Technology has changed the practices related to teaching and learning mathematics in schools. The demand for learning mathematics in virtual environments is increasing in the 21st-century classroom. There has been widespread expansion of the use of technology in education. This column reviews three types of instruction—synchronous, asynchronous, and blended—and provides applied examples regarding the use of virtual manipulatives in teaching mathematics to students with learning disabilities.

Peer-led Team Learning (PLTL) is a model of instruction and learning that has been used to address low success rates in various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses and other fields in higher education. (1) While research conveying the efficacy of this model of instruction remains mixed, this project sought to add to the body of knowledge communicating the benefits of PLTL for STEM achievement. This study examined the experiences of STEM community college transfer students’ engagement in PLTL within their major course of study when a suite of supports was provided. (2) Specifically, study participants were enrolled in degree programs at a four-year rural, regional university in the engineering, computer science, and mathematics (ECSM) fields and were provided social, financial, and academic assistance. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed that with a PLTL component, community college transfer students were more likely to participate, engage, and perform better in coursework given the additional supports. (3) Study participants indicated the community of learners created through PLTL was a primary motivator for continued engagement and progress towards ECSM degree attainment. (4) Implications for practice extend to engagement and retention efforts of STEM students from the community college population

As educational robotics (ER) becomes an increasingly popular extracurricular opportunity for K-12 STEM learning, researchers continue to explore effective learning environments and teaching approaches for this integrated form of instruction. However, limited research has examined the experiences of rural educators implementing robotics programs or how these programs contribute to rural teacher leadership development. This qualitative study examines the experiences of rural robotics teachers (RRTs) and the development of their identities as rural STEM teacher leaders. Guided by the rural teacher leadership in the science and mathematics framework, the findings highlight leadership skills that helped RRTs pioneer ER programs in rural schools. The results offer insights into how rural schools can support teacher leadership development in STEM, particularly through integrated, innovative STEM learning approaches. Implications from this study strengthen the support for the rural teacher leadership framework in other STEM content areas.

Field experiences are an important component of preservice teacher education. As educator programs prepare teachers for instruction in a virtual age, creative ways of providing these classroom opportunities must be developed. This chapter reports on the formation and the lessons learned from the implementation of a virtual number talks teacher learning cycle for mathematics preservice teachers. The practical connections of this work provide implications that may promote and inform general mathematics instruction in online classrooms and may extend to both the virtual education of preservice teachers and the development of online instruction in the field of mathematics.