Volume 2, Issue 6 (November/December 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, Suzanne Harper and Dana Cox share a strategy for incorporating problem solving into mathematics courses while, at the same time, managing the risks associated with creative mathematical work; Jennifer Brokofsky tackles the question “How can I help my child succeed in mathematics?”; and Shawn Godin shares some radical problems in his new regular column, “Alternate Angles.” You will also find our regular features, including “Spotlight on the Profession” (this month’s interview features Susan Milner, who shares her perspective on the value of play in the mathematics classroom); “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 use in your K-12 classroom.

Last but not least, this month’s issue features the latest installment of Math Ed Matters by MatthewMaddux,” a column by Egan Chernoff telling “slightly bent, untold, true stories of mathematics teaching and learning.” In this issue, Chernoff shares “The Inside Joke on Math Lessons,” which draws an unlikely (at least, at first glance) parallel between stand-up comedy and the teaching and learning of mathematics.

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 read and download.

Volume 2, Issue 5 (September/October 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 “Mining Math Contests for Good Problems,” Shawn Godin shares a variety of sources of great problems for your classroom, demonstrating how they can be modified to suit your students’ needs; Caroline Junkins challenges the view that mathematical ability is determined at birth, arguing that an incremental theory of ability can lead to success in both teaching and learning; and Lee Walk and Marshall Lassak describe their effort to make homework matter to their students.

You will also find our regular features, including “Spotlight on the Profession” (this month’s interview features Lisa Lunney Borden, a mathematics education researcher committed to decolonizing mathematics education through culturally-based practices and experiences); “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 use in your K-12 classroom. Last but not least, this month’s issue features the third installment of “Math Ed Matters by MatthewMaddux,” a column by Egan Chernoff telling “slightly bent, untold, true stories of mathematics teaching and learning.” In this issue, Chernoff discusses “abhorrent mathematical algorithms,” or mathematical abhorithms, and explains what, exactly, he has against bow ties.

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.

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.