In my last post, I shared notes from the California Math Council meeting last weekend. I focused on a couple of talks about the use of technology (Asilomar Notes: Tech). Today I write about a different sort of tool, the story table. Shira Helft and Taryn Pritchard’s Asilomar workshop introduced us to this powerful representation of algebraic expressions,… Continue reading Asilomar Notes: Story Tables
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Asilomar Notes: Tech
It is widely agreed among its attendees that the Asilomar meeting of the California Math Council is the best math teacher conference anywhere. Certainly, the setting is beautiful. Over the decades, I have attended some great talks there, and this year was no exception. I will post some notes and reactions here, starting with two tech-oriented talks I… Continue reading Asilomar Notes: Tech
On the desire to push kids ahead
This is a guest post by Rachel Chou, Math Department Chair at Menlo School in Silicon Valley. I wrote about this topic on my Web site, under the title Hyper-Acceleration. You’ll see that Rachel addresses a particularly acute version of this problem, given the fact that she is in a private school in a region where… Continue reading On the desire to push kids ahead
More Catchphrases
Last summer, I wrote a post about catchphrases for math teachers. Some of those were created by other people, but most were my own. It was a fun way to think about what ideas I consider important enough to summarize in a hopefully memorable slogan. Since then, I have remembered three more of my mantras, which are mostly aimed… Continue reading More Catchphrases
Spiraling Out of Control?
In most math curricula, students work on a single topic at a time. (When I taught elementary school, decades ago, I noticed that if we’re working on subtraction, it must be November! But the same applies at all grade levels.) The idea is that is that by really focusing on the topic, you are helping students really… Continue reading Spiraling Out of Control?
More on Extending Exposure
I have written quite a few posts in which I argued that extending student exposure to mathematical concepts is one key to reaching the whole range of students. This is based on the simple observation that students learn math at different rates, and that extending exposure by making simple changes to our routines can benefit… Continue reading More on Extending Exposure
Understanding "understanding"
It is not uncommon to read articles about math education in the mainstream press, arguing that students must master basic skills before they can develop conceptual understanding. And moreover, that the road to such mastery is teacher explanation followed by repetitive drill. These essays frequently argue that it’s like learning to play the piano: you must… Continue reading Understanding "understanding"
Catchphrases
I’m done with my summer workshops, and I hope to resume blogging when the inspiration strikes. Today, a brief post about catchphrases, one per paragraph. (And no, this is not because this word has six consecutive consonants, which may well be a record.) I started thinking about this topic when I learned that Annie Fetter's catchphrase “What do… Continue reading Catchphrases
April Travels, May Webinar, Summer Workshops
I'll be traveling a lot this month. Here's the plan, should you want to say hello.New York City April 5, 4:30pm: I will present Geometric Puzzles at the Museum of Math Teachers’ Circle. Geometric puzzles are accessible to solvers of all ages, but they can also challenge even the most tenacious of solvers. Join math education author… Continue reading April Travels, May Webinar, Summer Workshops
Vocabulary
In my last post, I offered guidelines for sequencing math curriculum. The response I got on Twitter (and in one comment to the post) was quite positive. However, one point I made triggered some disagreement:Start with definitions? No! Most students find it difficult to understand a definition for something they have no experience with. It is more effective to start… Continue reading Vocabulary
