Muse of Mathematics

the art and science of teaching mathematics blog
Chaos in the Classroom

Chaos in the Classroom

In your last post, you ended with a recommendation that teachers maintain a level of classroom chaos so that students didn’t know if they are slow or fast. Yes - I don’t emphasize speed in my assessment of a student, and I want to protect slow students from a negative...

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The Illusion of First Discovery

The Illusion of First Discovery

Do you think we over-prompt our students? Prompting is useful to focus the classroom’s attention on one part of a problem. It also helps the teacher steer the class towards a new problem or resource.  However, prompting does not provide a shortcut to student...

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Multiple Solution Problems

Multiple Solution Problems

Can you give us another good problem – one that’s possible please. This is a problem I give to my grade 1 students. The Fairy-Tale-King invites you to sit down in front of him…  “design for me, a magical castle with beautiful towers.” It turns out that he has enough...

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Real World vs. Abstract Problems

Real World vs. Abstract Problems

The last time we talked you introduced us to cipher-breaking in World War I. I always mention war if I have the opportunity, because that engages the half of the class with excess testosterone 😉 The link to war also connects the problem to the real world. Do all good...

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Breaking a Cipher – an example of a good problem

Breaking a Cipher – an example of a good problem

You were going to give us an example of a good problem. Here is a good problem for students tackling percentages, and probability. The problem takes an hour or two… This is an example of some cipher-text created from a Polybius Square. The Germans used a variant of...

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What should children learn in the mathematics classroom?

What should children learn in the mathematics classroom?

What should children learn in the mathematics classroom? How to think. Is that all? What do you mean; “Is that all?” That is everything! I would even be happy if we got rid of elementary school mathematics classrooms and replaced them with problem-tinkering...

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The biggest problem teachers face

The biggest problem teachers face

What is the biggest problem teachers face? The wide spectrum of student ability.  That’s the biggest thing that separates teaching from other learning structures like mentorship, apprenticeship, home-schooling, and self-motivated dabbling. The wide spectrum of student...

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If English were taught like mathematics…

If English were taught like mathematics…

It is a privilege to interview the Muse of Mathematics! Not to everybody... Some dismiss me as dull, repetitive, awkwardly obtuse and disconnected from reality, but properly introduced, I promise to entertain and enthrall. How should I introduce you properly? It...

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Please use MathPickle in your classrooms. If you have improvements to make, please contact me. I'll give you credit and kudos 😉 For a free poster of MathPickle's ideas on elementary math education go here.

Gordon Hamilton

(MMath, PhD)