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MATHEMATICS


HOME OF THE
CRITICAL THINKING APPROACH
TO LEARNING MATHEMATICS;
ARITHMETIC, GEOMETRY, ALGEBRA, PROBABILITY & STATISTICS, PRE-CALCULUS, AND CALCULUS

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Arithmetic Text, Algebra Text, Pre-Calculus Text

 



PRODUCING TEXTBOOKS THAT FOSTER
CRITICAL THINKING, UNDERSTANDING, AND LEARNING IS OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE.

OUR TOP PRIORITY
IS TO HELP STUDENTS
BE SUCCESSFUL
IN ARITHMETIC, GEOMETRY, ALGEBRA,
PRE-CALCULUS, AND OTHER MATHEMATICS.

   
   


WE ALSO SPECIALIZED IN RELEARNING MATH.
LEARNING AND RELEARNING MATH IS MOST
IMPORTANT IN GETTING AHEAD TODAY.

THE MATH TEXTS IN THE CRITICAL THINKING
APPROACH TO LEARNING MATH ARE
RECOMMENDED BY COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES,
SECONDARY SCHOOLS,
HOMESCHOOLERS, AND SELF STUDY STUDENTS

For all students wanting to learn mathematics; this site provides free help in arithmetic, free help in geometry, free help in algebra, and free help in pre-calculus topics in mathematics. We cannot learn math for you, but Dr. Del and Dr. Mel will try to make it easier for you to learn.

See the Free Math Help Page in our Site Map



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IF YOU KNOW WHICH TEXT
IS OF INTEREST TO YOU,
SELECT IT FROM THE SITE MAP AT THE LEFT;
OR CONTINUE DOWN THE PAGE TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT US



Arithmetic Textbook, Algebra Textbook, Pre-Calculus Textbook, .
CLASS STUDYING FROM M.T.E.'S PRE-CALCULUS


BECAUSE OF THE EMPHASIS ON
UNDERSTANDING AND LEARNING, THIS SERIES
OF TEXTS IS EXCELLENT FOR
TEACHING MATHEMATICS


M.T.E. LTD publishes ARITHMETIC TO ALGEBRA THROUGH PRE-CALCULUS series of texts; these textbooks and materials are for mathematics courses normally taught in high school (7th to 12th grades), but are also taught in colleges and universities. The mathematics in this series is presented in an understandable way in order to maximize success in math courses. This series mentioned above is titled:
"The Critical Thinking Approach to Mathematics."


The materials and texts in this math series contain special sets of exercises designed to foster Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. These sets are called "Exercises for Understanding" and "Problems for Problem Solving". The Texts and Materials of M.T.E. Ltd publishers are designed to Foster Reading, Understanding, and Computation -- not memory.

 

The Company motto is "Striving for Student Understanding and Success
in the learning of Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra. or Pre-Calculus".


Student Understanding is defined as a student being able to state, in their own words, the meaning of the math concept being taught.


 

As a customer service MTE has collected information about the CLEP mathematics examinations and has organized this information for those interested in CLEP.



Activate for Information about
The College-Level Examination Program(s) or CLEP
administered by the College Entrance Examination Board


 



For School Classroom Orders Please Contact Us Directly

  • M.T.E. Ltd.
  • 3095 So. Trenton St.
  • Denver, CO. 80231-4164
  • 303 696 0839
  • mtepoage@interfold.com
Find out how to make some extra money for you or your math department.



The Critical Thinking Approach to Mathematics Series of texts was specifically created to facilitate the understanding of mathematics. The series is for home school, high school, college, or university students; or any individual who needs to learn or relearn math. Few humans totally understand math; however, college capable students can and should understand more math than most do after graduating from high school.


The Series Critical Thinking Approach to Learning
Mathematics of M.T.E. includes the following:

BD Competency Arithmetic
BD Geometric & Measurement Topics
BD Beginning Algebra (1st year algebra)
BD Intermediate Algebra (2nd year algebra)
BD Pre-Calculus (Advanced algebra and trigonometry)


Critical Thinking Approach
FIVE TEXTBOOKS IN M.T.E.'S CRITICAL THINKING APPROACH TO MATHEMATICS SERIES




MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE CONCERNED WITH AND WANT
MORE INFORMATION ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:
THE BUTTONS WILL CONNECT YOU TO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ABOUT THESE TOPICS.



