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Science and Mathematics Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Teacher Education and Professional Development

Central Washington University

Exploding Dots

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education

Dots Explode In HawaiʻI, Veny Liu, Laurie James Apr 2021

Dots Explode In HawaiʻI, Veny Liu, Laurie James

Journal of Math Circles

Teachers are wonderful advocates of mathematics for future generations, and they are continually looking for ways to get students more engaged in mathematics. Through visuals and hands-on activities, the Exploding Dots concept can help teachers and students understand many elementary arithmetic and algebra topics. The implemented tasks promote problem-solving by allowing multiple entry points and varied solution strategies. This paper explored this idea beyond drawing clusters of dots by Locking Legos activity. With a thorough understanding of math content, participants in multiple Math Teachers’ Circle of Hawai‘i (MaTCH) meetings expressed confidence in creating and developing meaningful and relevant differentiated learning …


Mathamigos: A Community Mathematics Initiative, James C. Taylor, Delara Sharma, Shannon Rogers Aug 2019

Mathamigos: A Community Mathematics Initiative, James C. Taylor, Delara Sharma, Shannon Rogers

Journal of Math Circles

We present a broad, and we think novel, community mathematics initiative in its early stages in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At every level, the program embraces community-wide collaboration—from the leadership team, to the elements of the mathematics being implemented (primarily math circles and the Global Math Project’s Exploding Dots), to the funding model. Our MathAmigos program falls within two categories of math circle-related programs: outreach and professional development (PD). In outreach, we work with the Santa Fe Public School district (administration, teachers, students, and parents) and the City of Santa Fe government (our funders via a two-year contract) in …


The Signaling Problem: Using Exploding Dots To Solve An Accessible Mystery In An Elementary-Aged Math Circle, Rodi Steinig Jul 2019

The Signaling Problem: Using Exploding Dots To Solve An Accessible Mystery In An Elementary-Aged Math Circle, Rodi Steinig

Journal of Math Circles

Many people want to facilitate Math Circles for younger students but don’t know how. This article provides a model for how to create an engaging Math Circle for students aged 8-10 to explore different number bases and gives a detailed narrative to guide prospective instructors through the class. The narrative follows a group of eight students spending six weeks joyfully discovering underlying mathematical structure without being told what to do.