1. The Ames Community Schools (ACS) are concerned with the performance of their students in problem solving on a nationally standardized exam. While ACS traditionally scores in the 90 th percentile, results from the problem- solving section were much lower. The purpose of Mathematical Teaching Software System (MTSS) is to develop a platform-independent program to augment the problem-solving education of ACS elementary students. To ensure cross-platform compatibility, a suite of Active Server Pages (ASP), accessible through a standard internet browser, will be generated. In conclusion, by creating a program to enhance and expound upon existing educational resources, ACS students will be better prepared for the standardized tests – ultimately producing higher test scores. Abstract General Background Internet-based program Interactive problem solving Topical organization of problems, starting with fractions Uses student evaluation to facilitate teaching Generates student and class statistics Technical Problem Intuitive yet powerful interface for children Cross-platform compatibility (Macintosh and IBM) Database management Simultaneous, individualized user capability Intended Users Children in the 3 rd to 6 th grades from ACS Classroom teachers Parents Operating Environment Client computers must have version 4.0 or better internet browser Operating system on the server for this application requires Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 to run Internet Information Server 4.0 (IIS) Assumptions MTSS is supplemental to teacher instruction MTSS will have write-access to the server Limitations Lack of user computer knowledge, reading skills, and typing skills Must work within ACS’s current computer infrastructure (network and machines) Quality of available database mechanism IntroductionDesign Requirements Milestones Research problem background Meet with teachers and visit classrooms Create flow chart describing function and I/O Code a fractions demonstration Test the resultant software Modify the software as necessary Functional Requirements Present a problem to the students for them to solve Ask the students to describe their strategy for solving the problem Conduct an evaluation of their work and be able to justify their answer Store results for teachers to retrieve and review Design Objectives Research various methods of teaching problem solving Develop a web-based program that will allow 3 rd through 6 th graders to learn problem-solving skills Build facilities for teachers to monitor the progress of students throughout the problem solving and learning process Testing Approach Tested for functionality, reliability, and ease of use Team members will perform the initial tests Final tests will be conducted by ACS teachers and actual students Technical Approach By meeting with primary school teachers who are presenting problem-solving techniques, the project team will determine which techniques are successful and will attempt to computerize those techniques. Class materials will be reviewed to help define the system requirements. End Product The end product is a suite of ASP pages that will build dynamic pages for students depending on the problem category and difficulty desired. On problems where it is beneficial for students to rotate the image, the users will be able to do this. An ASP/web solution also allows the pages of generated HTML to be viewed on any platform. Teachers will also be able to compare information obtained from all participating students. Because this solution is a “web-based” solution, students will have the opportunity to work on problem solving skills from home with their parents. This can indirectly have a large affect on parent involvement with the education process. Acknowledgements Liz Bowman, 3 rd grade teacher Karen Hoiberg, 5 th grade teacher Tony VanderZyl, Curriculum and Instruction Nancy Vogeler, 6 th grade teacher Elise Wright, 5 th grade teacher Second semester team members Budget Item(s)Cost Poster$ 50 Books$ 80 Miscellaneous$ 20 Total$ 150 If you have one block, and you paint all the sides but the bottom, there will be five painted sides. With two stacked blocks, there will be nine painted sides (the bottom and the two connected sides are not painted). How many sides will be painted if there are four stacked blocks? (Ans: 17) Example SdDec01-01 Personal Effort Kok-Hong Chua CprE 95 hours Stacie Doorenbos CprE 100 hours Tom Hromatka EE 115 hours Chris Robert CprE 120 hours Faculty Advisors Dr. John Lamont Dr. Ralph Patterson