03 Aug 2005 - 20:40

California adopted textbooks, middle school

As much as I love mathematicallycorrect, I'm just going to go ahead and say, flat-out, that they may have site navigation problems EVEN WORSE than ours.

OK, that was unkind.

Anyway, Carolyn and I have been trying to figure out WHICH Prentice-Hall middle school math textbook the state of California adopted, since we had thought we were both using the same one.

It turns out we're not. (OK, it's possible Carolyn is not obsessing about this. I, however, am losing Valuable Work Time trying to track down which text the folks at mathematically correct like, and why.....)

So far I find a positive review of Ben's text for the fall (Prentice Hall Math Course 2) at mathematically correct; then I find, on what I assume must be David Klein's web site, that Prentice Hall Pre-Algebra (Christopher's Prentice Hall book for the fall) is the one California actually adopted.

Apparently, my plan is to let this Get To Me. Who moved my cheese? And why, why, why?

(I may become calmer if Ed resolves the computer crisis that's currently unfolding upstairs in my office.....)

Here we go:

CA 2001 middle school textbook adoptions

positive review of Prentice Hall Math Course 2

severely fragmented review of Prentice Hall Pre-algebra

Prentice Hall California Mathematics
(this is probably going to be terrific for me, assuming CA is actually using Pre-Algebra, not Course 2...)

teachers' resources on Prentice Hall CA Math site

Actually, there are some useful resources on the 'CA Math' site maintained by Prentice Hall. I can't link to them directly, because the site has a gazillion frames....but look for these two:

• in the STUDENT SECTION: online 'self-tests' for each of the chapters in Prentice Hall Pre-Algebra
• in the TEACHER SECTION lists of prerequisite skills for each chapter in Prentice Hall Pre-Algebra

I may be able to pick up some pedagogical content knowledge in my spare time.

prerequisites for Chapter 1: Integers and Expressions

• adding and subtracting whole numbers
• multiplying and dividing whole numbers
• comparing whole numbers
• combining whole numbers
• reading numbers on a number line
• using whole number patterns
• graphing on a number line

OK, we've got it covered.

Except maybe for the using-whole-number-patterns business.

update, update

This is exciting. At PBS you can watch a video primer on the national NCTM standards featuring interviews with educators involved in developing the standards. I will be watching this video primer, but not now. Later.

And here is a whole big web site for middle school math that looks like fun. (Did I just say that? Have I lost my mind?)

Apparently I have become a person who SEEKS OUT Problems of the Week.

I'm going to have to get Bernie to tell me what this means.

[pause]

uh-oh

There's a whole lot of spatial stuff on the problems web site.

I have a long way to go.

Back to main page.

---

---

Comments

After entering a comment, users can login anonymously as KtmGuest (password: guest) when prompted.
Please consider registering as a regular user.
Look here for syntax help.