Stickiness Part I – The Lesson “Do you remember me?” “Yes, you taught me Math.” (Actually I was his Vice Principal that taught him ONE grade 8 Math integers lesson.) “What grade are you in now?” “I’m in my final semester of Grade 12” “That’s great! What are your plans for next year?” “UBC for […]
Tag: Math
Homework
I question the value of most homework. Example: A math teacher teaches a concept to 30 students, then assigns 40 questions in the text. Here is a typical breakdown of student experiences… Group A+: These 3 students knew the concept before it was even taught, not a single of the 40 questions are remotely helpful […]
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Math can be beautiful!
It can also be oversimplified and boring and taught very poorly. A boy rides his bicycle for 30 minutes and he travels 7.5 kilometers. How far can he travel in 3 hours? If you do the (simple) math, with the three basic pieces of information given- an oversimplified strategy many math books employ, you’ll see […]
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Caring across the curriculum
Caring across the curriculum Sometimes I get tired of seeing the school day broken into subject-matter based courses. We don’t teach subjects we teach students, and students of all ages engage in a real life that matters across individual fields of study. Watch the video* Miniature Earth: How many different ‘subjects’ can we teach with […]
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“Chasing the A”
86% That’s an ‘A’ for us here in my district. But what does it mean? As a Math teacher I’ve boosted an 84% up two points to hand out the often elusive ‘A’, and I’ve also adamantly refused to move an 85% up to that plateau. Because to me the mark should represent a level of comprehension […]
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The Lowest Common Denominator (No, this isn’t about Math)
The LCD In Math, the Lowest Common Denominator (LCD) is a good thing… it allows you to simplify an equation and usually makes the work easier. (If you were looking for a Math post go here or here.) For the sake of this post the LCD is not good. Here, the LCD is when you […]
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Reflections: Stirring in the crock pot
Spring brings new beginnings just as a school year comes to an end. As a teacher it is difficult not to be reflective in June. Special moments remembered, peppered lightly with what could have been, and never transpired. The nostalgia seems to loom more so this year as I contemplate a move after my nine-year […]
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bRinging tools to class
Today during a Math lesson on Surface Area and Volume: Mr. Truss, I forgot my calculator, can I borrow one? Do you have your cell phone? Yes? Then you have a calculator. Really? I can use my cell phone? Really! Cell phones and mp3 players in the classroom: Not Obstacles but Opportunities “Kids are going […]
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Assessment & Rote Learning: Math Conundrums
Thanks for visiting! Look at the sidebars on the right to find a variety of posts about education, technology and learning. You can also check out some other Math or assessment related posts, or connect with me at one of these sites: Multiply Two Negatives and You Get a Positive. So, I take ‘Rote Learning’ […]
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Numeracy & Problem Solving: Process Producibles
Math Professional Development day with Peter Liljedahl: Two sessions 1. Exploring Producibles: Getting the Genie Back in the Bottle. 2. Assessing Numeracy: How do you Photograph the Wind? One of my goals for this year is to make Professional Development Days more useful. Too often I gather great information from a session and then ‘file’ […]
