Test Prep as an Opportunity for Core Knowledge

In today's New York Times (3/23/09), E.D. Hirsch the Cultural Literacy guru espouses the idea of infusing test prep with core knowledge (general background knowledge)...here is a link to the benefits: http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/about/index.htm#Benefits

While Math isn't mentioned in this op-ed piece, quantitative ideas mixed with core knowledge -- graphs and charts, taxes and population, and current events show the applicability of Math. This perspective can help learners relate to Math in and out of the classroom.

When Are We Ever Gonna Use This Math? (for THINKING!)

What do you say to the question "When are we ever gonna use this Math?"

Are people really searching for the utility of Math (perhaps in hope of avoidance!) or it is a challenge question?

Perhaps the real intention is:
"If we're not gonna use it, then please don't make us learn it."

Most are not saying "Wow! This is so cool -- when will I get to use this?".

Please post your comments -- thanks!

PS In "The Magic of Thinking Big", David Schwartz (same name as my Grandpa) writes "Anything that improves thinking ability is education."

Metacognition -- Thinking About Thinking

In Geoff Colvin's book Talent is Overrated, he analyzes what makes world-class performers. On page 118, he stresses the importance of metacognition -- knowledge about your own knowledge, thinking about your own thinking....Top performers do this much more systematically than others do; it's an established part of their routine.

"Helpful", "Insightful", "Beneficial": Feedback from Workshop

Feedback from the debut of
"Exchanging Ideas and Strategies for Math B Success"
at the Ten County Math Educators conference
Orange County, NY(http://www.tencountymath.org/).

• "It was helpful to talk in a group about different approaches"
• "I gained insightful information about successful testing strategies"
• " I feel talking to other teachers about strategies was eye-opening and beneficial"

How does working with other teachers help you?

This workshop will be featured at the New York City Math Project conference at Lehman College on Saturday, May 2nd.

It's Not Just About the Math!

Math appears content-oriented making students wonder "When Are We Ever Going To Use This Math?". However, the study of Math instills many core values such as perseverance, self-discipline, and excellence, while providing challenge and the opportunity for ‘flow’ experiences. Math is a life-skill that generates critical thinking, broadens career choice, and enhances performance in the classroom and in the workplace. Viewing Math through this lens can positively address the attitudinal aspects of teaching and learning Math helping to develop a life-long appreciation and confidence in quantitative reasoning.

'Formal' Brain Fitness and/or Math

These links connect to brain fitness.
So do Algebra, SAT Prep and Decimals ;)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alvaro-fernandez/top-11-books-for-brain-he_b_157062.html

http://www.brainrules.net/the-rules
http://www.lumosity.com/info/company/about

Math B Workshop Sat 3/14 and also in May

Exchanging Ideas and Strategies for Math B Success will debut this weekend at the Ten County Math Educators' conference.

This forum will include a dialogue on multiple choice questions, metacognition and topics generated by the participants. Please analyze the January 2009 Math B Regents (http://www.jmap.org/) and bring your own teaching strategies and graphing calculator for a lively and engaging discussion.

Saturday March 14, 2009
Ten County Mathematics Educators Association, Middletown, NY
http://www.tencountymath.org/



Saturday May 2, 2009
New York City Math Project, Lehman College, Bronx, NY
http://www.nycmp.org/

Motivation and Mindset

Motivation is an important component to Math success -- an interesting book related to education and effort is Mindset by Carol Dweck. She divides the world into two basic categories -- Ability vs Effort.
A study of Stanford freshman Chem students (the average grade is a C+ and many of these students have never gotten less than an A) -- the students who were ability-oriented thought they were just not smart enough and dropped Chem.
In contrast, the students who were effort-oriented stayed the course and developed and implemented a plan so they could improve.
http://www.mindsetonline.com/

CLEP vs AP Exams

An unheralded College Board product are the CLEPs.
(College Level Examination Program)

Questions for colleges:
Do they accept AP credit?
Do students get the credits or does it just place them into a higher-level course? The CLEP is accepted as college credit at many institutions and has not been publicized -- it is an inexpensive way to earn college credits.
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html

