An update on resource development at Mathsnet. Thank you for subscribing. MathsNet.net is a free and independent educational website, produced in its entirety by me.

The password for access to the puzzle answers is not given here but is included in the emailed newsletter.

MAIN RESOURCE SUMMARY
The main curriculum resources on MathsNet are:

ASA2 Mathematics: http://www.mathsnetalevel.com
Interactive GCSE Subscription site : http://www.mathsnetgcse.com
KS3: http://www.mathsnet.net/ks3/

Geometry: http://www.mathsnet.net/geometry/
Graphs: http://www.mathsnet.net/graphs/
Algebra: http://www.mathsnet.net/algebra/
Fractions: http://www.mathsnet.net/fractions/
Games and puzzles: http://www.mathsnet.net/puzzles.html
Discussion forums: http://www.mathsnet.net/forums/

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
There has not been a newsletter for nearly a year and maybe you thought MathsNet had faded away in that time. But no!

I have spent hours of time and buckets of money developing the new A Level site at http://www. mathsnetalevel.com . In fact it is called MathsNet A Level plus because in addition to the familiar Examination boards AQA, OCR and Edexcel it caters for CCEA, WJEC and Scottish Highers too. It also caters for the three International Baccalaureate Diploma courses: HL, SL and Mathematical Studies.
It will be a subscription site and this will happen soon this spring, in partnership with Chartwelle Yorke. We are looking at new ways of charging for this service and because of the ability to track fairly accurately how many users are simultaneously using the site, we will be offering subscriptions per user as well as per school. For example an individual teracher will be able to access the site for something like £30 a year. For students it will be less. There will also still be a figure for whole school subscription.

The content of the site is expanding on the original version on MathsNet. Currently the major exam specifications are covered by over 2000 pages of content. Downloadable material is being added. Files for use with Cabri, Autograph, Omnigraph, Geometer's Sketchpad, Fathom, Excel and TI-Interactive are being developed; more will follow. The examination papers are being updated. For example the site already holds many of the questions from the core papers sat in January 2008 (based loosely on questions from Edexcel and OCR-MEI's papers).
The inclusion of the International Baccalaureate means there is new content on sets and groups, basic numerical methods and financial mathematics. Content specific to graphic calculators is here too, based at present on the TI-84 model.

Because the new site is built from a database, it is far more flexible than previous versions. As specification changes come and go the site should be able to adjust quickly. For example, the new site contains the Edexcel modules for teaching from September 2008. Courses for specific use can be created. For example if an organiation is running a weekend course the site can provide the material relevent to that course so that users logging on will have access only to that. An online version of a textbook could be created. Subscribers could subscribe to specific modules only rather than the whole two year course.

Have a look at the new site and use the feedback form to leave any helpful comments you might have.