Attending state-level meetings in recent weeks has brought me to the conclusion that many math teachers are rightly terrified of teaching statistics brought in with the Common Core (CCSS). It’s not in our textbooks, we don’t remember much from college, and the kinds of statistics needed in a 21st Century market place have evolved from … More Stats: What’s a traditional math teacher to do with that?
What is a teacher (or student) supposed to do if a rebellious exponent breaks a law or rule? Shall we put it in the corner? Assign a detention? Every time I read about “laws” and “rules” for exponents I don’t have to curl my hair for 3 days because somehow we math teachers need to … More Do exponents follow laws?
Alas, I just read another article today about how students are disinterested in STEM. Lockheed inadvertently gave more reason for being tuned out in their response. Andrew Hacker has also made some serious arguments against STEM. Any overworked teacher might sigh in relief after reading these because they appear to be off the hook as far as … More Students-Teachers and the weird disinterest in STEM
Like most caring algebra teachers who have been at it for many years, there are very few algebra topics that I have difficulty getting a student to understand. Teachers who are in tune with the learning process become aware of what makes a topic difficult and systematically remove barriers to understanding. Getting concepts to stick, … More No solutions in parallel lines: getting it to stick
Would the textbook publishers please step up? Our students need to know how math is used in real jobs these days and I don’t have time to research all that. Sure, AutoCAD and other software replaces writing y=mx+b, but take a look at the algorithms in this video to understand one way linear equations are … More Queuing Analysis in Algebra: 21st Century Career Connections
I went to a retirement party this evening, finding my way there with GPS. I’ve been very slow getting my phone to do that for reasons I won’t get into; but when I got into my car to go home, I realized I would need my GPS again. In the past, I followed Mapquest maps … More Discovery Learning, Direct Instruction and my GPS
I’m thinking most Algebra 2 textbooks include formulas students memorize to factor cubics. Most would include an explanation as to why the formulas work. Many teachers would use those explanations as opportunities to explore patterns if the curriculum is not too densely packed to allow time for that. On the other hand, college instructors are often … More Factoring Cubics by reinforcing basic skills
