Friday, August 24, 2018

Math Links for Week Ending Aug. 24th, 2018

Worksheets have been a big part of math classrooms for years. But more and more we are seeing the value of not using a worksheet (or at the very least, modifying the structure of that worksheet). In this post @AliceKeeler gives some tips on how to make a worksheet into something electronic (even for math). The thing that resonated with me was this quote: "f kids can Google the answers, the worksheet is OBSOLETE!"
Curriculum Tags: All
https://alicekeeler.com/2017/11/19/make-worksheet-digital/

A lot of people are back in school (in the US) but here in Ontario we don't start until the first week in September. And if you are looking for some ways to start the year off then @SaraVDWerf has you covered with a post with a bunch of ideas. This post is actually from last year but it is still gives ideas on things like what it's like to be a mathematician, classroom norms and classroom set up (even if you just go to get a glimpse of her Calculator Museum it's worth it). In fact, I put the tour of her classroom in the video links below. And don't miss her 180 days of math puns/jokes/thoughts.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://saravanderwerf.com/2017/08/06/my-week-1-math-posts-plus-something-new/

If you were at #TMC18 this year (or at least on Twitter around that time) then you probably saw @MFAnnie's Notice and Wonder sticker set. Now you can own your own by purchasing them on Ebay. It looks like they are selling fast so get them while their hot.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Four-4-Notice-and-Wonder-Vinyl-Stickers-Math/163202064011?hash=item25ff99de8b:g:N4EAAOSwndRbcaTt

The title of this post from @rickwormeli2 grabbed me right away "It’s Time to Stop Averaging Grades". I have long said that using percents and averages gives a false sense of accuracy. Read on if you are intrigued. Thanks to @scnmathdude for pointing this one out.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/21/Its-Time-to-Stop-Averaging-Grades.aspx


I think this sort of short video giving the "Reader's Digest" version of how to run a Desmos Activity Builder is perfect to show teachers some of the ways you can facilitate using these activities in their classes. It's really short but it's packed full of insight. Hopefully there will be more of this.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://twitter.com/ddmeyer/status/1032399522473828352
I'm not sure what good this would be in a math class (though check out the Desmos constructions of it in the comments), it is called a do-nothing-machine. But it sure is fun.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://twitter.com/psmithdad/status/1031939497590542338
Here is @saravdwerf's classroom tour
Curriculum Tags: All
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmPvfjYDxAU


Some practical questioning for recent lottery winners
Curriculum Tags: MCR3U, MCF3M, MBF3C
https://twitter.com/MrOrr_geek/status/1028338429850017797

Something to think about in terms of primes
Curriculum Tags: All
https://twitter.com/Mathgarden/status/1030076623578648577
So true. No one likes to be confused, intimidated and embarrassed.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://twitter.com/Mathgarden/status/1031190074438766593

A nice visual representation of 4!
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
https://twitter.com/nhoskee/status/1031275018733453313
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Friday, August 17, 2018

Math Links for Week Ending Aug. 17th, 2017

As you read this, I am probably at the cottage right now playing Set and @mathforlove mentions that and many more on his recent post on math based games. Check it out
Curriculum Tags: All
https://mathforlove.com/2018/08/math-game-short-list-2018/

I like these Diamond Problems. Thanks to @TheShaunCarter for pointing them out. At first they look like they might be only good for simple operations but they could easily be used for decimals or even algebraic expressions. Basically there are four spots that fit the following: a, b, ab & a + b. Students are given two of the spots and have to figure out the other two.
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P
https://primefactorisation.com/blog/2018/07/21/diamond-problems/




I am not sure where I first heard the phrase "never say anything a kid can say" but I'm glad @RobertKaplinsky pointed this article (with the same name) out. It gives some tips on creating a climate of conversation in math classes.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://www.georgiastandards.org/resources/Online%20High%20School%20Math%20Training%20Materials/Math-I-Session-5-Never-Say-Anything-a-Kid-Can-Say-Article.pdf

A new video from @vihartvihart talking about the approximations going into nutrition labels and the "2yness" of "about 2". It's actually pretty simple but pretty interesting.
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8, MPM1D, MFM1P
http://vihart.com/how-much-is-about-2-really/

Would you rather from @JStevens009. This time dealing with area and cost as the topic
Curriculum Tags: Gr7, Gr8
http://www.wouldyourathermath.com/wallpaper/



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Friday, August 10, 2018

Math Links for Week Ending Aug 10th, 2018

Thanks to @JoelBezaire looking for the site Number Gossip, now we all know about it. Kind of fun but also, who knew there were all these different descriptors for numbers. Just put any number into the search and find out all of it's properties. You may also want to check out Adam Spencer's Big Book of Numbers.
Curriculum Tags: All

http://www.numbergossip.com/
https://prealgebraone.wordpress.com/2018/08/10/number-gossip/