There are four Math CLEPs -- College Algebra, College Mathematics, Precalculus and Calculus. Each study guide is $10 and is downloadable directly from the College Board's web site.
http://store.collegeboard.com/catalog.do?category=298&categoryName=CLEP%AE&secondCategory=305&secondCatName=Science%20%26%20Mathematics

Test Prep as an Opportunity

Like Math Confidence, the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics www.nctm.org) is viewing Test Prep as an Opportunity ;)

These were in the InBox today from NCTM:

Subject: Best Practices for Test Prep - Middle School Member Update
http://www.nctm.org/membership/msupdate.aspx?id=2147483702


Subject: Getting Students to Excel in Mandated Testing - High School Member Update
http://www.nctm.org/membership/hsupdate.aspx?id=2147483700


Subject: Take Pride in Preparing Students for Tests - Higher Ed Member Update
http://www.nctm.org/membership/heupdate.aspx?id=2147483701

Adding Test Prep to Teacher Training and Prof Dev

Because New York State tests are public information and are easily downloadable, there is a teaching and learning opportunity for students, parents, teachers and the public at large.


Using these old exams as an educational supplement, people can raise metacognition (thinking about thinking) and gain content exposure. This will ensure that students are familiar with the material and format of standardized exams.

Click here for NYS Elementary and Intermediate exams for all subjects
Grades 3 - 8 http://www.nysedregents.org/testing/eleminttests.html

Click here for high school content http://www.jmap.org/

Overall NYS web site: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/

Response to NYT Rewards for Students: Brain Fitness

While money (or other incentives) can work in some cases, there are inherent rewards in a “honest day’s work”. Effort (whether put forth in a classroom, an office or a kitchen) is a key ingredient for self-esteem, character building and success. Engaging the disengaged is a challenging task. Another tool may be to publicize the benefits of “brain fitness” thereby improving the PR of some subjects (such as Math).

Math Confidence's Perspective of Math as a "Life Skill":
Strengthens critical thinking and reasoning skills
Broadens career and educational choices
Instills values of discipline and excellence
Improves self-awareness, focus and attention
Builds confidence for academic, professional and personal success

A is for Achievement...E is for Effort

Below please read a terrific NYT letter by a Math professor regarding the issue of grading vs effort.

"Instead of dwelling on the few of my students who feel entitled to a high grade, I prefer to think of the many who accept their grades, or who question a grade to find out whether I made an error in grading (which does happen) — or even, to find out how to do better. "
Thomas Zaslavsky
Binghamton, N.Y., Feb. 23, 2009
The writer is a professor of mathematics at Binghamton University, SUNY.

SAT as a Predictor? Indicator? Brain Fitness?

In this article, the author (age >40) elaborates on her recent SAT and points out that the scores are just one part of the admissions process. However, it is important to note that some fields of study use the SAT as a measure of 'keeping up with the Joneses'. Engineering schools want high Math scores (to follow along with profs who write a dozen equations on the board); likewise, journalism schools want high verbal scores.

Because grades are subjective, the SAT is a broader indicator. Due to the absence of a national curriculum, we can think of the SAT as a unifier for a reasonable body of knowledge for high schoolers.

Studying for the SAT (or any test) can promote brain fitness at any age ;)

I Was Told There Would Be No Math

(headline from Slate magazine re: NYTimes new puzzle KenKen)

Is Sudoku's promise of "no Math" essential PR for promoting number puzzles? A not-so-positive relationship with Math can be left over from school days and can undeliberately be handed down from generation to generation.

KenKen creates another opportunity to engage people with numbers.

The many rewards of Math include critical thinking skills, broader career choices, discipline, focus and confidence for academic, professional and personal success (plus the "aha" of a solution)

http://fray.slate.com/discuss/forums/2097086/ShowForum.aspx?ArticleID=2211595

The SAT Question of the Day…price: free!!

