From the Editor’s Pencil
Thank you to those who responded to our “Mathematics or Semantics?” question in the last issue (some responses will be published in the next newsletter). Many of us are concerned with the way math is presented to our students and how they are able to interpret what they read and/ or hear. This was brought home to me again recently in my Grade 3/4 class, where two of my students continue to have problems telling time. Because time always made sense to me, it is very difficult for me when they don’t get it. I often can’t see what is missing and what I need to address. However, we had a breakthrough when I realized that “10 after 3” for them meant that the minute hand moved ten minutes past the numeral 3 on the clock face. As adults, we take it for granted that “10 after 3” means “10 minutes after 3 o’clock,” but for young children trying to remember which hand measures what, shortening the expression just led to more confusion.
I am grateful to the children that they asked me for help, and that they were prepared to stay after class to help me discover what I had not been able to teach them. If we listen carefully, we can learn more about teaching from our students than from anything we studied in university!
Anne MacQuarrie
Distinguished Teaching Award
Dr Craig Loewen
President’s Message
Janis Kristjansson
From the Editor’s Laptop
Anne MacQuarrie
Conference Report
Martina Metz
Alberta Education Update
Revisions to High School Programs of Study
Elementary Mathematics Workshops
Authorized Resources
Learner Assessment Branch
For Your Consideration from PEC
Carol Henderson
Census at School
A Hit with Kids!
Mathematics Summer Institute
