The Middle School Mathematics through Applications Project is designed to create a community of math teachers, educators, and math-using professionals to work together in ongoing seminars and summer institutes to design, develop and test math materials and activities based on real, everyday science and engineering problems. The most advanced computer simulation technology will be used in the materials. New assessment practices will be established. The project has four major foci: i. the creation of a new community of mathematics practices, ii. the creation of new learning materials and collaborative activity structures iii. the gradual design of new teaching and assessment practices, and iv. the development of cognitive and ethnographic research in teaching and learning practices. This project will concentrate on middle school mathematics. It is a joint effort of the Institute for Research in Learning, the Stamford University College of Education, and Sandia Laboratories.
