Posted in Math blogs

Top 20 Math Posts and Pages in 2012

The thinker

I blog in order to organise what I think. And I don’t think I’m succeeding judging from the range of topics that I have so far written since I started Math for Teaching blog in 2010. Here’s the twenty most popular math posts and pages in this blog for the year 2012. It’s a mix of curricular issues, lessons, and teaching tips.

  1. What is mathematical investigation? – Mathematical investigation refers to the sustained exploration of a mathematical situation. It distinguishes itself from problem solving because it is open-ended….
  2. Exercises, Problems, and Math Investigations – The quality of mathematics students learn depends on the mathematical tasks or activities we let our students engage in….
  3. What is mathematical literacy? – Mathematical literacy involves more than executing mathematical procedures and possessions of basic knowledge that would allow a citizen to get by. Mathematical literacy is mathematical knowledge, methods,…
  4. My issues with Understanding by Design (UbD) – Everybody is jumping into this new education bandwagon like it is something that is new indeed. Here are some issues I want to raise about UbD…
  5. Curriculum change and Understanding by Design, what are they solving? – Not many teachers make an issue about curriculum framework or standards in this part of the globe. The only time I remember teachers raised an issue about it was in 1989, when the mathematics curriculum moved …
  6. Math investigation lesson on polygons and algebraic expressions – Understanding is about making connection. The extent to which a concept is understood is a function of the strength of its connection with other concepts. An isolated piece of knowledge is not powerful…
  7. Mathematics is an art – Whether we are conscious of it or not, the way we teach mathematics is very much influenced by what we conceive mathematics is and what is important knowing about it…
  8. Mathematical habits of mind – Learning mathematics is not just about knowing, understanding, and applying its concepts, principles and all the associated mathematical procedures and algorithms. It’s not just even about  acquiring the capacity to solve problem,  to reason, and to communicate…
  9. Subtracting integers using numberline – why it doesn’t help the learning – I have reasons to suspect that for a good percentage of students, the end of their mathematics career begin when they are introduced to subtracting integers. Well, for some, it’s when the x‘s start dropping from the sky without warning…
  10. Teaching positive and negative numbers – Here’s my proposed activity for teaching positive and negative numbers that engages students in higher-level thinking…
  11. Trigonometry – why study triangles – What is so special about triangles? Why did mathematicians created a branch of mathematics devoted to the study of it? Why not quadrinometry? Quadrilaterals, by its variety are far more interesting….
  12. Teaching the concept of function – Mathematics is not just about the study of numbers and shapes but also about the study of patterns and relationships. Function, which can define some of these relationships, is an indispensable tool in its study…
  13. Algebraic thinking and subtracting integers – Part 2 – Algebraic thinking is about recognizing, analyzing, and developing generalizations about patterns in numbers, number operations, and relationships among quantities and their representations.  It doesn’t have to involve working with the x‘s and other stuff of algebra….
  14. Patterns in the tables of integers – Mathematics is said to be the science of patterns. Activities that involve pattern searching is a great way to engage students in mathematical thinking. Here are some of my favorites …
  15. Making generalizations in mathematics – Making generalizations is fundamental to mathematics. Developing the skill of making generalizations and making it part of the students’ mental disposition or  habits of mind …
  16. Teaching with GeoGebra: Squares and Square Roots – This post outlines a teaching sequence for introducing the concept of square roots in a GeoGebra environment. Of course you can do the same activity using grid papers, ruler and calculator….
  17. Algebra vs Arithmetic Thinking – One of the solutions to help students understand algebra in high school is to start the study of algebra earlier hence the elementary school curriculum incorporated some content topics traditionally studied in high school. However,…
  18. Teaching with GeoGebra – Educational technology like GeoGebra can only facilitate understanding if the students themselves use it. This page contains a list of my posts …
  19. Teaching combining algebraic expressions with conceptual understanding – In this post, I will share some ideas on how the simple investigation of drawing polygons with the same area can be used as an introductory lesson to teach operations with algebraic expressions with meaning and understanding.
  20. Mistakes and Misconceptions in Mathematics – Misconceptions are very different from the mistakes students make. Mistakes are not consciously made. Misconceptions are. Mistakes are usually one-off, while misconceptions, the gods forbid, could be for keeps….
Posted in Algebra

Guest post: Online Resources to Supplement Math Lessons

Teachers struggling to improve their students’ math experiences can look online for a plethora of fun and interactive games and programs. All of the online math curriculum help outlined in the following list is free to access and simple enough that a basic computer could run them with no problem. The games are all browser-based, and most will need a version of Adobe Flash Player or equivalent. The first three sites are primarily interactive online games. The last two sites provide printable resources for teachers and students.

1. CSI: Mathematics

This site is the perfect blend of online games and printable supplements. It is organized by grade level and them by subject. Each subject includes a free and printable color resource PDF that gives tips, tricks, and explanations for each subject. There is also an applicable book list included. The PDF would be perfect for in-class reminders and to send home to parents. The site then links to online activity resources for each subject.

2. Sheppard’s Software

This simple and effective site arranges interactive math games by subject. It covers early math through simple algebra. Importantly, it directs students toward games on important concepts like time, measuring, money, and place value.

3. Math Playground

This simple website organizes games by popularity and subject. Students will be attracted to the game through an introductory picture. The games are interesting, although the site is somewhat less organized than the others.

4. Cool Math Games

This is an incredible online resource, and it is first on our list because you just may not have to go any further to find something great for your students. The site is completely free and includes both activities and virtual lessons to supplement teaching. It is visually pleasing and simple enough that elementary-age students could navigate it with some simple directions. It does have an almost overwhelming amount of material.

