Stepping out of the Text and into the Experience

REVIEWER: Rochelle DeSpain
INSTITUTION: Utah State University

Lew Romagnano transforms math classrooms by taking on the age old teaching dilemmas of today. Lew Romagnano is currently an Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Metropolitan State College of Denver. He conducts research on mathematics teaching and learning in real classrooms. Romagnano applies his expertise to explore how changing the expectations required of students affects the classroom. He hopes to solve the lasting dilemmas of teaching by using the results of this study.

Romagnano addresses the problems of making change in a classroom, struggling with the change, evaluating which projects are most effective, determining whether to ask a student or tell the student, and the grading dilemma. In seven chapters, these problems are discussed as well as summarized according to the discoveries that were made. The reading is easy to understand, yet voices the sophistication of Romagnano. This is a great book with wonderful ideas for mathematics teachers looking for ways to enhance the interest of the students in the classroom.

Romagnano collaborated with a first year teacher, Shannon Curry, to change the environment of her classroom so students can explore mathematical concepts. First, he introduces change by altering the curriculum for her ninth grade general mathematics classes. The curriculum is now set around nine experimental problems for students to work out in the classroom to gain the hands on experience. Next, Romagnano and Curry discuss problems that are occurring because of the students' unwillingness to change. The students' unwillingness to change is actually brought up throughout the whole book.

I especially liked the chapter that focused on the "ask them or tell them dilemma". The discussion is thorough and provides benefits to telling students how to do a project as well as asking them how they would go about doing a project. The latter does bring out better class discussion to help the students think for themselves but telling students how to do something keeps order in the classroom. The experiences of both Curry and Romagnano are compared to better summarize the results.

The last dilemma that is approached is the grading dilemma. Romagnano and Curry came to two different conclusions. The problem arose when they could not decide if behavior should be taken into account to calculate a grade or not.

The summary is organized into five short sections about five points teachers must consider for a change like this to happen. This helps you, as the teacher, to organize your thoughts and plans to transform your classroom into a learning experience. This book provides fresh ideas to apply to the classroom. It is fast reading with a lot of actual dialog that occurred in the classrooms. This book is great and should be read by everyone who wants to change their classroom into an exciting exploratory mathematical lab.

Rochelle DeSpain,
Secondary Mathematics Education Student
Utah State University
Logan, Utah