Some math teachers find themselves confronted by students who ask, "Why do we have to learn this?" or "When am I going to use it?" These are vexing questions for sure, and one suggestion might be to incorporate the history and development of the field of mathematics into the formal study of the subject. That is exactly what a dedicated team of individuals at the Mathematical Association of...

Crafting new instructional aids for math courses can be difficult, but this helpful new article from Markus Hohenwarter and Judith Preiner will bring much joy to the hearts of mathematics teachers everywhere. This particular article presents information on creating new interactive materials (or "mathlets") with the use of various open source tools. The article includes sections on creating...

Through the ages, various forms of visual expression have implicitly (and explicitly) drawn on a variety of mathematical principles. The people at the Center for Cultural Design at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are interested in reaching out to a wide range of people through culturally-situated design tools, so they have created this fine site to do just that. The activities offered on the site...

Desmos is perhaps most well-known for their free, online graphing calculator (see the 01-10-2013 Scout Report). The company also offers Desmos Classroom: a collection of free, interactive, online activities for mathematics instructors and students. To use Desmos Classroom, teachers need to register for a free account. Next, teachers can select classroom activities and invite students to complete...

The Mathematical Association of America has teamed up the National Science Foundation to create an online collection of digital classroom resources. One of their more recent creations is this multimedia feature that teaches students about Napier's Bones. Created by Michael Caulfield and Wayne Anderson of Gannon University, this feature will introduce students to the work of John Napier, a 16th...

Mathematics educator Dan Meyer, who holds a Ph.D. in Math Education from Stanford University and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of California, Davis, blogs about teaching math on dy/dan. Meyer has authored this blog since 2006, sharing teaching ideas along with reflections about mathematics curriculum and pedagogy. Mathematics instructors of all levels may want to periodically check out...

This website, maintained by a teacher at Gulf High School in New Port Richey, Fla., reviews the Earliest Uses of Various Mathematical Symbols. Listed here are the names and information for the first individuals to use some common mathematical symbols, including symbols of operation, grouping symbols, symbols of relation, and symbols used in geometry, trigonometry, calculus, probability, number...

Educators facilitating in-person courses will want to check out this Early Learning in Math and Science (ELMS) undergraduate curriculum (and those teaching online will want to save it for the future). Developed through a collaboration between the National Science Foundation, the University of California Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science, and Los Medanos Community College, ELMS helps "college...

Education World (reported on in the February 22, 2002 _NSDL Scout Report for the Physical Sciences_) is a website that intended to be "a home for educators on the Internet, a place where teachers could gather and share ideas." This section of Education World provides information on grants and awards available for teachers. There are currently a number of web resources listed on scholarship and...

The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is creating a series of instructional materials for mathematics teachers, and they are drawing on the expertise of high-quality instructors from across the country. One such teacher is Cindy Wyels, who teaches math at California State University, Channel Islands. She recently created this useful set of materials that will help teachers with the use of...