This post was originally published on the Patch on August 5, 2011. I was recently working with a young student who had a hard time figuring out when to add commas or periods in his writing. I had given him a worksheet made from a paragraph I wrote and from which I removed proper capitalization […]
ISTE 2011 is up and running, and it’s huge! Look for me there with Conceptua Math at booth 2852 on Wednesday morning before and after our session. I will also be presenting with Arjan Khalsa, the CEO and founder, at this session:
One of the projects I assign to my students is to write a process essay. This is an essay that gives step-by-step instructions about how to do something they know how to do. Today’s contribution comes from Christina S., a second grader whom I tutor in writing, and who invented this technique for making leaf […]
Singapore Math is a rising trend in math education in schools and with homeschoolers, for the simple reason that it works. As an experienced Singapore Math teacher and trainer, I often get the question, “Which Singapore Math series should I use?” This question is posed by both teachers and homeschooling parents, and as more series enter […]
As of today, I am live as a blogger on the local Patch, an online newspaper! Read my first entry concerning an educational green building possibility here: http://peekskill.patch.com/blog_posts/verplanck-enhancement-plan-and-education .
MSNBC ran a piece on May 3 about third-grade students learning math using Singapore Math. This report outlines the importance of model drawing for problem solving, and of parent understanding to be on board with it. The report is well done, except it gives the mistaken impression that the only thing that makes Singapore Math […]
Like so many others, I am compelled to plant seeds for a garden when spring scents warm the air. This year I will grow a variety of vegetables in a raised bed I plan to construct out of mostly found materials from a nearby beach.To start the process, I planted some seeds in an eggshell […]
As heard today on Car Talk: Q: What do you call the circumference of an igloo divided by its diameter? A: Eskimo Pi.
It’s been quite a week for me to be immersed in school reform. After speaking at the Voyager’s Community School education conference, I heard John Taylor Gatto and Ron Miller speak, among other reformers. I also went to an excellent differentiated instruction workshop with Jim Grant last Tuesday, in which he laid out many of […]
I’m so inspired about a new tool to enhance math education. A friend sent me the link to a TED talk (embedded at the bottom of this post) showing the evolution of the Khan Academy into something truly useful for – well, for just about anybody. I had come across the Khan videos some time […]