Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching - Softcover

Boaler, Jo

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0470894520 ISBN 13: 9780470894521

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2015

Synopsis

Banish math anxiety and give students of all ages a clear roadmap to success
Mathematical Mindsets provides practical strategies and activities to help teachers and parents show all children, even those who are convinced that they are bad at math, that they can enjoy and succeed in math. Jo Boaler—Stanford researcher, professor of math education, and expert on math learning—has studied why students don't like math and often fail in math classes. She's followed thousands of students through middle and high schools to study how they learn and to find the most effective ways to unleash the math potential in all students.

There is a clear gap between what research has shown to work in teaching math and what happens in schools and at home. This book bridges that gap by turning research findings into practical activities and advice. Boaler translates Carol Dweck's concept of 'mindset' into math teaching and parenting strategies, showing how students can go from self-doubt to strong self-confidence, which is so important to math learning. Boaler reveals the steps that must be taken by schools and parents to improve math education for all. Mathematical Mindsets:
· Explains how the brain processes mathematics learning
· Reveals how to turn mistakes and struggles into valuable learning experiences
· Provides examples of rich mathematical activities to replace rote learning
· Explains ways to give students a positive math mindset
· Gives examples of how assessment and grading policies need to change to support real understanding

Scores of students hate and fear math, so they end up leaving school without an understanding of basic mathematical concepts. Their evasion and departure hinders math-related pathways and STEM career opportunities. Research has shown very clear methods to change this phenomena, but the information has been confined to research journals—until now. Mathematical Mindsets provides a proven, practical roadmap to mathematics success for any student at any age.

About this title

Review

"...positive and absorbing..." (Teach Secondary, February 2016)

From the Back Cover

PRAISE FOR MATHEMATICAL MINDSETS

"Mistakes, struggles, creativity, beauty, flexibility, equity--Jo Boaler uses these words to describe a vision of mathematics where every student thrives and becomes a mathematical thinker. By following Boaler's roadmap, perhaps we can once and for all lay to rest decades of archaic and destructive notions about what it takes to be good at math."
--Cathy Seeley, Past President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and author of Faster Isn't Smarter and Smarter Than We Think

"Jo Boaler is justifiably tired of all the uninformed BS about math education. Too many children's lives are being harmed. In this book, she takes the gloves off and comes out fighting. Her weapon? Scientific data. Lots of it. A readable, engaging, compelling case for revolutionizing math education. Ignore her message and you (or your children, or your students) will be locked out of much of the 21st Century."
--Dr. Keith Devlin, Stanford University mathematician, NPR "Math Guy," and author of Mathematics Education for a New Era

"Jo Boaler calls out the mindsets that can cripple a student's aptitude for math and ways to change them. More than just a replacement set of positive messages, Jo's book elaborates practical, research-tested strategies for teaching, assessment, practice, and homework--all to help a student learn and love to learn mathematics."
--Dan Meyer, former math teacher, Chief Academic Officer at Desmos, author, and consultant

Scores of students hate and fear math, so they end up leaving school without an understanding of basic mathematical concepts. How can we help all children know that they have vast mathematics potential? How can teachers instruct in a way that brings this belief to life?

Drawing on her extensive research with thousands of students, author Jo Boaler reveals how teachers, parents, and other caregivers can transform children's ideas and experiences of math through a positive growth mindset method. Filled with illustrative examples, Mathematical Mindsets is an important guide to the information, techniques, and activities that can be put in place to make math more enjoyable and achievable for all students. Mathematical Mindsets shows how the entire approach to math teaching and learning--from paying attention to the math questions and reviewing the tasks students work on to the methods teachers and parents use to encourage or grade students--needs to be changed to help students realize the joys of learning and understanding math.

Edition details

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0470894520
• ISBN 13: 9780470894521
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 314