Obtaining a textbook to help a student learn math and get better grades.


Helping students understand the importance of problem solving and critical thinking.



Helping students to think for themselves and understand math concepts instead of memorizing.



The Company and the Authors.







If you need a mathematical resource for:
  • home schooling,
  • a student's homework,
  • help in upgrading your employees,
  • just an additional math resource, or
  • a GED.


The Critical Thinking Approach to Learning Mathematics
is an excellent Series of textbooks, which has been used for over 15 years with thousands of students to successfully improve math vocabulary and the understanding of mathematics. This series has been used in classrooms, home schooling, math labs, tutorial or self-study situations, or industrial employee improvement programs. Click on the appropriate text in the site map, located on the left, for more information about each text package.


These texts are based on the results of nearly 20 years of research concerned with determining why students in high schools and college memorize math, but fail to understand the concepts; thus eliminating any chances of taking university level math courses needed for degrees that lead to higher paying positions.


Arithmetic Textbook, Algebra Textbook, Pre-Calculus Textbook,
M.T.E.'S CRITICAL THINKER


If you have any questions, use the E-mail below to send them to us.


© 2005 by Materials and Technology for Education (M.T.E.) Ltd.
An Educational Math Publishing and Consulting Company

  • 3095 So. Trenton St.
  • Denver, CO. 80231-4164
  • 303 696 0839
  • mtepoage@interfold.com

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Critical Thinking Approach

THE TEXTS IN THE M.T.E. SERIES: THE STAIRWAY TO CALCULUS.

Obtaining a textbook to help a student learn math and get better grades.


The emphasis used in the writing of the Critical Thinking Approach to Mathematics Series is that of understanding mathematics. These texts feature new and different types of exercises to foster better understanding and retention of the mathematics learned as well as the ability to read math and math notation.

Increasingly, more and more parents are discovering that their student who used to enjoy math now hates math because of the excessive memory approach used in traditional texts.

Consequently, students using the materials of M.T.E. get better math grades and do not need to retake high school math in the college or university remedial programs as do most students using the traditional approach. This saves both time and money for the student while attending college.
Satisfaction is fully guaranteed on all M.T.E. products. For more about this guarantee click the "Information about the Critical Thinking Approach to Mathematics Page" in the site map located at the top left of this page.

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Helping students understand the importance of
problem solving and critical thinking.


Everyone in all occupations is concerned with problem solving; this is particularly true in mathematics. Problem Solving is Applied Critical Thinking. Business and industry seek people who are problem solvers; consequently, they most often get the better higher paying positions. Students taught critical thinking improve their ability to think for themselves and are better problem solvers.

Critical Thinking is logical and productive thinking that is capable of extending ideas, creating new ideas, and synthesizing patterns of thought. Critical Thinking is a type of disciplined reasoning. Educational Critical Thinking must be self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective. The definition used for critical thinking in Critical Thinking Approach to Mathematics texts was
Arithmetic Textbook, Algebra Textbook, Pre-Calculus Textbook,
"The ability to ask questions and to seek answers toward the positive solution of a problem or situation."
Understanding Algebra is the key to passing a university level mathematics course and this, in turn, is the key to obtaining a higher paying position in a student's future. Traditional texts contain more content than can reasonably be learned in a school term by a student; in the case of mathematics texts, "more is not better" it is simply more. In order to complete the text and pass required tests, students and teachers are forced to use memorization as the main mode of learning; memorized information is stored in short-term memory and is soon lost forever.

Traditional texts contain so much information that there is not enough time to teach critical thinking and problem solving. More and more parents are stating that their student, who used to enjoy and like mathematics, now hates math because of the great amount of memory work involved in their traditional text.

The Critical Thinking Approach to Learning Mathematics Series of M.T.E. contains all the necessary mathematics from arithmetic to algebra to pre-calculus, but eliminates the unnecessary and "frill" concepts in that course. It was determined that 30 Units (Chapters) would be required to adequately cover the mathematics from Arithmetic to Pre-Calculus to prepare a student sufficiently to enroll and pass a university level Calculus course. For more about this and other topics, click the "Information about the Critical Thinking Approach to Mathematics Page" in the site map located on the top left of this page.

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Helping students to think for themselves and understand math concepts instead of memorizing.

