Knowledge under Construction: The Importance of Play in Developing Children's Spatial and Geometric Thinking

Daniel Ness, Ph.D. Columbia University, is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Learning at Dowling College where he teaches courses in mathematics curriculum and instruction and cognitive development. He has taught mathematics at all levels, and his 10 years of clinical practice extends from teaching mathematics to conducting clinical interviews and diagnosing mathematical behaviors. Dr. Ness is the author of numerous articles on mathematics cognition and the development of spatial and geometric thinking. He is a contributing co-editor of "After the Bell" in Science Scope, a contributing author of Trivializing Teacher Education: The Accreditation Squeeze (Rowman & Littlefield), and co-editor of the Encyclopedia on Education and Human Development (M.E. Sharpe).

Stephen J. Farenga, Ed.D. Columbia University, is an associate professor and former chairperson of the Department of Human Development and Learning at Dowling College. His research has appeared in major journals in science education, technology, and education of the gifted. Dr. Farenga has taught science for 15 years at the elementary and secondary levels and has served on the Commissioner's Advisory Council on the Arts in Education in New York State. Dr. Farenga has established an educational research clinic to examine methods of best practice and has served as a consultant for urban and suburban school districts. He is a contributing co-editor of "After the Bell" in Science Scope, a contributing author to Trivializing Teacher Education: The Accreditation Squeeze (Rowman & Littlefield), and co-editor of the Encyclopedia on Education and Human Development (M.E. Sharpe).