“If Massachusetts were allowed to report subject scores independently — much the way that, say, Shanghai is allowed to do so — the Bay State would rank 9th in the world in Math Proficiency, tied with Japan, and on the heels of 8th-ranked Switzerland. In reading, Massachusetts would rank fourth in the world, tied with Hong […]
Continue ReadingJanuary Resources – Geometry The domain of Geometry is so much more than vocabulary and definitions. This month’s set of resources is directed at providing rich, higher level tasks for geometric problem solving. The real goal of the study of geometry is to encourage logical thinking and to provide students with the opportunities to establish […]
Continue ReadingA study by Dr. Karlsson in 2015 looked at mathematical problem solving and its impact on the brain. He worked with two groups of students and used MRI to study brain activity. Martin Buschkuehl summarizes the study and the findings here. Essentially it was determined that the group of students who were taught an algorithm […]
Continue ReadingExcellence is never an accident. It is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution, and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities. It is 8:30 on a typical day at Parker Elementary School in Quincy. A school with 325 students, 49% of the students are identified as economically disadvantaged, 81% […]
Continue ReadingEarly Childhood Math Challenge: Farmer Brown had 17 cows. He can fit 10 cows in each pen. How many pens will he need to build for his 17 cows? Explain your thinking using a visual model. What if he has 36 cows? 54 cows? Is there a way to know the number of pens by […]
Continue ReadingHappy October – one of my favorite times of year in education. By now, classroom teachers have routines in place and have gotten to know their students. Schools start to have that familiar hum of learning as we roll through the crisp fall days. Armed with routines and familiarity, teachers work diligently to move student’s […]
Continue ReadingThe importance of counting can not be underestimated as children acquire numerical reasoning. The resources this month focus on counting – from the very young to some interesting problems for our older learners! FEATURED WEBSITE: “Counting Activities for Kids” – Find a year’s worth of counting fun! EARLY CHILDHOOD More Counting Spots Activities: School Time Snippets: How […]
Continue ReadingMy daughter is a senior in high school and is planning on majoring in elementary education. I have told her repeatedly, “education is the best job in the world!” She has witnessed my love of teaching and appreciated the balanced approach to life that education allows. But, lately, as I share this news with teachers, I […]
Continue ReadingLooney Math Consulting offers resources for math educators in the form of word problems, book recommendations and helpful links. January Resources – Have students pose their own problems! From: Mind/Shift Blog: Seeing Struggling Math Learners as ‘Sense Makers,’ Not ‘Mistake Makers’ Problem Solving Early Childhood: Using sentence strips and pocket charts Math Story Problem Pocket Charts […]
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