In today's math education, students are taught to memorize math facts; because teachers and educators feel this is the best approach to have better results on standardized tests. In many cases, this is a necessary result for schools to obtain federal and state funds.

Unfortunately, memorization of math facts not only does not guarantee the understanding of math concepts; it often has the opposite effect on learning these concepts.

Memorization:
Students are trying to memorize all necessary facts that are needed to pass the course. However, this is not possible for most students and such a course of action has no long-term benefits; hence causing the basic problem in mathematics today, lack of understanding. which results in poor performance or failure in succeeding math courses. Increasingly it is also causing students to hate math even though they use to enjoy math. This lack of preparation often causes the student to take the remedial math in college or university adding a year or two in college and additional tuition costs.

"In many cases the successful completion of a university level math course is one of the requirements for obtaining degrees that can lead to higher paying positions after graduation. College capable students can and should understand more mathematics than most do after graduating from high school. The Critical Thinking Approach to Learning Mathematics Series of texts has been specifically created to facilitate the understanding of math. Make mathematics a life's partner; instead of a feared-required task. For more about this and other topics, click the "Information about the Critical Thinking Approach to Mathematics Page" in the site map located on the top left of this page.

In many cases the successful completion of a university level math course is one of the requirements for obtaining degrees that can lead to higher paying positions after graduation. College capable students can and should understand more mathematics than most do after graduating from high school. The Critical Thinking Approach to Learning Mathematics Series of texts has been specifically created to facilitate the understanding of math.

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About the Company and the Authors.

Arithmetic Textbook, Algebra Textbook, Pre-Calculus Textbook,


Materials and Technology for Education (M.T.E.) Ltd. was started in the fall of 1996. As an outgrowth of the research project, the authors were conducting trying to determine why high school graduates who had passed math courses with good grades could not pass the mathematics entrance exam for the university. So while M.T.E. is not a large company it has been doing business successfully for more than 10 years. Because the results from the materials written for the research were so successful, the authors decided to produce textbooks based on the materials; thus M.T.E. publishing company was formed.

The main objective of the company was, and still is, to produce math textbooks that have a higher rate of student success than traditional texts. M.T.E. has had been selling texts to parents who homeschool for more than 5 years. Based on the communication the company has had from homeschoolers who used M.T.E.'s textbooks, this relationship has been very successful for both parties. According to these communications, "Math is fun again after an unpleasant experience with other math materials." , or "We no longer need a tutor to help my child with math after we began using your texts.". or "My daughter had given up pursuing a career in science because of the difficulty with math now, using M.T.E. texts, she is again happy with her science career choice,"

 

 

AUTHOR TEAM RESEARCH
As mentioned above, the authors were asked by their university to research the problem of why did so many students having good to excellent grades in high school math courses fail the mathematics entrance exam for the university. After a couple of years of attempting various "Band-Aid" cures, it was decided that major overhaul was needed, particularly the curriculum, course materials, and teaching methods. The research project was called "Continuous Sequence in Basic Mathematics" (CSBM) and the results of CSBM are presented in the "Information About Critical Thinking Approach to Mathematics" page of this web site. After a few years there were as many as 3000 students a semester in CSBM. The materials used in CSBM were constantly revised to improve student success rate. Toward the end of CSBM, the materials and improved teaching allowed a rate of 72% of the students to make grades of 87.5%, aB+, or higher. Those graduates of CSBM who opted to take a university calculus course, over a 3-year period, made better grades (Ave. 3.04 to Ave. 2.43) than the students who were not part of the research. (The Mathematical Association of America. conducted this study). The research and materials for the "Critical Thinking Approach to Teaching Mathematics" have been cited positively by:
  • MAA Visiting Committee,
  • University Evaluation Committees,
  • ERIC,
  • The New York Times and
  • This World Magazine.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS.

Melvin Poage, Ph. D. Mathematics - Michigan State University
Carl Arendsen, Ph. D. Mathematics - Michigan State University
Delano Wegener, Ph. D. Mathematics - Ohio University


THE AUTHORS HAVE A COMBINED EXPERIENCE OF:

  • 20 years of teaching high school mathematics,
  • 52 years of teaching university mathematics,
  • 35 years of industrial experience, and
  • 23 years of research experience.
(Note that some time overlap occurs since the authors
occasionally held two occupations at the same time.)

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