Volume 2, Issue 4 (July/August 2017) of The Variable, periodical of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers’ Society, has just been released!
From Kindergarten to Grade 12, there is something for everyone in this month’s issue of The Variable. In his article “Desmos Art,” Nat Banting describes a Pre-Calculus 30 project on function transformations built around the online graphing calculator Desmos; Jehu Peters justifies why, as he argued in last month’s issue of The Variable, handing back exams randomly is a bad idea, probabilistically speaking; and Kelly McCormick and Guinevere Twitchell describe a meaningful project-based learning experience that invites problem solving and mathematical thinking in a preschool classroom.
You will also find our regular features, including “Spotlight on the Profession” (this month’s interview features Steve Leinwand, who discusses changes and future directions for mathematics education in North America); “Reflections,” where Sharon Harvey responds to the age-old question, “When are we ever going to use this in the real world?”; “Intersections,” which will bring you up to date on upcoming professional development opportunities; and “Problems to Ponder,” where you will find a range of rich problems for K-12. Last but not least, we are proud to offer the second installment of “Math Ed Matters by MatthewMaddux,” a new column by Egan Chernoff: “slightly bent, untold, true stories of mathematics teaching and learning.” In this issue, Chernoff offers his perspective on the aphorism “the lottery is a tax on the stupid/poor/mathematically challenged,” arguing that there is more to the story than the aphorism suggests.
To access this month’s issue, head to http://smts.ca/the-variable/, where you will find this and all issues of The Variable free to download.
We hope you find this publication relevant and valuable for your teaching or personal interest – and if so, that you share it with your colleagues and invite them to join the conversation! If you have feedback, questions, or would like to contribute, we would love to hear from you – contact us at thevariable@smts.ca.