The best option would be to have a direction and purpose for the class going-in rather than just letting them explore. The website has lessons ranging from basic numeration to pre-calculus work. The one disadvantage to using lessons from this site is the restrictions on printing and downloading. All of the work must be viewed and manipulated through the website. For a class lesson, hook your computer up to the projector.

5. Math.com

This is a site full of resources and games. It is last on the list because it would be the hardest for students to self-navigate. However, it provides an excellent mix of materials including items for homework help and activities for tutors and volunteers.

When it comes to making math interactive and entertaining there is no reason to not try to incorporate as many games as possible.  While technology becomes more and more popular in the classroom, teachers should embrace all forms of online resources in order to supplement their own lessons.

Author: Brandy Olsen

 

Posted in Math blogs

Math Teachers at Play blog carnival #50

When I sign-up to host the May edition of Math Teachers At Play blog carnival organized by Denise of Let’s Play Math blog, I didn’t know it will be its 50th edition. Wasn’t I lucky? It’s a milestone for MTAP. Kudos to the organizer and supporters of MTAP. But I got one little problem. It is a tradition in math blog carnivals to always starts with saying something mathematically significant about the n in its nth edition! Oh dear. Things I associate with the number 50 are mostly non-mathematical  like golden anniversaries!

the number 50

Wikipedia to the rescue:

Fifty is the smallest number that is the sum of two non-zero square numbers in two distinct ways: 50 = 12 + 72 and 50 = 52 + 52. It is also the sum of three squares, 50 = 32 + 42 + 52.

And I didn’t know that until I hosted this carnival! I’m a teacher I have to ask: “So what’s the next bigger number to 50 that is the sum of two non-zero square numbers in two distinct ways?”; “What are other numbers that can be expressed as a sum of the squares of consecutive numbers?”; “What about those numbers that can be expressed as sum of cubes?”;…  There is always something to investigate in math. One of the major objectives of school math is to get students into this thinking habit without us telling them to do so but I’m digressing from my topic now. Let’s get to the great posts submitted for this edition.

1 – How many bricks are in this building? Says its author Paul Murray: This is an activity I’ve used for years and recently wrote up for a class.  It integrates many problem-solving methods, multiplication, addition, and place value concepts, estimation, and organization of data.   It also takes the students outside with a clearly defined task to accomplish.

2 – Wolfram Alpha. Says it author Coleen Young: This page is from the student version of my blog and has several slideshows showing the syntax for WolframAlpha including a fun show at the end on the sillier questions one can ask! I started this student version because they can just be given the link. One of my former students emailed me recently to tell me how much she was using WolframAlpha at university.

3 – New intuitive ways of learning math by Mohamed Usama. Says Mohamed,  “I am a student and I love game programming. CREVO is just my virtual startup where I publish all my ideas and other news. Math Operations is a game that won local game development competition. That time, I developed this game in Flash. It was just a 48 hour competition but still idea was executed well. At the time when I was receiving my prize I announced that soon, I’ll publish it for all Android devices and here it is. I finally developed this game for all Android & Amazon Kindle Fire devices. Designed graphics (SD & HD) for tablet as well. Last week I published my new version 1.5 and its available on Google Play (Amazon is still reviewing it). I hope you people will love it. I need high support because I really want to make games for kids, education sector is what my target is.

4 – Guess my rule says its author John Golden is a story of an algebra lesson based on a simple, common social game.

5 – You Want School Reform?  Brace Yourself…. submitted by Matt Wilson. Writes Matt in the post “Anybody building a house needs to start by building a foundation, but our system is teaching foundation building without ever teaching anyone what a house actually is…”

6 – Missing Angles says the author of Five Triangles is a non-trivial math problem for middle school students requires some actual thinking.

7 – An elegant solution: An algebra problem from 1798 by Dan Pearcy. Says Dan, I stumbled across this great little problem on John Cook’s blog (The Endeavour) during the weekend. The reasons that it’s so great are two-fold: (1) Most people think they’ve solved it when they have four solutions from their equation when in fact they have not considered that the equation could be written in four different ways. (2) The solutions are so elegant. Possibly because they are all based around the golden ratio.

8 – More on Microsoft Equation Editor says John Chase is a follow-up and more in-depth discussion of http://mrchasemath.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/microsoft-office-equation-editor/.

9 –  Sidewalk Math: Functions. No name was supplied but its from a blog called “The Map is Not the Territory”.

10 –  9 TED talks to get your teens excited about math shared by Caroline Mukisa. A great collection.

11 – Thinking (and teaching) like a mathematician. Says Denise, “Being ‘good at math’ means much more than being able to work with numbers. It means making connections, thinking creatively, seeing familiar things in new ways, asking “Why?” and “What if?” and “Are you sure?” If we want to teach real mathematics, we teachers need to learn to think like mathematicians. We need to see math as a mental game, playing with ideas.”

12 – Tiger’s Mum presents Geometry: 2D and 3D posted at The Tiger Chronicle.

13 –  Another Proof of the Sum of the First n Positive Integers and  The Mathematics of the Poles shared by Guillermo Bautista. The first shows a geometric proof and the second post is a discussion on the connection among poles of the earth, the latitudes and longitudes, and the polar coordinates.

14 – Planning and Analyzing Mathematics Lessons in Lesson Study by Erlina Ronda (that’s me). This is a powerpoint presentation for researching lessons with your colleagues.  Lesson study is schools-based teacher-led professional development model.

15 – The nature of math vs the nature of school math. This is my top post this month. Everybody is concerned about the great divide between math and math education.

The next MTap Carnival will be hosted in  Math Mama Writes.