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1500 questions
10
votes
1 answer
How to read better?
In this semester I've realized that many of the problems (my) students have can be solved by reading better. The most recent example I've encountered was in the last exam; I asked them the following:
Given the following set $X=\{a,b,c,d,e\}$, find…
Ana Galois
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2 answers
Explaining mathematics, giving talks, and using the blackboard as a support
Normally, I am comfortable when I have to explain a piece of mathematics to a group of people using pen and papers as supports. However, I find it quite difficult to give small talks and explanations using the blackboard as a support.
This is mainly…
Dal
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3 answers
Learning counting and addition: fingers or in their head?
My kids Cindy (5 1/2, in Kindergarden) and Jamie (4, in pre-K) are taking some math enrichment classes. I have been telling and teaching them to count items and do single-digit arithmetic in their head, hoping to train their brains rather than…
rbp
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Placement tests for middle school math
Our district has changed its approach to placing students in grades 6 and 7 math classes. Students considered for placement above grade level must now take a test composed of problems drawn from the next-level CMP textbook: for instance, in the…
Kate
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2 answers
What is a good way to explain the slightly different kinds of continuity?
What is a good way to explain the slightly different kinds of continuity to students? I have in mind these kinds of continuity:
A function is continuous at a point. (This also has two sub-kinds: continuity at an interior point and at a left or…
Rory Daulton
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votes
2 answers
Distinction between problems (such as equations), and universal truths
How the distinction between problems (find/describe such values of x that… ) and universal truths (identities) is taught to secondary-school students and higher?
Especially in English-speaking countries.
Ī mean the following thing (sorry if Ī…
Incnis Mrsi
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votes
4 answers
Effective Method for Reviewing Homework in Class
I teach algebra at a community college. I assign homework which counts for 2 points. After going over the HW, I give the students a quiz (worth 20 points) with problems similar to the HW.
I spend about 30 minutes at the start of class going over…
Kara
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2 answers
What course web software is usable by mathematicians?
I'm considering increasing the online component of my mathematics courses (I teach at the university level). I'd like to know what my options are to avoid reinventing the wheel.
The features I would like are:
A unified system. I could cobble…
Andrew Stacey
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votes
4 answers
Placing incoming college freshmen: basic algebra, pre-calc, calc
Assume that you have incoming college freshmen, so you might have access to their high school courses and grades, as well as their results on a placement test offered by your college. Also, assume that these are students who will need to progress…
Brendan W. Sullivan
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10
votes
3 answers
Distinguishing calligraphic or script letters from regular letters in handwritten mathematics
What is a good handwriting font for mathematics? addresses handwriting on a board. How do you clearly distinguish calligraphic letters, such as $\mathcal{ABCDEFG}$, or script letters, such as $\scr{ABCDEFG}$, from regular letters $ABCDEFG$ in…
J W
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5 answers
I wanna learn math!
I'm a 25 years old guy and I wanna learn math. I haven't had a good relationship with them until now. My background is that I know how to add, subtract and multiply. In theory I also know how to divide, but some times I'm messing it up or get stuck…
Dimitrios Denton
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10
votes
1 answer
Software to organize and track your exercises
I am math teacher in secondary school and I have a few thousands of mathematical exercises in many Microsoft Word files.
I tried to organize them in folders and keep track of new exercises to update my content, but it was hard working with many…
Tasos
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1 answer
Can we motivate undergraduates by saying they will be able to read famous papers?
I have a differential equations student who said the following (I'm paraphrasing of course):
A long time ago, my math teacher told me that when I finished differential equations, I would be able to read Einstein's paper on relativity. I'm really…
Chris Cunningham
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10
votes
2 answers
Is this example of Leibniz notation sloppy?
In helping a family member who is studying calculus, I was asked about the meaning of the following, which is straight out of a calculus text book (Varberg and Purcell)
$v'(t) = \frac{{\rm d}\,v}{{\rm d}t}$
I've also seen the same thing…
Theodore Norvell
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votes
3 answers
How can you explain the importance of $e$ to those who have not taken calculus?
The number $e$ has many interesting and important properties, many of which are related to calculus. How can I explain what $e$ is and why it is important to those who have not had calculus (or even, when introducing it in calculus for the first…
Brian Rushton
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