When I was a student, in every mathematics class I had, the teacher presented problems and explained how to solve them. The teacher would do a sample problem with us, then give us a worksheet full of similar problems to try on our own. Our success depended on how well we remembered the procedure we had been shown. It never occurred to me that there was any other way to learn math. Continue reading A Window into International Education
As adult education instructors, we know that our students bring all kinds of preconceived ideas about math into the classroom. Many see math as boring—a subject governed by processes, rules, and formulas that has little connection to their world. Furthermore, because they may have struggled with math in the past, they think that they will never be good at math. “I’m just not a math person.” We’ve all heard that from our students. Continue reading Problem-Solving Activities, Videos, and Articles Promoting Growth Mindset
How often do you use video with your students? How often do you think your students access video? Perhaps you are using the Flipped Classroom model ( typical homework and in class work are flipped–students may read or watch a video outside of class and then time in class is used for discussion, exercises, and projects).
Veritasium is a YouTube channel of science videos, focused mainly on physics, created by the charismatic Dr. Derek Muller. As of this review, there are 199 incredibly engaging and visual videos, with more being added all the time. One of the things I really like about the Veritasium videos is the way they focus on drawing out and breaking down common misconceptions about science and how the physical world works. Continue reading Scientific Misconceptions and Wonder in the Everyday
If you live in New York City, you will have seen posters advertising “Scishow” all over the subways. What is it? Scishow is a series of videos that covers a range of science topics in an interesting way. Titles include “When you Burn Fat, Where Does it Go?” “Why Sex?” etc. Continue reading An Engaging Way to Review Science Content