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We examine the case of a lesson planning session within the context of professional development for dialogic instruction, and the lesson enacted following this session, which was intended to provide opportunities to 11th and 12th grade algebra students to explore polynomial functions in terms of their roots and linear factors. Our goal was, through the close analysis of the planning and enactment of the lesson, to gain deeper understanding of how the two participants were framing mathematical learning and how such different frames may explain the disparity between the planned lesson and its outcome. The analysis and discussion point to the complexities of supporting teachers in transitioning from a 'doing' frame to an 'exploring' frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two suggestions for instruction in chemical equilibrium are presented, along with the evidence that supports these suggestions. The first is to use diagrams to connect chemical reactions to the effects of reactions on concentrations. The second is the use of the majority and minority species (M&M) strategy to analyze chemical equilibrium systems. Two studies are presented in support of these suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the construction of systems of competence in two middle school mathematics classrooms. Drawing on analyses of discourse from videotaped classroom sessions, this paper documents the ways that agency and accountability were distributed in the classrooms through interactions between the teachers and students as they worked on mathematical content. In doing so, we problematize the assumption that competencies are simply attributes of individuals that can be externally defined. Instead, we propose a concept of individual competence as an attribute of a person's participation in an activity system such as a classroom. In this perspective, what counts as “competent” gets constructed in particular classrooms, and can therefore look very different from setting to setting. The implications of the ways that competence can be defined are discussed in terms of future research and equitable learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on a digital library called the ChemCollective designed for use in chemistry teaching. The system is said to offer problem-solving activities that are more realistic than those generally available in textbooks. The objective is to engage students in solving problems as they would in the actual practice of chemistry. The ChemCollective Virtual Lab is discussed and illustrated. Using it, students can conduct chemistry experiments using a virtual supply cabinet of laboratory instruments and chemicals. Tutorials used in ChemCollective are being developed cooperatively with the Carnegie Mellon Open Learning initiative.