Exploring young students creativity: The effect of model eliciting activities

The aim of this paper is to show how engaging students in real-life mathematical situations can stimulate their mathematical creative thinking. We analyzed the mathematical modeling of two girls, aged 10 and 13 years, as they worked on an authentic task involving the selection of a track team. The girls displayed several modeling cycles that revealed their thinking processes, as well as cognitive and affective features that may serve as the foundation for a methodology that uses model-eliciting activities to promote the mathematical creative process

The “Kidumatica” project - for the promotion of talented students fromunderprivileged backgrounds

This article describes ‘Kidumatica’ – a highly successful project for the promotion of talented students from underprivileged backgrounds. In its 11 year run, Kidumatica has evolved into a way of life for its many students, allowing them opportunities to realize their potential, enter advanced academic studies, and successfully enter a society rich in knowledge and achievement. Kidumatica is based on academic research in the fields of excellence, cognition and mathematics education, and on the social principle of equal opportunity for all and one’s right to self-realization and aspiration, regardless of ethnic background and socio-economic status. Beyond these social/educational purposes, Kidumatica is also a research model and laboratory for testing new programs and teaching methods for gifted students. The following are the basic premises of the Kidumatica model, its goals and how they are achieved, including the recruitment of club members and the mathematical content

Cultural conflicts in mathematics classrooms and resolution: The case of immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Israeli Old timers

This paper describes a singular process that has been transforming mathematics education in Israel over the past 20 years, as a result of a massive influx of mathematics teachers from the former Soviet Union (FSU). It traces the key points of conflict that marked the initial contact between Israel\u27s mathematical and educational culture and the codes and values brought with the immigrant teachers from the FSU. It then shows how this conflict is gradually becoming resolved, as the two disparate cultures merge into a single, new culture, based on \u27the best of both worlds.\u27 This case, we claim, can serve as an example of the importance - and the benefit – of relations of mutual influence and stimulation between different groups in today\u27s climate of migrating peoples and mixing cultures

An innovative model for developing critical thinking skills throughmathematical education

In a challenging and constantly changing world, students are required to develop advanced thinking skills such as critical systematic thinking, decision making and problem solving. This challenge requires developing critical thinking abilities which are essential in unfamiliar situations. A central component in current reforms in mathematics and science studies worldwide is the transition from the traditional dominant instruction which focuses on algorithmic cognitive skills towards higher order cognitive skills. The transition includes, a component of scientific inquiry, learning science from the student''s personal, environmental and social contexts and the integration of critical thinking. The planning and implementation of learning strategies that encourage first order thinking among students is not a simple task. In an attempt to put the importance of this transition in mathematical education to a test, we propose a new method for mathematical instruction based on the infusion approach put forward by Swartz in 1992. In fact, the model is derived from two additional theories., that of Ennis (1989) and of Libermann and Tversky (2001). Union of the two latter is suggested by the infusion theory. The model consists of a learning unit (30h hours) that focuses primarily on statistics every day life situations, and implemented in an interactive and supportive environment. It was applied to mathematically gifted youth of the Kidumatica project at Ben Gurion University. Among the instructed subjects were bidimensional charts, Bayes law and conditional probability; Critical thinking skills such as raising questions, seeking for alternatives and doubting were evaluated. We used Cornell tests (Ennis 1985) to confirm that our students developed critical thinking skills

A Four Phase Model for Predicting the Probabilistic Situation ofCompound Events

This paper presents an innovat ive cons t ruct ion of a probabilistic model for predicting chance situations. It describes the construction of a four phase model, derived from an intense qualitative analysis of the written responses of 94 mathematically talented middle school students to the probabilistic compound event problem: “How many doubles are expected when rolling two dice fifty times?” We found that the students’ comprehension process of compound event situations can be broken down into a four phase model: beliefs, subjective estimations, chance estimations and probabilistic calculations. The paper focuses on the development of the model over the course of the experiment, identifying the process the students underwent as they attempted to answer the question. We explain each phase as it was reflected in the students\'' rationalizations. All phases, including their definitions and students’ citations, will be presented in the paper. While not every student necessarily goes through all four phases, an awareness and understanding of them all allows for efficient, effective intervention during the learning process. We found that guidance and learning intervention helped shorten the preliminary phases, leading to more relative time spent on probabilistic calculations

