The lowest common multiple of two numbers is the smallest number that both can divide into evenly. Lippert works a problem on the blackboard using prime factors to find the LCM, then explains carefully why this is the most efficient way to reach a solution. Individual students work three more problems out on the board, while the others do them in their seats, and Lippert goes over the results. With 15 minutes left in class, she assigns homework and has the students begin work on it as she circulates around the room. Unlike some class periods which jump from topic to topic, Lippert stays focused on one subject and her presentation is clear and lively.
Most educators agree that lectures are a valuable component of math education.
How to balance this direct lecture and example approach with a more student-discoverer model is a topic of debate in schools around the country. It is hardly a new issue. Instead we sought to develop them ourselves. I think this is a good system of education. How one learns the elements of reasoning in primary school will determine his later capacity for intellectual pursuits.'' While primary math classes look very different than they did a decade ago, and while districts are rethinking what middle school students need to learn, local high school math is undergoing its own transformation.