Math on the Move (MOTM) 2012

Math on the Move (MOTM) 2012

By Kathleen Nolan and J. Harley Weston

Math on the Move (MOTM) has been more ambitious in 2012 than ever before! The initiative (based in Regina Saskatchewan) visited seven schools in five school districts and delivered inquiry-based mathematics activities to 157 students.

A map showing the MOTM communities visited, as well as student photos can be found on the Math on the Move web site. Support for the 2012 of MOTM activities was obtained from the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS), the Faculties of Education and Science at the University of Regina, and Math Central.

Mathematics education students were hired in the 2012 to develop and deliver inquiry-based activities at the grades 9-10 level. At the schools, students cycled through four stimulating activities, ending with Math Olympics. As well as specific achievement awards, all participants received a prize of an NCTM “I Love Math” pencil.

MOTM originated as a means to involve students in inquiry-based mathematics activities, to give pre-service teachers an opportunity to design and deliver these activities, and to illustrate the use of inquiry-based activities to practicing (in-service) teachers. The organizers were particularly interested in the teachers’ responses to the questions: “Are you interested or engaged in the activities?" and “Are you learning any new ideas or approaches that you might use in your classroom?” Moving forward, MOTM activities will illustrate even more clearly to teachers how they can include inquiry-based activities in their lessons by providing more deliberate links to mathematics curriculum goals and outcomes.