For the past several years, we have been examining ways to introduce notions of algebra to our heterogeneously grouped middle school students. Through our experiences of designing instructional activities that integrate nonroutine, nontraditional problems. we found a meaningful way to involve students in exploring and formalizing patterns, conjecturing about the patterns they identify, verbalizing relationships between and among elements in patterns, and eventually generalizing and symbolizing the relationships—all essential components of algebraic thinking (Silver, in press).
Developing Technology Supported Instructional Activities in a Class of Middle School Students with Intellectual Disability
