Presents suggestions for improving textbook and classroom word problems: (1) Avoid composing exercises that inspire unanswerable questions, (2) State problems in terms of the future instead of the past, and (3) Find motivation for solving a problem beyond idle curiosity; some advantage should be gained from solving the problem. (MKR)

Describes features and uses of the Geometry Forum, a National Science Foundation funded Internet project which includes a set of electronic newsgroups for people interested in geometry. (MKR)

Discusses a method of graphing polar equations using information from the Cartesian graphs of trigonometric functions. (MKR)

Investigates the relationship between a fourth-degree polynomial function's parameters and its graph. (MKR)

Presents a class discussion about using the slope of the secant line through the vertex and the point on the parabola occurring one unit to the right as the slope of the parabola. (MKR)

Presents ways that teachers can gain free or low-cost access to the international electronic network known as the Internet. Discusses activities in British Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Newfoundland, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia. (MKR)

Offers guidance in conducting observational assessment, including what to look for, how to look for it, how to document it, and how to use it. Also offers hints from teachers who have experimented with observational assessment. (MKR)

Features an investigation in which students study the time of each bounce of a ball and the total time that the ball would bounce. (ASK)

Describes a course diary that documents events in the course during the year and supplies a record of overall student performance and expectations. Explains the benefits and contents of a course diary, as well as what can be done throughout the year to make writing the course diary an easy task. (ASK)

Focuses on solutions to a single problem using both induction and deduction by utilizing a TI-82 graphing calculator to illustrate symbolic, numerical, and graphical approaches to the problem. (ASK)

Presents an activity on fractions and explains how students obtain different fractions having different patterns when they are represented by their decimal expansions. (ASK)

Presents an activity using quilts for many mathematical investigations. Benefits arising from the use of quilts include being useful, visually appealing, steeped in history, and an integral part of many cultures. (ASK)

Discusses teachers' perspectives of alternative assessment, including loss of predictability in the classroom, content coverage, familiarizing students with the teacher's expectations, dealing with increased demands on time, and communicating with parents. (AIM)

Discusses a simple procedure for determining our exact location on Earth based on the motion of celestial bodies and latitude and longitude. This hands-on activity requires students to design and construct an apparatus that will produce accurate measurements. The materials required are a knitting needle, a tape measure, and a sunny day. (AIM)

These remarks are adapted from the Presidential Address at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in April 1996. The common goal of improving mathematics education for all is stated, and the importance of connecting mathematics to real-life situations is discussed. (AIM)