Math Links for Week Ending Sept. 14th, 2018

So in Ontario we have had our premier talk about going back to basics and focussing on memorization as the new goal in math class (though his newly released math document doesn't really say that). That made this post from @ddmeyer all the more topical. In it he tries to compare procedural fluency to conceptual understanding. And much like many of these conversations, he points out that often we don't even define what these things are. He does a pretty good job of doing that but I liked all the examples that readers gave to distinguish the two (like this one below). Take a look at his site.
http://blog.mrmeyer.com/2018/what-does-fluency-without-understanding-look-like/
Curriculum Tags: All

Student work from today as we solved absolute value equations. Conceptual understanding vs procedural fluency? – Day 17 #teach180 #iteachmath pic.twitter.com/PGLb2inG0F

— Paul Jorgens (@pejorgens) September 6, 2018

Good timing for @SweenWSweens to release his second set of Marbleslides challenges (the beginning of the year, that is). Here there are 30 challenges of varying difficulty that you could propose to your class or school throughout the year - for fun!!! And if you are interested, here is last year's set. Keep em coming.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://sweeneymath.blogspot.com/2018/09/marbleslides-challenge-set-2.html


Some new podcasts added. First a new one from @CoolCatTeacher's 10 Minute Teacher Podcast. This one from @JStevens009 talking about the Classroom Chef Model he and @MrVaudrey have developed for teaching math. And a new Podcast (to me) from @MrBartonMaths. Here he does some long form interviews and the two I have highlighted are from @DylanWiliam and @SLSingh. Check out the link (or the podcast tab above) to hear these and many more.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://ontariomath.blogspot.com/p/podcasts.html

As I mentioned we are supposed to be going back to basics in my province. One of my biggest beefs with that statement is that, rarely, does anyone actually clarify what they mean as the basics. None, the less @MathGarden talks about how the movement to go back to basics is counter to everything that helps make kids learn to love math. Check it out here:

Curriculum Tags: All
https://medium.com/@sunilsingh_42118/back-to-basics-math-weakest-form-of-literacy-51791beab4ea

I think this has been the best description of this problem that I have seen yet. That is, the issue of not completely teaching order of operations correctly from @thawom0.
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P
https://youtu.be/lLCDca6dYpA

Need to talk about symmetry, here's a great image for it
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8
https://twitter.com/pickover/status/1038410609476468737

Loving Boyfriend Prepares Symmetrical Breakfasts for Himself & His Partner Every Day. (Arrow indicates axis of symmetry.) Info: https://t.co/LPQXVllI6x pic.twitter.com/UHqfSH6ghN

— Cliff Pickover (@pickover) September 8, 2018

And surely we can find something to do with this image in a mathematical cotext
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P
https://twitter.com/Kristiblad/status/1039706475516620802

Thanks ⁦@ddmeyer⁩ for teaching me there’s a great math problem lurking in many pictures. #iTeachMath pic.twitter.com/G2RnQ1YIVT

— Kristine Lindeblad (@Kristiblad) September 12, 2018

And thanks to @Lisa_Bej for pointing this one out. Definitely some math that can be done here
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P
https://twitter.com/lisa_bej/status/1039966680313606144

BREAKING: What may be millions of water bottles. meant for victims of Hurricane Maria, have been sitting on a runway in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, since last year, according to @FEMA, which confirmed the news to me, late tonight, after pictures, posted today on social media, went viral. pic.twitter.com/jidGJAvCyJ

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) September 12, 2018