The New York Times special issue on math and science education on September 2, 2013, included some worthwhile items."Cognitive Science Meets Pre-Algebra" reports on a recent study of "interleaving homework" in a middle school in Tampa. The idea was to compare the usual approach (homework is on the topic currently under study) with interleaving, which… Continue reading NY Times special issue
Author: hpicciotto
Extending Exposure
Not all students learn new math concepts at the same rate. Everyone knows this. Can anything be done about it?This is part of a multifaceted strategy to teach heterogeneous classes. Read about it in this article: Reaching the Full Range. Most schools attempt to make the problem more manageable by tracking students into Honors, Regular,… Continue reading Extending Exposure
One Should Separate Related Topics!
This is part of a multifaceted strategy to teach heterogeneous classes. Read about it in this article: Reaching the Full Range.In a previous post, I discussed the benefits of "lagging homework". These included extending student exposure to new ideas, which benefits everyone: stronger students get the forward motion they want and need, and students who… Continue reading One Should Separate Related Topics!
"A New Algebra"
About twenty years ago, along with Anita Wah, I wrote "A New Algebra", a paper for the Journal of Mathematical Behavior (JMB). It was an attempt to address what I saw as a crucial issue in secondary math education: on the one hand, the traditional Algebra 1 course was the gateway to any further work… Continue reading "A New Algebra"
More on Homework
In response to my previous post, Mike Thayer asks: "What's your take on no homework at all? " Most learning happens in class, and one should not overdo homework. Too much homework only antagonizes kids and in most cases, it does not help their learning. On the other hand, a small amount of homework is… Continue reading More on Homework
Lagging Homework
This is part of a multifaceted strategy to teach heterogeneous classes. Read about it in this article: Reaching the Full Range.One concept which has been extremely popular every time I've offered my workshops is "lagging homework". The idea is to completely separate tonight's homework from today's class work. I tend to assign homework about ideas… Continue reading Lagging Homework
Reimagining High School Math: Sharing
I am teaching a workshop in San Francisco, June 20-21, on "reimagining high school math".Support materials are on the workshop participants' Web site.Participants: please use the comments below to share ideas, resources, and questions. --Henri
Visual Algebra: Sharing
I am teaching a Visual Algebra workshop in San Francisco, June 17-19.Support materials are on the workshop participants' Web site.Over the past couple of decades, there has been a trend to teach algebra to younger and younger students. That could actually be a good thing. But unfortunately, that has been interpreted as teaching the traditional… Continue reading Visual Algebra: Sharing
Transformational Geometry, cont’d.
As I mentioned in a recent post, I will be one of the presenters at the Bay Area Math Project's summer workshop on Transformational Geometry. As part of preparing for this, I went through my notes, and compiled a sort of syllabus of the relevant lessons from my Space course. Symmetry and transformations are the… Continue reading Transformational Geometry, cont’d.
Embracing Contraries
In 1983, Peter Elbow, a professor at Stony Brook University, wrote a profound article about teaching. It was titled "Embracing Contraries in the Teaching Process" and was published in College English, Volume 45, Number 4. The article was very important for me. It helped me clarify my thinking about education — even though Elbow is… Continue reading Embracing Contraries
