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Algebra / problem — 1 comment
15
May 13

Turning Point

Lee Bradely is at it again. This problem is inspired by one of his tutoring sessions in the ASC. Follow the link. Enjoy the goodness.

Thanks, Lee!

Algebra / math gear / mobile / teaching — No comments
06
May 13

I recently downloaded the MyScript Calculator app. Some of you may have seen it on one of the iPhone commercials. It is the app that you write an expression and it recognizes the expression and typesets it perfectly. At least that is the way it works in the commercial. I think I suffer from fat fingers and poor handwriting because it doesn’t work quite as well for me. The idea is fantastic though, particularly for more complex expressions like that are easy to write, but hard to enter into your regular scientific calculator. Here is how it is supposed to work.

I hope the recognition improves. And it is free so I really shouldn’t be complaining at all. Here is the download link for iOS and android. Give it a try.

Found Math / pic — No comments
29
Apr 13

Trapezoid Control Console

The trapezoid is definitely an underused shape in design. Whenever I stumble on one, I notice it immediately. Check out the trapezoidal control console in my brother’s apartment. I’m also starting to wonder if I have a stove top fetish? This is surprisingly not my only post on the matter. Is there help for that?

Algebra / teaching — No comments
22
Apr 13

Exponent Mistakes

Anyone who has ever taught exponents has run into these type of mistakes on student papers. I ran into this great blog post by a teacher, Michael Pershan, that tried to figure out where these mistakes come from and what triggers them. The post is short, but really interesting. The blog is Rational Expressions.

graphic design — No comments
16
Apr 13

Math + Self Help

My awesome roommate gave me How to Be Interesting for my birthday. It is kind a self-help/inspirational book. (I can’t imagine why she thinks I need help.) The cool thing about the book is all the Venn-Diagram and graphs to explain all the points. Thanks, Sue!

Algebra / mobile / teaching — No comments
08
Apr 13

The App I’ve been waiting for…

There are a ton of great mobile apps that are beautiful, smart, and addictive that teach arithmetic and number sense. What I’ve been waiting for is an app do the same thing for algebra. Dragon Box is the first. It doesn’t handle the whole curriculum. It is really just focused on solving linear (and basic rational equations), but when you start one would never even know it. That is what is so awesome about it. It starts much like any other mobile game with some tutorials on the game’s dynamics. There are no x’s, no numbers anywhere. Slowly as you make it through the levels, the moves you make in the game start to be recognizable as the manipulations one does to solve equations, and the objects start to become numeric, and at the very end the variables start to appear. It is extremely well done. I encourage anyone interested in gamification or mobile ed to check it out. It’s a little expensive at $6, but for the first of its kind, it is worth it. I don’t regret buying it. I also hope WeWantToKnow is hard at work on other algebra games.

Math on the Web / infographic — No comments
27
Mar 13

Facebook + Math

The WolframAlpha Facebook app allows you to enjoy “the book” math-style. Network graphs, maps, posting frequencies. It is pretty awesome and a bit geeky. Enjoy.

lit / teaching — No comments
18
Mar 13

Updike and Word Probems

I’ve been reading through a John Updike collection called Problems and Other Stories. I really enjoyed the collection as a whole, but I was thrilled to reach the title story and find out it is written in word problems. Above is an example. It reminds me of an ice breaking activity I did with an online class 2 semesters ago in which I had them write the word problems of their lives. I’m not sure why I stopped with it. We had a lot of fun with the idea.