nature of) homework......Page 125
Conclusion......Page 128
Opportunities to Learn......Page 129
De-Tracking......Page 130
Growth Mindset Grouping......Page 131
1. Providing Open-Ended Tasks......Page 133
3. Individualized Pathways......Page 135
Teaching Heterogeneous Groups Effectively: Complex Instruction......Page 136
Multidimensionality......Page 139
Roles......Page 150
Assigning Competence......Page 152
Teaching Students to Be Responsible for Each Other’s Learning......Page 153
Conclusion......Page 158
Chapter 8 Assessment for a Growth Mindset......Page 159
Race to Nowhere......Page 162
Assessment for Learning......Page 166
Developing Student Self-Awareness and Responsibility......Page 168
1. Self-Assessment......Page 169
2. Peer Assessment......Page 174
3. Reflection Time......Page 176
5. Jigsaw Groups......Page 177
7. Online Forms......Page 179
8. Doodling......Page 180
Diagnostic Comments......Page 182
Advice on Grading......Page 185
Conclusion......Page 186
Encourage All Students......Page 189
Setting Up Classroom Norms......Page 190
The Participation Quiz......Page 191
Believe in All of Your Students......Page 194
Value Struggle and Failure......Page 195
Give Growth Praise and Help......Page 196
Teach Mathematics as an Open, Growth, Learning Subject......Page 198
Encourage Students to Be Mathematicians......Page 199
Teach Mathematics as a Subject of Patterns and Connections......Page 200
Teach Creative and Visual Mathematics......Page 203
Encourage Intuition and Freedom of Thought......Page 206
Value Depth over Speed......Page 208
Connect Mathematics to the World Using Mathematical Modeling......Page 210
MP 4: Model with Mathematics......Page 213
Encourage Students to Pose Questions, Reason, Justify, and Be Skeptical......Page 222
Teach with Cool Technology and Manipulatives......Page 224
Conclusion......Page 226
References......Page 227
Appendix A......Page 235
Appendix B......Page 287
About the Author......Page 297
Index......Page 299
EULA......Page 311

✦ Subjects

Education;Science;Mathematics;Teaching;Nonfiction;Parenting;Academic;School;Psychology;Growth Mindset;Leadership