Last Saturday, I attended an Escape from the Textbook! meeting. As always, it was stimulating. Here are some notes.Carlos Cabana talked about the special role of tools in a student-centered pedagogy. Used properly, they allow us to reverse questions and get at big ideas. This is in contrast to the shallow use of tools which… Continue reading Escape! meeting notes 1 — tools, backward design
Author: hpicciotto
Interview
I was interviewed by MathMirror.org about a variety of math education topics.You can watch the videos (3 parts, 4 to 6 minutes each) on their Perspective #6 page.On the same site is a quite interesting article by Tom Murray about the demise of small math education publishers. --Henri
Lab Gear availability
Apparently Lab Gear is gradually running out, and will soon be "out of print", or whatever the appropriate phrase is for plastic manipulatives. So if you want to get more blocks, now is the time. Go to the McGraw-Hill site.I'll be looking for another publisher, but who knows if I'll find one.--HenriPS: If you need… Continue reading Lab Gear availability
How do we know they’re learning?
I was interviewed for a school publication, on the topic "How do we know they're learning?"The question arises in part because my school (the Urban School of San Francisco) de-emphasizes AP's.If you want to see me respond, I am in the middle third of the video, with Jonathan Howland, our Dean of Faculty before and… Continue reading How do we know they’re learning?
Sense-Making and Algebra 2
I gave a talk at the NCTM Institute on Reasoning and Sense-Making. The topic was "Making Sense in Algebra 2." It was an updated version of an old talk titled "Seeking Depth in Algebra 2". For the occasion, I updated the Algebra 2 page on my site. In particular, I posted the new version of… Continue reading Sense-Making and Algebra 2
In my other life…
My Web site was mentioned in this news article.--Henri
Grades (part 2)
When students learn their grade for a given course, what they are learning is how they compare with their peers, which is one indicator of "how they are doing". (See Grades, part 1). Grade or no grade, many students know exactly where they fit in the classroom hierarchy, though some may not admit it to… Continue reading Grades (part 2)
Grades (part 1)
Grades have no intrinsic, absolute meaning. An A at an elite private school does not mean the same thing as an A at a public school that serves a poor neighborhood. An A at my own school today does not mean the same thing as an A meant 20 years ago. An A in Science… Continue reading Grades (part 1)
Manipulatives: Short Video
I added a short video of me explaining the basic idea behind manipulatives. Check it out.--Henri
My Summer Plans
Where you can find me this summer:June 20-22: Independent Curriculum Group conference, San FranciscoBuilding an Innovative Curriculum: Strategies for Teachers, Departments, and Schools (Scroll down until you see this text)I'll participate, and perhaps present something on teacher collaboration. June 22-24: Center for Innovative Teaching, San FranciscoIntegrated Technology Symposium 2011 for School Leaders: Digital Tools & Practices… Continue reading My Summer Plans
Henri's Math Education Blog 