Michael Stephen Schiro has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. He received his bachelorate from Tufts University and his doctorate from Harvard University. In the 1960’s he worked for school desegregation n North Carolina. In the 1970’s he worked to improve urban education in Lowell, Massachusetts. He was chair of the Department of Teacher Education and School Administration at Boston College in the 1980’s. He specializes in mathematics education and curriculum theory, and taught courses in mathematics education, curriculum theory, computer education, literacy, and multicultural education at Boston College from 1974 to 2009, when he retired. He published eleven books with such diverse titles as Integrating Children's Literature and Mathematics in the Classroom, Oral Story Telling and Teaching Mathematics, Mega-Fun Math Games, Curriculum for Better Schools: The Great Ideological Debate, and Tan and the Shape Changer.
This book makes significant contributions to the field of mathematics education in many areas. Its use of oral storytelling as a means of teaching algorithms and problem solving, its presentation of a collaborative teaching model that can be generalized to all mathematics teaching, its presentation of a new perspective on problem solving, enhancing the currently popular approach, and its insights into multicultural mathematics all provide a wealth of knowledge for pre-service and in-service classroom teachers as well as mathematics education instructors' - Dr Rainy M Cotti, Rhode Island College It is very well written. It avoids math education jargon, but at the same time discusses deep issues the subject. References to the literature are useful and well chosen . . . . The book flows very well. very well. I liked the way of starting with stories and the stories of the classroom lessons. This gives a good foundation for the more theoretical discussions later in the book' - Susan Addington, California State University, San Bernardino Oral Story Telling And Teaching Mathematics provides the first serious exploration of the role that oral storytelling can play in helping children learn mathematics. It should be of interest to those concerned with providing children with powerful mathematical and literary experiences and those concerned with multicultural education. } An accompanying CD-ROM contains the full text of two epic stories plus additional worksheets and handouts.