Here is a neat little interactive to demonstrate the Birthday Paradox for probability. Thanks to @giohio for this one.
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
https://pudding.cool/2018/04/birthday-paradox/



I thought this was a fun cross curricular activity combining math and poetry. That is, make a poem on a pyramid. Basically you write 6 lines and then they get placed on the edges of a triangular pyramid and the four sides create a poem. Get the full details on @benorlin's post
Curriculum Tags: All
https://mathwithbaddrawings.com/2018/08/08/poem-on-a-pyramid/

Is practice the key to a girl's success in math class? Some of the theories here talk about the fact that, in general, boys and girls have similar abilities but perceptions lead to girls doing worse and that one way to bypass this problem is to make sure that girls know they can do the math and " break the cycle of dislike-avoidance-further dislike" by doing more practice. Not sure if more practice is a silver bullet but read on to see if you agree or disagree.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/07/opinion/stem-girls-math-practice.html

If you ever find yourself in Dearborn, Mi. then check out Henry Ford Museum for all kinds of industrial related history. Plus now they have the Mathematica exhibit. We went this week and below are just some of the kinetic and interactive parts.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKGGUSV1T-Q


Who doesn't like @anniek_p's drawings. Keep em coming
Curriculum Tags: All
https://twitter.com/anniek_p/status/1027581001227268097



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Saturday, August 4, 2018

Math Links for Week Ending Aug. 3rd, 2018

If you are looking for an online PD fix then apparently August is the month for you. There are two virtual conferences going on right now with some big names. First there is the Build Math Minds Virtual Math Summit with 31 presenters over 3 days. You could have watched each presentation live or go to the site below and watch the recordings. Note, however, that anyone can watch all the videos until August 6th. After that, you have to become a member of the site. Don't forget to check out Ontario educators @mathletepearce and @mrorr_geek while you are there. 
Curriculum Tags: All
https://mathematicallyminded.lpages.co/vms-speaker-page-day-1/

and for a more completely free online conference, consider @SamJShah's Virtual Conference on Mathematical Flavours. Here we have a slightly different type of conference. Each week in August there are two keynote "speakers" and then other teachers (you included, possibly) are invited to present as well. Now these are not so much presentations as they are blog posts on the topic at hand. So if you want to be a "presenter" that means you are basically just creating a blog post using this question as a prompt: “What flavour of mathematics are you serving up in your classroom?”. This week the keynote presenters are @benorlin and @Anniek_p and the slot of supporting presenters for this week is up as well. 
Curriculum Tags: All
https://samjshah.com/



A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the idea of these Estimation Stations from @mathgeek76 and @madisonsandig4 when they previewed them at TMC18. It's a way to make those Estimation 180 tasks and mash them up with Desmos Activity Builder. The result is pretty sweet and does a great job in helping students figure out how to make better estimates (dynamically). You really have to try this out to see it's benefit. Do that HERE. And then go to the latest post, below, to see the six stations that they have made so far.
Curriculum Tags: All
http://undercovercalculus.com/estimation-stations-beta/


Also a couple of weeks ago I showed a new beta feature in Desmos Activity Builder called snapshots. As it turns out they feel they have got all the bugs out and have taken it out of beta for general release. It's a great way to take your Activity Builder game to a new level. And if you have read the "Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussion" then this new tool is for you (and if you haven't the tool is still good but you should read the book too). Watch this video to get a sense of how this new feature works then read the blog post to get more details
Curriculum Tags: All
http://blog.desmos.com/post/176542603032/orchestrate-more-productive-mathematics

Interested in what 21st century math teaching/learning should be about. Then you might like this post and video from @profkeithdevlin. He has long been an advocate of maximizing the potential of the 21st century and to do so that means we have  to rethink how math is presented to students. As he says: "Teachers are taken aback to be told that calculation is less relevant in today’s world." Watch the video of his presentation and the summary at his post
Curriculum Tags: All
http://devlinsangle.blogspot.com/2018/07/by-keith-devlin-you-can-follow-me-on.html


So apparently scientists have discovered a new shape. Who knew that was a thing? Not me but thanks to @standupmaths I now know about the new shape (and the old shapes) and its connection to biology. And thanks to @Gelada for giving me an impromptu mini lesson on the history of new shapes.
Curriculum Tags: All
https://www.popsci.com/new-shape-scutoid

Although this may not be appropriate for all students, this graph on breast cancer survival rates from @monachilabi is pretty cool. Especially if you like heat maps.
Curriculum Tags: MDM4U
https://twitter.com/MonaChalabi/status/1025116579347017729


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