Abraham Arcavi

Over the past 50 years the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel was actively involved in all the components related to curriculum development, implementation, and research in science, mathematics, and computer science education: both learning and teaching. These initiatives are well designed and effective examples of long-term developmental and comprehensive models of reforms in the way science and mathematics are learned and taught. The 16 chapters of the book are divided into two key parts. The first part is on curriculum development in the sciences and mathematics. The second describes the implementation of these areas and its related professional development. Following these chapters, two commentaries are written by two imminent researchers in science and mathematics teaching and learning: Professor Alan Schonfeld from UC Berkeley, USA, and Professor Ilka Parchman from IPN at the University of Kiel, Germany. The book as a whole, as well as its individual chapters, are intended for a wide audience of curriculum developers, teacher educators, researchers on learning and teaching of science and mathematics and policy makers at the university level interested in advancing models of academic departments working under a common philosophy, yet under full academic freedom. Contributors are: Abraham Arcavi, Michal Armoni, Ron Blonder, Miriam Carmeli, Jason Cooper, Rachel Rosanne Eidelman, Ruhama Even, Bat-Sheva Eylon, Alex Friedlander, Nurit Hadas, Rina Hershkowitz, Avi Hofstein, Ronnie Karsenty, Boris Koichu, Dorothy Langley, Ohad Levkovich, Smadar Levy, Rachel Mamlok-Naaman, Nir Orion, Zahava Scherz, Alan Schoenfeld, Yael Shwartz, Michal Tabach, Anat Yarden and Edit Yerushalmi.

Over the past 50 years the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel was actively involved in all the components related to curriculum development, implementation, and research in science, mathematics, and computer science education: both learning and teaching. These initiatives are well designed and effective examples of long-term developmental and comprehensive models of reforms in the way science and mathematics are learned and taught. The 16 chapters of the book are divided into two key parts. The first part is on curriculum development in the sciences and mathematics. The second describes the implementation of these areas and its related professional development. Following these chapters, two commentaries are written by two imminent researchers in science and mathematics teaching and learning: Professor Alan Schonfeld from UC Berkeley, USA, and Professor Ilka Parchman from IPN at the University of Kiel, Germany. The book as a whole, as well as its individual chapters, are intended for a wide audience of curriculum developers, teacher educators, researchers on learning and teaching of science and mathematics and policy makers at the university level interested in advancing models of academic departments working under a common philosophy, yet under full academic freedom. Contributors are: Abraham Arcavi, Michal Armoni, Ron Blonder, Miriam Carmeli, Jason Cooper, Rachel Rosanne Eidelman, Ruhama Even, Bat-Sheva Eylon, Alex Friedlander, Nurit Hadas, Rina Hershkowitz, Avi Hofstein, Ronnie Karsenty, Boris Koichu, Dorothy Langley, Ohad Levkovich, Smadar Levy, Rachel Mamlok-Naaman, Nir Orion, Zahava Scherz, Alan Schoenfeld, Yael Shwartz, Michal Tabach, Anat Yarden and Edit Yerushalmi.

Tasks and Competencies in the Teaching and Learning of Algebra provides a conceptual approach that will encourage students learning algebra to employ a variety of thinking processes and strategies and, most importantly, will enable them to truly understand the concepts that underlie the problems they are solving. The authors’ framework develops those skills and competencies, aligned with the goals of the Common Core State Standards, that are necessary for an integrated, conceptual learning of algebra. The book’s four chapters include tasks focusing on algebraic expressions, equations, and functions, followed by tasks that integrate several mathematical concepts. Each of the 48 tasks in this book contains:a classroom-ready task, with items arranged by increasing order of complexitya discussion of the task’s main ideas and objectivessolutions for each item in the task, with suggestions of various methods that students might use; anda listing of the essential competencies that students can develop by working on the task. All 48 tasks are also available at NCTM’s More4U website as downloadable and printable worksheets to hand out to students. With its strong conceptual framework, Tasks and Competencies in the Teaching and Learning of Algebra is designed to enable teachers, teacher educators, and curriculum designers to help students at all levels master the ideas and practices found in algebra and to develop skills they can use throughout their mathematics education.

IMPACT (Interweaving Mathematics Pedagogy and Content for Teaching) is an exciting new series of texts for teacher education which aims to advance the learning and teaching of mathematics by integrating mathematics content with the broader research and theoretical base of mathematics education. The Learning and Teaching of Algebra provides a pedagogical framework for the teaching and learning of algebra grounded in theory and research. Areas covered include:• Algebra: Setting the Scene• Some Lessons From History• Seeing Algebra Through the Eyes of a Learner• Emphases in Algebra Teaching• Algebra Education in the Digital EraThis guide will be essential reading for trainee and qualified teachers of mathematics, graduate students, curriculum developers, researchers and all those who are interested in the "problématique" of teaching and learning algebra. It allows you to get involved in the wealth of knowledge that teachers can draw upon to assist learners, helping you gain the insights that mastering algebra provides.

IMPACT (Interweaving Mathematics Pedagogy and Content for Teaching) is an exciting new series of texts for teacher education which aims to advance the learning and teaching of mathematics by integrating mathematics content with the broader research and theoretical base of mathematics education. The Learning and Teaching of Algebra provides a pedagogical framework for the teaching and learning of algebra grounded in theory and research. Areas covered include:• Algebra: Setting the Scene• Some Lessons From History• Seeing Algebra Through the Eyes of a Learner• Emphases in Algebra Teaching• Algebra Education in the Digital EraThis guide will be essential reading for trainee and qualified teachers of mathematics, graduate students, curriculum developers, researchers and all those who are interested in the "problématique" of teaching and learning algebra. It allows you to get involved in the wealth of knowledge that teachers can draw upon to assist learners, helping you gain the insights that mastering algebra provides.