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2013 Conference Proceedings - University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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to advance our way <strong>of</strong> life, then spatial thinking must be incorporated into the classroom. To dothis, we must first equip our future teachers.The role <strong>of</strong> research concentrating on pre-service teachers’ spatial thinking and spatial abilityneeds to be a priority if change is desired. The spatial thinking and beliefs surrounding spatialthinking <strong>of</strong> pre-service educators is a critical component to the likelihood <strong>of</strong> this skill beingfostered in future mathematics classrooms. The spotlight is now on teacher education programs,because pre-service teachers must first be pr<strong>of</strong>icient spatial thinkers before they are able to infusethis skill into their own teaching methods. Mathematics courses—especially those required foreducation majors—should be used as a fundamental piece to this design. In conclusion, forchange to occur, inclusion <strong>of</strong> spatial thinking and spatial thinking activities must permeate themathematics classrooms and teacher education programs <strong>of</strong> today and tomorrow.ReferencesBattista, M. (1990). Spatial visualization and gender differences in high school geometry.Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 21, 47-60.Bruner, J. (1973). The course <strong>of</strong> cognitive growth. In Beyond the Information Given: Studies inthe Psychology <strong>of</strong> Knowing (pp. 325-351). New York: W.W. Norton & Co.Edens, K., & Potter, E. (2007). The relationship <strong>of</strong> drawing and mathematical problem solving:Draw for Math tasks. Studies in Art Education, 48 (3), 282-298.Fisher, R. (2005). Teaching children to think. Trans-Atlantic Publications.Guay, R. (1980). Spatial ability measurement: A critique and an alternative. Paper presented atthe annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the American Educational Research Association, Boston, MA.Hanlon, A. (2009). The development and validation <strong>of</strong> a spatial thinking attitude survey: Anexplatory mixed method design. Unpublished manuscript. Oklahoma State <strong>University</strong>.Hegarty, M., & Kozhevnikov, M. (1999). Types <strong>of</strong> visual-spatial representations andmathematical problem solving. Journal <strong>of</strong> Educational Psychology, 91 (4), 684-689.Moses, B. (1977). The nature <strong>of</strong> spatial ability and its relationship to mathematical problemsolving. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Indiana <strong>University</strong>.National Center for Education Statistics. (2003). Trends in international mathematics andscience study. Retrieved March 23, 2011 from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/timss03/index.asp.National Council <strong>of</strong> Teachers <strong>of</strong> Mathematics (NCTM). (2000). Principles and standards forschool mathematics. Reston, VA: National Council <strong>of</strong> Teachers <strong>of</strong> Mathematics.National Research Council. (2006). Learning to think spatially. Washington, DC: The NationalAcademies Press.Presmeg, N. (1986). Visualization in high school mathematics. For the Learning <strong>of</strong> Mathematics,6 (3), 42-46.Super, D., & Bachrach, P. (1957). Scientific careers and vocational development theory. NewYork: Bureau <strong>of</strong> Publications, Teachers College, Columbia <strong>University</strong>.Wheatley, G., & Abshire, G. E. (2002). Developing mathematical fluency: Activities for grades5-8. Bethany Beach, DE: Mathematics Learning.<strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>of</strong> the 40 th Annual Meeting <strong>of</strong> the Research Council on Mathematics Learning <strong>2013</strong> 74

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