mathematics

Linda Sheffield

Linda Sheffield is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Linda Sheffield rather than just read about it. In short: Linda Rae Jensen Sheffield (born 1949) is a retired American scholar of mathematics education, and an expert on gifted education in mathematics. She is a professor emeritus, former Regents Professor of Mathematics Education at Northern Kentucky University, and former president of the School Science and Mathematics Association.

Key takeaways

Linda Sheffield belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Linda Sheffield to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Linda Sheffield from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Linda Rae Jensen Sheffield (born 1949) is a retired American scholar of mathematics education, and an expert on gifted education in mathematics. She is a professor emeritus, former Regents Professor of Mathematics Education at Northern Kentucky University, and former president of the School Science and Mathematics Association.

Education and career Sheffield graduated in 1970 from Iowa State University. She continued her studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where she received a master's degree in education in 1971 and completed her Ph.D. in 1973. Her doctoral dissertation, The Relationships Among Mathematical Creativity, Numerical Aptitude and Mathematical Achievement was supervised by E. Glenadine Gibb. She was promoted to full professor at Northern Kentucky University in 1983, and named as Regents Professor in 1995. She has since retired as a professor emerita.

Books As well as primary and middle school mathematics textbooks and teacher guides, Sheffield's books include:

Developing Mathematically Promising Students (edited, NCTM, 1999) Extending the Challenge in Mathematics: Developing Mathematical Promise in K—8 Students (Corwin Press, 2003) The Peak in the Middle: Developing Mathematically Gifted Students in the Middle Grades (edited with Mark Saul and Susan Assoulinem NCTM, 2010)

References

External links Linda Sheffield publications indexed by Google Scholar

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Linda Sheffield

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Linda Sheffield claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Linda Sheffield before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Linda Sheffield ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Linda Sheffield

In research: Linda Sheffield appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Linda Sheffield in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Linda Sheffield is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1949 births, American mathematicians, American women mathematicians, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Linda Sheffield outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Linda Sheffield in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Linda Sheffield means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Linda Sheffield out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Linda Sheffield in simple terms?

Why does Linda Sheffield matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Linda Sheffield?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Linda Sheffield.