New Releases by Mary Rich

A recent review of research on virtual manipulatives (VMs), defined as technology-based interactive representations of mathematical ideas (Moyer-Packenham, & Bolyard, 2016), suggests strengths relative to other instructional tools in supporting student learning of mathematics (Moyer-Packenham & Westenskow, 2013). Researchers have identified affordances of VMs that may help to explain their value and role in learning. Three such affordances are efficient precision, or support for creating precise representations quickly and easily, focused constraints, or limits placed on how VMs can be manipulated in order to focus attention on mathematical ideas or processes, and linked representations, or sets of representations that are dynamically connected such that one changes in response to the other (Sarama & Clements, 2009). These affordances hold particular promise for supporting student learning of fraction concepts, as VMs can help students overcome whole-number biases when operating with fractions (Hansen, Mavrikis, & Geraniou, 2016) and support accurate estimation of magnitudes of fractions and fraction sums (Braithwaite & Siegler, 2021). Although the evidence of the relationship between VMs and student learning is promising, the impact of all educational resources is shaped by how teachers use them (Cohen, Raudenbush, & Ball, 2003). As such, it is critical to understand how teachers think about VM affordances and how they plan to use them in their instruction. In this dissertation, I explored the thinking of six fourth- and fifth-grade teachers about fractions VMs three contexts: exploration, problem solving, and lesson planning. I employed the professional noticing framework (Jacobs, Lamb, & Philipp, 2010) to analyze how teachers thought about VM features in each context. I coded the VM features to which they attended, synthesized their interpretations of features reflecting each of the three affordances, and analyzed how they used these features in problem solving and lesson planning. Teachers attended to features reflecting all three affordances across contexts, but how they interpreted them varied by context and by affordance. Teachers had positive interpretations of features reflecting efficient precision across contexts because they relieved burdens on students for creating equal parts or carefully aligning models. Only in lesson planning, however, did some teachers reflect on how features reflecting efficient precision might support students in reaching more ambitious learning goals. Teachers'' interpretations of features reflecting focused constraints were negative in exploration and problem solving because they interfered with their familiar problem-solving strategies. By contrast, teachers noted both positive and negative potential effects of focused constraints on student thinking during lesson planning. Teachers attended to linked representations in exploration but showed minimal interest in these features in the other contexts. These results provided helpful guidance for teacher professional learning about VMs in teaching mathematics. Teacher thinking about VMs was more flexible and included more consideration of student thinking in the lesson planning context, establishing the importance of connecting professional learning about VMs to teachers'' day-to-day practice. Additionally, since teachers often connected VM affordances to their existing practices rather than thinking about how to use them to introduce new strategies or learning goals, they will likely need additional support for conceptualizing why the VM affordances are important and how VMs might be used to their best advantage.

Originally published in hardcover in 1996.

Reproducible Reading Study Guides that give students the background and support they need to understand and enjoy literature. With these reading guides, your students will practice reading comprehension skills, sharpen their vocabulary and learn to identify literary elements.

Knitting book of seamless sweaters featuring saddle shoulder shaping. Childrens to s sizes are included. All sweaters are knit from the top down with no seaming when the knitting is complete.

Lessons and practice exercises to teach students to write essays for classroom assignments. Students move from reading about writing, through observing good writing, to creating their own written pieces.

-- Patterns allow for various sizes and sleeve length. -- Basic information on yarns -- colors, weight, fiber content -- and types of needles. -- Instructions on how to read and follow a pattern. -- Graph paper and guidelines for developing one''s own patterns, and other practical tips. -- Glossary, Abbreviations, Index. -- 12 national supply sources with address, phone number, web site, and email address.

-- Patterns allow for various sizes and sleeve length. -- Basic information on yarns -- colors, weight, fiber content -- and types of needles. -- Instructions on how to read and follow a pattern. -- Graph paper and guidelines for developing one''s own patterns, and other practical tips. -- Glossary, Abbreviations, Index. -- 12 national supply sources with address, phone number, web site, and email address.

Parents, school personnel, and mental health practitioners have increasing concerns about the effects of violence and traumatic events on today''s youth. This study focuses on the implications of trauma in adolescent school phobia. The study reports results of interviews with four adolescent females who exhibit school refusal behaviors. Case studies suggest that the students'' school phobia is related to separation anxiety and simple phobia. Research indicates the need for further studies regarding the effects of trauma on school phobia.