Demystifying Elementary Math (from a Secondary Perspective)

The last year or so has shown us all a lot about the world we live in and the people we share it with. It's interesting to see how tightly individuals may cling to ideas or beliefs that have later been shown to be inaccurate and have been updated. That's the scientific method in a nutshell - make a prediction, test it, learn something, adjust. Math works the same way, but I'm seeing that the "adjust" step is becoming harder and harder for students to make.  I had an experience in my Algebra class that sort of outlined the apparent push to reject what is proven in favor of what makes us comfortable (more about that in the video) and it got me thinking. This whole math education thing (or compulsory schooling in general) isn't about cramming kids' heads full of information. It's more about opening them up to conflicting ideas (cognitive dissonance for all you psychology/education fans out there) and giving them the tools to determine true from false, fac...

  I hope you (and the children/students in your life) had the chance to watch the Perseverance land on Mars recently. Or see the Dragon launch last year. Every single one of the astronauts, engineers,  and technicians had years of schooling to prepare for THAT MOMENT. Every doctor or nurse has been trained through lectures, tests, and field experiences.  Something that strikes me every year around this time, as our seniors are making college decisions and our juniors are taking the ACT and beginning the application process, is that not one person in any interview I've ever had has asked me about my grades or GPA. We have tied up so much time and energy into thinking that only the best survive, but we KNOW that can't be true.  All that does is overstress our teens and lead them to believe that successful people never struggle. That is a damaging belief - especially when internalized by students who are struggling.  Here's my take on grades: 

Metacognition: a buzz word that educators like to throw around Metacognition: thinking about thinking Yes, that's a real thing teachers are asked to do on a regular basis. We are expected to anticipate errors our students might make before they make them. We are constantly on the look out for students who have a different approach than their peers to a problem. And now we're seeing these "metacognition" problems showing up on standardized tests for all ages. The practice of explaining your thinking can be a tough one to wrap our heads around as adults. It feels easier to say "It just IS the answer." But we want to dig deeper into HOW or WHY you arrived at your answer because It's Not New, It's Meta

  Estimation is the one task from elementary school math that drove me CRAZY! Why would I estimate if I could just FIND the answer OR measure OR count and find the "REAL" answer.  It's taken awhile, but I've come around to appreciate this skill a bit more - check out why I think estimation is a reasonable (and important) skill for students of all ages to practice and hone to be better consumers of data.   Estimation is Reasonable What do you think? Do you estimate regularly? Do you ask your children to estimate? 

  I ran another social media survey about math (I know, I'm a blast at parties...I swear).  This time I learned that adults - just like my students - avoid fractions! So, that got me thinking... This week's video is all about fractions (the why and how) and a little challenge to all you parents out there!  Watch and let me know what you think!! :) 

  Yet another example of adults saying "But there's a better way..."  No one would argue that you, adult, can add probably faster than an elementary school student.  We are in the process of building UP TO that speed and accuracy. By encouraging your child to imagine the groupings, you are building their imagination (draw whatever you'd like!), their math skills (count up, make 10s), and their mental flexibility ALL IN 1 PROBLEM!  Check out my NEW addition video for a little more about how this problem is VERY similar to what many adults already do! Making sense of a problem IRL isn't about having an algorithm to write out your work. Instead it's about applying what you know to a REAL situation.  This is what most adults think of when they see  an addition problem: But this is what many                                                ...

How do you do mental multiplication?  Do you encourage that same thinking in your own children?