Re-Teach Idea
Re-Teaching Idea Background My Algebra 1 class has miserably failed to demonstrate minimal proficiency with the basic tenets of graphing linear equations. The class average was under 50% on a very basic quiz, one whose questions were well covered during the week. Further, during the week, not a single student reported difficulty with independent practice, … Read more
Favorite Technology
My Favorite Technology With the invention of the radio came claims that, “This will revolutionize education, forever.” Then came television, and more claims that, “This will revolutionize education, forever.” Then came the VHS player. You guessed it, more, “This will revolutionize education, forever.” Then the internet came along, and louder than ever were the claims … Read more
Teaching Square Roots Conceptually
Teaching Square Roots Conceptually teaching square roots How to Teach Square Roots Conceptually If you have taught for any length of time, you’ll surely have seen one of these two things below. 24−−√=62–√ or 4–√=2–√24=62 or 4=2 MathType@MTEF@5@5@+=feaagKart1ev2aqatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLnhiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq=Jc9vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0=yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr=xfr=xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaaOaaaeaacaaIYaGaaGinaaWcbeaakiabg2da9iaaiAdadaGcaaqaaiaaikdaaSqabaGccaqGGaGaaeiiaiaabccacaqGVbGaaeOCaiaabccacaaMc8UaaGPaVlaaykW7caaMc8+aaOaaaeaacaaI0aaaleqaaOGaeyypa0ZaaOaaaeaacaaIYaaaleqaaaaa@479C@ Sure, this can be corrected procedurally. But, over time, they’ll forget the procedure and revert back to following whatever misconception … Read more
This
Let’s talk about THE question in a teacher’s life … the baleful, “When am I going to use this in my real life?” Yeah, that one. The honest answer is probably, never… and they know it. Why else ask, if not to subvert and diminish your role and purpose? They don’t really want an answer. … Read more
Thoughts on Teaching
Foundation 1. The goal: If the question, “When am I going to use this in my real life,” derails your class, there’s a problem with your purpose and goal. The truth is, almost nothing after taught 5th grade is knowledge used daily. The purpose of education is not to teach MLA formatting or how to … Read more
Our Youth Deserve Better – Computer Based Learning
There has been a push for computer-based learning in public education for about a decade or so now. The thinking is that students can go at their own pace, have optimally focused and differentiated remediation and instruction, and thus, students will perform better. That’s the sales pitch, anyway. I teach remedial math courses part time … Read more
Confuse Them So They Learn
I recently did a lesson on the basics of reading and writing in Geometry. You know, dry, dull stuff…what’s a point, line, ray, segment, how do you write an angle, what types of angles are there, and so on. While preparing all of this information I was thinking: How can I expose misconceptions about such … Read more
How to Be a More Effective Teacher
How to Teach Well Why do students struggle so much? Let’s break it down and see how perplexing this really is. If you’re teaching High School or higher you’re presumably an expert in your content area. You know what you’re teaching upside down, inside out, front, back, and so on. Not only that, if you’re … Read more
The Purpose of Homework and My Response
The purpose of homework is to promote learning. That’s it. It’s not a way to earn a grade or something to keep kids busy. It’s also not something that just must be completed in order to stay out of trouble. Homework is a chance to try things independently, make mistakes and explore the nature of … Read more
