PASSING MATH TESTS WITHOUT PAIN

The Viking Pundit has a reference to the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) test. Having taught for a few years, I can believe that students found this problem difficult. Not surprisingly, one student found the question not to be a challenge:

Anandh Swaminathan, a junior at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, was surprised to hear that half of his peers in the Commonwealth answered the question incorrectly. He didn't remember it as particularly difficult.

''It's a typical Algebra I problem," said Swaminathan, 15. ''It seems more straightforward. I actually thought that some of the other ones were harder."

Exactly. It's a problem that students would have been confronted with in the most basic Algebra course. So why the #$%^&*( can't they solve it?

Some math teachers think they have the answer:

Math teachers said the baseball question was a fair one, although puzzling to those unfamiliar with the sport.

''I certainly think our kids who are not speaking English as their primary language may not know the word grandstand or the word bleacher," said Debby Feldman, head of the math department at Brockton High School.

''When kids are reading a math problem and come up against words that are specific to a specific area and they don't know what they are, a lot of times it just freaks them out."

Oh, please. Anyone who has been in the country for less than a year may not know where in the stadium the seats are, but the context is clear - the problem is about seating, not location. For those delicate flowers who "freak out", I have just three words - GET OVER IT!

As the Viking Pundit likes to say:

there are three kinds of people in the world: those who can count and those who can’t.

QUESTIONING AFTER THE ANSWER

I was teaching about density last week, and I used a technique I've been using a lot lately.

Students were able to calculate the density of various objects successfully. In the past, I would have moved on at that point.

This time, I posed the question:

What if I had half the mass and volume of the rice?

The silence that resulted indicated they hadn't made that leap to understanding that density is a ratio. It took several minutes of probing to get students to think about how they could reason through the answer.

I'm doing that additional questioning more this year. In the Physical Science class, I had been talking about the experiment of Galileo's that proved that heavy objects don'[t fall faster than lightweight objects (featherweight objects excluded).

Several students admitted that they didn't believe that heavy objects didn't fall faster. I congratulated them on their honesty, and pointed out that Galileo's conclusions were counter-intuitive. We resist the conclusion that seems to be contradicting common sense.

Tuesday, after I return from my workshop, I plan to use the demonstration that uses a large book and paper, first separately, then with the paper on top of the book (to eliminate air resistance). I'm assigning more observation and reflection writing with this year's students, and it seems to be helping them.

A USEFUL TIME-KILLER

I found a good site for math students looking for a challenge.

Planarity, which provides a neat puzzle, seen below.



The object is to move the vertices so that they do not overlap. There are multiple solutions, and it lends itself to a trial-and-error approach, which novice students might find useful.

MY NEW TECH

I have access to new technology this year. The department head has made the Quizdom set-up available to everyone (sign-up required), there's a digital microscope floating around (haven't made the time to check it out yet), and I have some CBLs and graphing calculators being sent as I post.

Not quite Nerdvana, but close.

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS

After less than 2 weeks, I feel back in the saddle. I've finally caught up with some of the preliminary paperwork that has been weighing me down, and I'm starting to have a few moments to refresh myself for the next day. Such as today - I actually had time to dip my toes into the blog world, and find out what people are posting about.

On Monday, I have a day of professional development with my fellow Physical Science teachers. Naturally, it's almost more trouble than it seems worth to prepare for the sub. The copying is handled centrally, so I need to be better prepared than I have in previous years (I have a tendency to wait until the last minute to get the copy ready). I currently have a busted overhead, so that's out. And I stupidly picked PERMANENT overhead markers - when shopping, I chose the right kind, then saw a better price. Didn't realize they were different until today. D'oh! As Homer Simpson says.

Still, for all the fish-out-of-water feeling I am experiencing, and the hassle of wanting some equipment that is still in Cleveland, and the loneliness of being without my husband - I am loving teaching full-time again.

It almost makes up for my anxiety about the NTE next month.

FIXING THE WRONG PROBLEM

I've been following the discussions in several states lately (the advantage of having divided loyalties) on education. Everyone wants to improve it, but few can agree on how. One thing that definitely has an impact (it's true in any industry) - if the workers have a high turnover rate, that likely is trouble for the quality of the industry's product. Now, some get offended when the word "product" is used to refer to the educated end result of years of schooling. I understand - people aren't widgets. And one-size-fits-all solutions are also not likely to lead to long-lasting educational improvements. Take one popular solution - raising teacher salaries. Here's what Betsy has to say about that:

Take an example from my field: education. People complain that teachers are leaving the field. Polticians and teachers say that the solution is to increase teacher salaries. Well, I'm all for that. But what if that isn't the real cause of teachers retiring from the profession? What if it aggravation with administrators, nasty children, work overload, poor discipline procedures, nonsupportive parents, or any of a host of factors that could lead to loss of job satisfaction? If you increase the salaries and don't address the other problems, you haven't solved the problem. And you've taken money from a whole host of other areas to do so. How are journalists to find out what the real problem is? That's tough. I don't know. I've talked to many teachers who have decided to do something else and the reasons are many and varied. Sometimes the money was an issue, but often it wasn't. Teachers know what the salary is going in. It's the other stuff that can surprise them.

