University of Connecticut
Department of Mathematics
Colloquium

Al Cuoco
(Center for Mathematics Education)
Making Sense of Elementary Algebra
BPB (Biology/Physics Building) 131 - Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 4:30 pm
UNUSUAL time and room.

  Algebra continues to be a major obstacle for students. Many stumble over the beginnings of the subject, and even those who fare well in two years of high school algebra are unable to see its power and utility in mathematics and related fields. Part of the reason for these difficulties comes from the disconnect between school algebra and algebra as a scientific discipline. Drawing on examples from Common Core, the monograph "Reasoning and Sense Making in Algebra," the recently released PARCC "Content Frameworks,'' and a four-year high school curriculum that my colleagues and I have developed, I'll talk about some ideas for making algebra more meaningful, coherent, and tractable for students and their teachers.  

Colloquium Webpage: http://www.math.uconn.edu/Seminars/show_seminars.php?Subject=colloquium