Author: Geoff
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Taxonomy of Problems (Part 2): Ways and what to assess
In my last post, I tossed out a loose taxonomy to name four different types of problems: Content Learning Problems Exploratory Problems Conceptual Understanding Problems Assessment Problems I felt it necessary for myself. Up until now, I’d been labeling all problem equally: they’re problems! They’re tasks that are supposed to get students to learn stuff!…
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Developing a Taxonomy of Problems: Not all problems are implemented equally
Why would we design all problems and facilitation in a similar way without having the type of problem identified? It’s possible I’ve been a bit too broad-brush when describing Problem Based Learning (PrBL) in terms of task design and facilitation. I’m beginning to wonder if we need a taxonomy of problems. After all, every problem…
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Quick math blog reading lifehack: syncing Flipboard and Google Reader
One of the reasons I solicited everyone’s input on the 2012 Math Blogging Retrospectus was because I have such a problem keeping up with the steady stream of quality math blogging that gets posted every day. While I wouldn’t say I’ve entirely solved the problem, I do have a quick little lifehack I’d like to…
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On intersecting periodic functions
I’m reading through Measurement by Paul Lockhart these days. He presents math as something that you just need to “get messy with”. And moreover, suggests that we get messy together in asking ourselves challenging problems and developing clever arguments. Consider this an attempt at heeding Lockhart’s advice. Today I asked the following question on twitter.…
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Shorter is better: is shorter better?
Quick post for today. Last night I created my first video for 101qs.com. It wasn’t until after I had edited it and got it uploaded to Vimeo that I realized that in order to submit to 101qs it must be shorter than a minute. So I did some deep cuts and made a minute-long version.…
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The Struggle for Productive Struggle
This NPR radio spot confirms much of what we already know about struggle. There’s so much good stuff in this report, I’d encourage you to go listen to it or read it. Here are a couple nuggets I found particularly illuminating (emphasis mine). ================= For example, Stigler says, in the Japanese classrooms that he’s studied,…
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This holiday season, won’t you give the gift of Math Ed? (Specifically, give it to me?)
Like many of you, I suspect, I learn more and am edified more by the social media math education community than that of academia and your typical district instructional coaching. Also like many of you, I suspect, I’m WAY behind on my math ed blog reading. Much of that is because it just slips through…
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CNET has some TV viewing size/distance recommendations.
Feels like there’s a similarity (and a lot of other stuff) type problem in here. Artifact From CNET: In a perfect videophile world, you’d want to sit no closer than 1.5 times the screen’s diagonal measurement, and no farther than twice that measurement to the TV. For example, for a 50-inch TV, you’d sit between…
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More math food blogging: I may need some help from my Southern friends.
I think I may have an eating problem. Or just a eating mathematically problem. Here’s my problem today. Delicious, delicious pigs-in-a-blanket (from pillsbury.com): Pigs-in-a-blanket, for the uninitiated, are little hot dog/sausage type things warmly embraced by crescent rolls dough. In fact, that’s the ingredient list: Little sausages. A can of crescent rolls dough. Cooking instructions: Wrap those…
emergent math 