I was reading an article on fractions, waiting for students to show up for after-school tutoring. One of them asked me what I was reading, so I told him. He groaned. I asked him what his least favorite topic in mathematics was, and he told me it was fractions. I nodded, saying that I reckoned…
Month: February 2015
Three Card Monty Hall
Imagine we are playing a game of cards. In this game, there are only three cards in the deck: An Ace and two Kings. I will deal you one card, and I will keep the other two. You win if, at the end of the round, you are holding the Ace. You are not allowed…
Thoughts about the Cracks
An adult friend is getting tested to see if she has a formal neurological problem that would account for her struggles with mathematics. She asked how it could be that she might make it all the way through public education without being tested for such a learning disability (LD). Here were my thoughts; keep in…
Forms of the Quadratic: Terminology
Because mathematical terminology developed piecemeal over time, there are many inconsistencies which prove to be a challenge to students. One of the more obvious examples is what is called the “standard form” of the quadratic. A quadratic equation has three common forms: \(ax^2 + bx + c = 0\) \(a(x – h)^2 + k =…