Exploración de la creatividad de jóvenes estudiantes: el efecto de actividades que suscitan modelos

The aim of this paper is to show how engaging students in real-life mathematical situations can stimulate their mathematical creative thinking. We analyzed the mathematical modeling of two girls, aged 10 and 13 years, as they worked on an authentic task involving the selection of a track team. The girls displayed several modeling cycles that revealed their thinking processes, as well as cognitive and affective features that may serve as the foundation for a methodology that uses model-eliciting activities to promote the mathematical creative process.El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar cómo involucrar a los estudiantes en situaciones matemáticas de la vida real puede estimular su pensamiento matemático creativo. Analizamos la modelización matemática de dos chicas, de 10 y 13 años, cuando trabajaban en una tarea auténtica que involucraba la selección de un equipo de atletismo. Las chicas mostraron varios ciclos de modelización que revelaron sus procesos de pensamiento, así como las características cognitivas y afectivas que pueden servir como fundamento para una metodología que usa actividades que suscitan modelos para promover los procesos matemáticos creativos

The Effect of Rephrasing Word Problems on the Achievements of Arab Students in Mathematics

Language is the learning device and the device which forms the student''s knowledge in math, his ability to define concepts, express mathematical ideas and solve mathematical problems. Difficulties in the Language are seen more in word problems, clarity and in the way the text is read by the student have a direct effect on the understanding of the problem and therefore, on its solution, could delay the problem solving process. The connection between language and mathematical achievements has a more distinctive significance regarding the Arab student. This is due to the fact that the language which is used in the schools and in textbooks is classical (traditional) Arabic. It is far different than the language used in everyday conversations with family and friends (the spoken Arabic). Our research examine whether rephrasing word problems can affect the achievements of the Arab students in it. The experimental group received mathematics instruction using learning materials of word problems that were rewritten in a “middle language” closer to the students’ everyday language (spoken Arabic), thus keeping the mathematical level of the problems. The research findings showed that students in the experimental group improved their achievements in word and geometric problems significantly more than students from control group

Developing the skills of critical and creative thinking by probability teaching

AbstractThe study reported here described a small step in the direction of developing additional learning units within the traditional curriculum. It is apparent that if a teacher makes a decision to focus on improving higher order thinking and perseveres over time, the chances are good that the teacher will succeed. The purpose of this study was to explore whether teaching our specially designed learning unit would enhance the students’ critical and or creativity thinking. The unit “Probability in Daily Life” was taught to a group of tenth-grade students, with the purpose of encouraging critical thinking dispositions such as open-mindedness, truth-seeking, self-confidence and maturity. The teacher encouraged class discussion and planned investigative lessons. The students completed a pre and post CCTDI test. The findings of the present research are likely to help composing new study programs and methods that can be based on the connection between critical thinking, creative thinking and the study of mathematics, which this research brings

Phosphoinositide 3–kinase γ participates in T cell receptor–induced T cell activation

Class I phosphoinositide 3–kinases (PI3Ks) constitute a family of enzymes that generates 3-phosphorylated polyphosphoinositides at the cell membrane after stimulation of protein tyrosine (Tyr) kinase–associated receptors or G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs). The class I PI3Ks are divided into two types: class IA p85/p110 heterodimers, which are activated by Tyr kinases, and the class IB p110γ isoform, which is activated by GPCR. Although the T cell receptor (TCR) is a protein Tyr kinase–associated receptor, p110γ deletion affects TCR-induced T cell stimulation. We examined whether the TCR activates p110γ, as well as the consequences of interfering with p110γ expression or function for T cell activation. We found that after TCR ligation, p110γ interacts with Gαq/11, lymphocyte-specific Tyr kinase, and ζ-associated protein. TCR stimulation activates p110γ, which affects 3-phosphorylated polyphosphoinositide levels at the immunological synapse. We show that TCR-stimulated p110γ controls RAS-related C3 botulinum substrate 1 activity, F-actin polarization, and the interaction between T cells and antigen-presenting cells, illustrating a crucial role for p110γ in TCR-induced T cell activation