She has a point. We are aware that we are unlikely to get big bucks in teaching. There are compensations, like good benefits, protections against unreasonable firing, summers off (important for moms), and knowledge that the work is important, and makes a difference in the lives of children.

REMINDER OF THE OLD DAYS

Plaque for the Hampton Colored School.

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This is a marker for a restored building that was designated as the Colored School, pre-integration. The local high school is about 50-50 black & white today.

THE OLD COLORED SCHOOL

The Old Colored School, Hampton, SC

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THE DREADED PRAXIS

I've been informed that, due to the move to SC, I will need to take the PRAXIS II for Physics, Chemistry, and General Science.

When I heard that, I'll admit it, I panicked.

I was certified in OH as the last group of teachers that did not have the PRAXIS required. I'm probably admitting that I'm dumb, but I never thought that I would have to take a test at this late date.

Another teacher in my school hasn't passed it, either, so we're going to study the areas we're weak in (for both of us, Chemistry), and shore up any special topics we might need. Along with the usual grading, planning, and meetings (not to mention extra-curricular mandates).

I've since looked over the practice tests. Although they ask some challenging questions, most of it appears to be stuff I know. I do know this: if they ask me anything about equilibrium reactions, I'm going to assume I missed that question. There's no way a month's worth of cramming will prepare me for THAT!

INNUMERACY

I've posted about Alliteracy (not INability to read, just a disinclination) before. A potentially bigger problem is INNUMERACY - inability to understand math.

Unlike alliterates, innumerates don't understand the basics; they can add, subtract, multiply, and divide (at least with a calculator), but they often have absolutely no clue when to perform which operation in real life. Hence, you have the problem of cashiers who cannot give proper change without prompting (and will unhesitatingly accept whatever the display tells them, no matter whether it makes sense or not), restaurant customers who cannot calculate the 15% tip (hint: try figuring out what 10% is, then adding half again as much), and even the large numbers of taxpayers who enrich the commercial preparers by paying for the 1040EZ to be filled out.

Many students confuse the process for entering division problems into a calculator with the procedure for hand-calculating them. In fairness, it's anti- the standard American practice of reading left to right.

Even more students (and their parents) have difficulty with understanding or using fractions and decimals. Too many elementary teachers are not totally comfortable with those functions - they can do it, but they can't coherently explain the process, and the mathematical reasoning for it.

One suggestion I've heard over and over again is - no calculators until at least middle school - some would raise that to high school. It's not that use of calculators mysteriously inhibits learning math, but that students' facility with the tool keeps teachers from learning who still doesn't understand the process.

Where, in this scenario, can technology fit?

Possibly, some of the better programs may be able to help students. I've heard good things about CAI programs such as Successmaker. At least in improving basic skills, they have been known to be of assistance.

However, too often, computer use in elementary and middle schools is a huge waste of time.

• When researching, many students are uncritical consumers, blindly accepting the first few sites to pop up in a web search.
  
• Often, teachers spend an inordinate amount of time monitoring students' activities, & keeping them from playing games, aimless browsing, and reading about sports, music, and tv/movies.
  
• Most webquests are a joke, replete with factoids, trivia, and role-playing. They seldom are worth the time they take.
  
• One exception to the general rule - The Jason Project is excellent. It is well designed, packed with activities that are aligned to standards (Science, Math, English, and Geography), and easy to use. It also has Student Journal, book reading and discussion forum, and teacher interactions. That last is important, as it gives inexperienced or isolated teachers the benefit of collegial feedback.
  
  One advantage to Jason is the training program - teachers are taken through the curriculm, and try out selected activities. Each year, teachers can return to learn about the new mission (it changes yearly).

What can be done if a student is behind 2 or more levels in math?

• Thorough evaluation, followed by individualized program of remediation.
  
• Use of a Mastery approach. Math is cumulative - failure to understand a basic concept leads to later failure, particularly when the math is taught via an integrated curriculum.
  