The SAT Q of the D is short , sweet and wallet-friendly as well as fun for brain fitness at any age (I have learned a LOT of grammar!!). Sadly, only 1 out of every 3 is Math (the other 2 out of every 3 is Verbal…sigh).
You get immediate feedback upon clicking your answer along with a pie chart showing how respondents have scored and the question's difficulty level.

A workout at the gym increases physical fitness...
The SAT Q of the D improves mental fitness.

Forbes Magazine's Article on Remedial Math

Like sports coaching, academic coaching can help people improve their knowledge, skills and attitude to develop to their potential. Kumon’s back-to-basics philosophy is attractive to parents who would like their kids to be more knowledgeable and self-dependent. By learning the standard Math algorithms, students reduce their dependency on the calculator while improving their grades and gaining confidence.

This comment posted on forbes.com
http://rate.forbes.com/comments/CommentServlet?op=cpage&sourcename=story&StoryURI=forbes/2009/0302/095_remedial_math.html

Comment on www.nytimes.com re: Value of an Education

The value of an education goes beyond what is learned in school. The most important part of education is learning how to self-educate. As a Math educator, people often ask me “When am I ever going to use this Math?” which is posed as a challenge rather than a “Wow! This is cool! When will I get to use it?”
Below is a list of benefits of studying Math:
Strengthens critical thinking and reasoning skills
Broadens career and educational choices
Instills values of discipline and excellence
Improves self-awareness, focus and attention
Builds confidence for academic, professional and personal success

While not as interactive as a college class, reading the great literary and philosophical works (as well as studying Math and other technical content) is available to anyone with a spark of curiosity and a library card or the Internet.

Robin Schwartz
http://www.mathconfidence.com/
http://www.mathconfidence.blogspot.com/

Link to the original article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/books/25human.html

Previewing a Real PSAT…$3 – can you go wrong?

Many students will benefit from seeing the format and content of the PSAT especially the grid-in questions on the Math section. They are $3 -- just got 10 of each for the 2008 administration (Wednesday and Saturday).

The two biggest surprises seem to be
1. “20 questions in only 25 minutes?”. High school courses may or may be preparatory in terms of content or time management.
2. The grid-in questions that are not multiple choice where the student writes the answer and bubbles it in on the test form.

Order of Difficulty
The Math questions are arranged in order of difficulty based on field testing. So #1 and 2 should be easy and by #17 they are challenging.

However, on the Math section with the grid-ins
(the first 8 questions are multiple choice and the last 10 are grid-in)
Questions 1-8 (multiple choice) swing through the Easy/Medium/Hard
and the first few grid-ins (they start at #9) start back at Easy
so do not spend too much time on questions 6 - 8.

Being familiar with PSAT format and timing will help students on Test Day (given only once a year in October) and oh, just make you smarter anyway ;)

Adding Character Building to the Dialogue on Grades and Effort

Huge Response to NYT Article re: Student Expectations

The New York Times published seven letters today relating to last week's article (which was the most emailed article for at least a day or two). Most of the letters were focused on the reward of effort with a grade.

The reward of effort is the character building and internal self-confidence that are boosted by hard work and perseverance. It would be terrific if the dialogue on this topic would include the non-grade related payoff. When I have posted about effort and learning are among the top benefits of technical content, grades have not been mentioned.

There is a great visual in the NYT OpEd next to these 7 letters that says:
90 - 100 A
80-90 A
70-80 A
60-70 B+
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/opinion/l23grades.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Last week, I posted the distribution of grades in engineering courses...(see 2/18 blog below)...oops, I forgot to mention how much grades depended on the class average (usually far below 50). This hardens the learner as the 'easy' A is just never there and the payoff is looking longer horizon toward the degree, job possibilities, life lessons...rather than embarassment, a lot of camaderie was constructed by exchanging test score information (that were so LOW). You hoped for a C but sometimes, a D was for diploma -- you got your 3 credits toward your degree...Engineering schools do this on purpose to build mental toughness and it works although some drop out not because they are asked toleave but rather because they are used to getting As.

Thanks Syracuse University L.C. Smith College of Engineering!