I see or hear some variation of this often from mathematics teachers: “The answer to 4+5 is 9.” “So if we’re given (5+3)/2, that means we add five and three, then divide the result by two, and that gives us the answer.” In regular plain English, answers are coupled with questions. Expressions, though, aren’t questions,…
Author: Clio
On the Proper Pronunciation of Non-English Words
Lacroix, Detroit, axolotl, karaoke: All of these are pronounced differently in English than in the languages of their origin. I used to get quite pedantic about “karaoke”. Our pronunciation originates from a place of linguistic indifference (at best) or racism (at worst): We had a tendency to take Japanese words and give them a childish,…
Squaring Two-Digit Numbers (Redux)
If you want to square a two-digit number, you could just use a calculator, or you could use the traditional algorithm. I’m going to talk about a different method here, but not because I think this is a particularly useful method. The point of this discussion is to look at how numbers are interrelated; if…
Squaring Two Digit Numbers
Math fun: If you want to square any two digit number more quickly than the traditional algorithm, here’s a strategy. It does require you to know the squares of all the single-digit numbers, as well as a bit of mental juggling. First, if the number ends in a zero, square the first digit and put…
Mathematics and Mnemonics
I’m currently reading “Why Don’t Students Like School?” (second edition) by Daniel T. Willingham. While there is a lot of good stuff in this book and I’m feeling fired out about setting my educational train back on its tracks, I winced at his cheerleading for mnemonics. And then: I reframed. He suggests the use of…
Diary 030924
Some random thoughts of the morning: My brain likes to keep me from writing. One strategy is to convince me that whatever I’m writing right now is keeping me from whatever it is I would rather be writing. I want to write fiction, I want to write math stuff, I want to write personal reflections,…
Birthday Thought
Birthday wishes are weird, especially with PDA and RSD. If I GET them, I feel obliged to thank people individually, which I rarely do, and then I feel guilty; that’s the PDA. If I DON’T GET them, I feel ignored and abandoned; that’s the RSD. But they’re silly, really. Why should I expect anyone else…
Green pens
When I was a tween, I used to write in green ink. At the time, there were only four colors generally available, at least from Bic, at least at the drug store that was within biking distance. Those were blue, black, red, and green. I couldn’t write in red for obvious reasons, and I didn’t…
Burnout (Diary?)
When I hear about Autistic Burnout, I feel like it should be a complete cessation of activity, and while I haven’t posted on this blog for about two months, while my overall writing activity has been WAY down, I’ve still been doing stuff. I’ve come to realize that Autistic Burnout is not, in fact, a…
F4660t
Preamble: The song quotes should not be taken as either approval or condemnation of the respective songs or their artists. I have different personal feelings about each, and in most cases, they’re complicated. “He called me f4660t when I went out for cigarettes.” – Andy Prieboy, “That Was the Voice” This week, I heard a…