• Grades should be Pass/Fail. "Effort" Ds are all too common. A "D" indicates that the student does NOT understand the concept.
  
• Proficiency tests are a floor. If a student can't pass them, that indicates a serious problem. I've heard students say they "only missed passing" by 1 or 2 questions. EVERY students should pass these tests with room to spare.

Graduation should mean more than just barely managing to fulfill requirements.

Tracking has a bad reputation. Sorting students by presumed ability level is said to discriminate against miniorities.

I have an alternative suggestion: tracking by desire to learn.

All students who want to be in the highest-level, can.

There's just one catch - they can be dropped if they can't keep up. Any student in the lowest section of the class (1/4 to 1/3), must work extra (tutoring, before/after school assistance, CAI, online help, etc.).

What about the student who is chronically absent? What about them - if they work to keep up, they can stay. But if they can't cut it, good-bye.

This may sound harsh. But it's realistic. In high school, I had struggled with geometry, due to many absences (I had chronic brochitis, & was later diagnosed with asthma). Some things in life go to those that work harder. would American Idol contestants win if their performance was lacking, but they hadn't been well or had family problems or had a cold & couldn't hit the high notes? I think that's a major reason the "reality" shows are so popular - they don't take excuses for failure. They do't allow "do-overs".

In professional sports, it's similarly a game of survival of the fittest. Lebron doesn't get spotted a few extra points because he's jsut a kid.

If you play in the big boy's game, you play by the big boy's rules.

No exceptions.

I'M BACK AT WORK, FULL-TIME

I'm in South Carolina, teaching science to 9th grade students. They are generally very nice, the teachers and the administration have welcomed me warmly, and I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about the future.

As I get acclimated, I'll try to post a few pictures of the surroundings - it's really lovely. Most of my spare time over the next month or so is going to be dedicated to making sure I'm prepared to teach. I moved down with virtually no equipment or supplies, so I will be improvising a lot.

Tom Senior demonstrating the use of his Light Fluctuation Detector (solar cell inside a cheap pen barrel). It works beautifully!

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Our PTRA host this year

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Mountains surrounding Salt Lake City, Utah

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YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN EXAMS LIKE THIS

On the Common Sense and Wonder blog, I found an exam. According to the blogger:

This is what happens on your final when you drink beer and party instead of studying all semester

SUPRISING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND MATH PEOPLE

Winnie Cooper, the girl from The Wonder Years, is grown up and working as an actress. But, did you know Danica McKellar is also a math whiz?

Danica took a hiatus from acting for college, and she graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics! While she was there, she even co-authored a math proof - new research proving an original math theorem - highly unusual for an undergraduate. In fact, she was the only undergraduate invited to speak at Rutgers University's biannual Statistical Mechanics conference a few years back. Although she has returned to acting full time, she still retains a passion for it, and likes to stay active.

Another surprise in his diversity of interests is Dolph Lundren, the action film actor.


Lundgren attended the Royal Institute of Technology. Spending time abroad in the United States on various academic scholarships, he attended Washington State University and Clemson in South Carolina. In 1982, he received a scholarship to complete his Masters degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Sydney in Australia. The following year, he was awarded a Fullbright Scholarship to the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

BEAM ME UP

It's been an eventful summer.

First, for all those trekkies out there, the man known as "Scotty" has died. The Canadian-born James Doohan, the Enterprise's engineer, passed away at age 85 of pneumonia and Alzeheimer's.

Mr. Doohan's life was not uneventful, apart from the Star Trek series.

He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. "The sea was rough," he recalled. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans."

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on the screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

MID-SUMMER UPDATE

It's been an interesting summer, so far. I took a temporary job, which brings in immediate cash, but leaves me unable to take advantage of many summer workshops. OTOH, I do get to spend the day in air conditioning. The last few weeks, that was a definite advantage.

I am keeping busy, however. I've been posting to my other blog regularly. With all the activity happening in current events, there is much to comment on.

I've been learning how to draw Manga - it's a Japanese cartoon style. It's kind of fun to learn something so removed from other aspects of my life. I'd really enjoyed drawing when I was a kid, but, like so many of us, once I'd decided that I wasn't talented enough (how much is "enough"?), I gave it up. This time, the point isn't to satisfy someone else, it's just to make me happy.

Have a wonderful summer!

CREATE YOUR OWN LEGO FIGURE

If you click on the titel of this post, you will find a page called Chris Doyle's Reasonably Clever.Com. He has an application there to create a customized Lego graphic, just like the one below.

My Lego Figure

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Don't have room to store every poster? Try taking a picture of the end project.

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