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1500 questions
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Engaging students in computer lab
I am currently teaching the workshop for a class on chaos and fractals in a computer lab. The class is predominantly first year, first semester university students.
Worksheets have been developed for the students to use to encourage them to engage…
Daryl
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Traditional "long" method of multiplication versus grid and partial products -- evidence of better outcomes?
I'm not a math teacher but am actively involved in teaching my children mathematics (elementary age). I learned the traditional "long" approach to multiplication, but the school systems now emphasize (or perhaps require) the use of the partial…
Brian P
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Having students assess what problems they're ready for
Does anyone have experience with giving students a collection of problems where they have to assess which ones they have the knowledge to solve?
I was exploring the connection between video games and teaching, and noticed that video games provide a…
TomKern
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A good book about mathematical thinking
I am a qualified mathematics teacher but I have left teaching because I could not tolerate the behaviour of students. Now I am a mathematics tutor and I love that I get to teach students who are eager to learn. I had fantastic results with tutoring.…
Kristina Dedndreaj
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What are some "deep" questions to explore in elementary school math?
My first grader is very advanced in math. Rather than doing more and more math and making school math even more boring for him, I recently decided to start going "deeper" rather than "faster."
Some of the questions we've explored recently are:
Why…
Akdinv
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Parentheses around negative numbers
We teach students that a notation like
$$17 - -59$$ is not acceptable or at least not good. Instead we want them to write $$17-(-59)$$
The main reason seems to be that it's more readable if you separate the operator and the number sign.
But…
realGottlob
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When writing log, do you indicate the base, even when 10?
I’ve been working with many students on logarithms and have noted that log has a base of 10 unless specified. Further, I commented that putting a 10 as a subscript to log is redundant, or at least not needed. A student sent me this, from a popular…
JTP - Apologise to Monica
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Teaching math too soon in middle school and high school
I'm a retired university math prof and I now have a retirement job teaching at a small private high school. This is my 4th year. This school teaches Algebra 1 to 8th graders. Geometry to 9th graders. Algebra 2 to 10th graders. Precalculus to…
B. Goddard
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Pedagogical insights to be gleaned from AI attempts to ‘learn’ mathematics
Some ChatGPT answers have been posted on (and removed from) MathOverflow, and there was a resulting MMO discussion.
In that discussion, @darijgrinberg said:
When I tell it about its errors, it "recognizes" them, sometimes elaborating on a…
LSpice
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Do private lessons really help?
When I was in high school I explained a lot of things to my class mates. Later during the first time of my studies, I was hired as a private tutor. Although I was earning some money, I had very mixed feelings about that job. My impression is that…
Markus Klein
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Applications for logarithms in a business math course
Context: I am an assistant professor at a small liberal arts institution in the US.
The title really says it all: I am looking to provide applications for logarithms in a business math course (most students are freshman). The sciences have a ton of…
AegisCruiser
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Is there an evidence that learning mathematics influences our characters?
I am teaching mathematics for elementary school (even playgroup) to university students. Most of my students think of mathematics might not be necessary for them.
I have an hypothesis that learning mathematics build our characters to be stronger in…
kiss my armpit
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Is there a measurable learning goal related to understanding proofs of important theorems?
I believe that good math courses are structured around measurable learning goals. For example, "can correctly replace a line integral with an equal double integral using Green's Theorem" or "can use the Sylow Subgroup Theorems to prove the smallest…
Duncan
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A smart student that struggles in exams
I am tutoring a grade 8 student that failed his math exam, but surprisingly it seems that he is more than smart enough: he understands everything I say really quickly, and he knows most of the ideas from class before I even say them.
When he solves…
Fareed Abi Farraj
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Remedying poor interpersonal skills
When I have TAed calculus courses and led discussions, while I did not find myself grossly inept at interacting with students, there was a bit to be desired with making discussion interactive. I am probably average or below average with…
abnry
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