Mathematics Educators Stack Exchange
Mathematics Educators Stack Exchange

Most Popular

more tags
1500 questions
11
votes
6 answers

Software for randomizing multiple choice tests

I would like to give multiple choice tests with randomized questions and order of the answers that is unique for each test, to be printed and given on paper sheets. Is there a software that would do the randomization?
Marco Disce
  • 331
  • 2
  • 6
11
votes
1 answer

How do you learn math as a person who has no sense of touch and sight?

How do you learn math as a person who has no sense of touch and sight? The only sense they can use is hearing, besides smell and taste, which I can't see being applicable in math. So the question is, how do you learn math as a person whose only…
hit
11
votes
2 answers

Is there any research on the value of extra credit in the college mathematics classroom?

After teaching mathematics for a year, where in each class I had opportunities for my students to earn extra credit, I am reflecting on whether this has any value. The reason why I am questioning this is that most of the students that do the extra…
Felix Y.
  • 1,430
  • 10
  • 23
11
votes
8 answers

How to deal with a talented 11-year-old pupil?

Imagine a child aged 11. They have just finished primary education and now moving into secondary education. This child has shown a great mathematical talent/disposition since a very young age. By the end of primary school they have completed studies…
WelshGandalf
  • 111
  • 5
11
votes
8 answers

Proof of why BODMAS (or BIDMAS) works?

In my first full-time teaching post, it is very likely that I'll need to be teaching a small amount of GCSE Mathematics to students retaking it. One thing that has been bugging me is that I can't seem to find any sort of "proof" or explanation of…
user5447
11
votes
2 answers

What on earth was Old Math?

I'd like to able to follow discussions/arguments about maths education, but many of them revolve around the transition to new math. I was taught in the UK in the early 90s, and none of the examples or explanations look substantially different to how…
Khorne
  • 121
  • 6
11
votes
3 answers

How can I teach the concept of before and after a given time

I'm teaching my 6 year old how to tell the time. She can read analogue clocks comfortably. We want her to be able to tell the time so when she wakes, if the time is past 6:15 then she is allowed to get up. So I'm trying to help her understand what…
Dave
  • 223
  • 1
  • 6
11
votes
4 answers

Mathematical concepts and techniques that **pay off the most**?

There is a smart way of learning, and it consists in first finding out what are the most valuable pieces of knowledge to acquire. The ones that will give you the highest value for your investment in attention and time. For instance, when you are…
Way Too Simple
  • 259
  • 1
  • 7
11
votes
3 answers

Pedagogical Purpose in Making Students Do Problems in A Less Efficient Way First

Let's assume that a group of students need to learn to solve a certain type of mathematical problem for which there is two general methods of solving it, $X$ and $Y$. We also assume that $Y$ is more conceptually difficult to learn than $X$, but once…
AnotherPerson
  • 273
  • 1
  • 7
11
votes
3 answers

How to write a book for someone who learns math alone?

I'm thinking of general rules on how to write mathematics books to people that teach themselves, and are quite alone with only the single aid of the printed book (no YouTube, no software, and so on). Any clue?
Fred Lopes
  • 111
  • 2
11
votes
4 answers

How to work with polynomials in difficult classes?

I am currently teaching a very difficult class, with young people (16 years old) who are deeply unmotivated and restless. I should work with them with polynomials, but I'm having a troublesome time; maybe some game-based activity would be an idea.…
marco trevi
  • 805
  • 9
  • 22
11
votes
1 answer

When and Why are different division symbols taught?

There are 4 division symbols that I have learned/taught. Below is 18 divided by 3, shown with 4 different symbols. This question was sparked by the comments on my answer to the question on examples of mathematical slang. I wrote about the second…
Amy B
  • 8,017
  • 1
  • 27
  • 51
11
votes
4 answers

Phrasing the Van Hiele levels in student-friendly language

I teach high school geometry and see many of my students fall in to the trap of "it looks like it, so it's true" -- a Van Hiele Level 0 to 1 thought process. For instance, when talking about parallel line angle relationships, once they realize that…
Opal E
  • 3,986
  • 18
  • 45
11
votes
5 answers

Rigorously defining the concept of an angle for high school students

Arriving at a rigorous definition of the concept of angle for high school students is not as easy as expected. Google search provided me with many definition that are too technical or too vague IMO. Here is my current version: Measurement of the…
snoram
  • 241
  • 1
  • 5
11
votes
5 answers

What is the proper way to represent the solution to a system of two equations

I had a bit of a disagreement with some of my colleagues over the correct way to represent the solution to a system of two linear equations, e.g.: \begin{align} x + y = 1\\ 3x + 2y = -1 \end{align} We should find that the solution is $x = -3$ and $y…
Jared
  • 649
  • 3
  • 10
1 2 3
…
99 100