E-Newsletter Brain Teaser December 2009

Ann went from Point A to Point B.

Simultaneously Peter went from B to A.
In six hours they met and in another three hours Peter reached A.
How many hours did Ann travel from A to B?

Peter’s total travel time was 9 hours.
Assume both travel at a constant speed:
Let’s pick a speed for Peter…60 miles per hour so Peter will travel 540 miles altogether (as will Ann). He travelled 360 miles in the first 6 hours and 180 miles in the last 3 hours for a total of 540 miles.

after 6 hours, they were both much closer to A than to B


A----------------X---------------------------------B

If Ann took 6 hours to travel her 180 miles (540-360), she was only travelling 30 mph.
So it will take Ann 18 hours to travel from A to B. (540/30)

If we pick another speed, let’s say 100 mph for Peter
So he travelled 600 miles in the first 6 hours and 300 miles in the last 3 hours for a total of 900 miles.

If Ann took 6 hours to travel her 300 miles, therefore she was only travelling 50 mph.
So it will take Ann 18 hours to travel from A to B. (900/18)

Many apologies for a typo, the original problem in the e-newsletter said:
In six hours they met and in another three hours Peter reached B.

Adding It Up on WNYC

http://blogs.wnyc.org/news/category/education/adding-it-up/

Adding It Up multi-part series from WNYC on remedial Math experiences at LaGuardia Community College

Wired for Math

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/health/research/21brain.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all

Brain researchers in cognitive neuroscience are finding that young children can learn Math in preschool. This changes the idea that students need to be at least 5 until their brains are ready for Math.

SAT Skills Insight Pinpoints Strategies

http://www.collegeboard.com/testing/sat/skillsmap/select-interval-mathematics.html

This link connects to SAT Skills Insight that helps students find and developstrategies based on their current score.

COMPASS

http://www.act.org/compass/sample/pdf/numerical.pdf

Elementary Math is Misleading

A retired engineer tutors his 4th grade granddaughter in Math and finds that the standard algorithms have been upstaged by regrouping, estimated and calculator Math.

http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2009/12/19/stcharles/opinion/1220stc-opsh0.txt

This Is Your Brain on a Test

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/nurtureshock/archive/2009/12/15/this-is-your-brain-on-a-test.aspx

Carol Dweck, researcher at Stanford (formerly at Columbia), wrote about the Growth and Fixed mindset in her terrific book Mindset http://www.mindsetonline.com./

In the study mentioned on the Nurture Shock blog on Newsweek.com, Po Bronson renames the Growth mindset Knowledge-Hungry and the Fixed mindset Grade-Hungry. The Knowledge-Hungry learners were open to learning from their mistakes. Developing this perspective can help students and their teachers and parents to address the "non-instruction" part of learning and teaching.

The Ten Commandments of Mathematics

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/Div/Winchester/jhhs/math/humor/tencommd.html

The Ten Commandments of Mathematics for Students...LOL

Why Do I Need To Know This?

A great piece on the why question!

http://www.examiner.com/x-29491-Topeka-K12-Examiner~y2009m12d8-Why-do-I-need-to-know-this

Math Scores Do Not Show Much Progress

http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_math1208_20091208.html



Based on NAEP

This Wall Street Journal on-line resource includes a sortable table of cities, 4th grade scores, 8th grade scores, etc to compare and contrast results.

Math's Double Standard from Achieve

http://www.achieve.org/files/Achieve-MathWorks-FactSheetDoubleStandard.pdf

While people understand and emphasize Reading and Writing, many see Math is a different light. Math Works is an Achieve program -- Achieve is an educational reform organization founded in 1996 by corporate leaders and state governors. Some of its goals is to create common standards, to increase high school diplomas and their worthiness and to advocate for better prepared college students and workers. Click here for more info on Achieve http://www.achieve.org/AboutAchieve.

Math vs. Reading from Math Works

From Achieve's Math Works

Things you never hear about reading and writing
(but often hear about math).
“I’m just not that good at writing, so why bother?”
“When will I actually use reading and writing in the real world?”
“Only nerds like to read and write.”
“I’m just not smart enough for writing.”
“My parents can’t read, so why do I need to learn how to read?”
“It’s just a fact that guys are better at reading than girls are.”
“I’m not a writing person; it doesn’t come naturally to me, so
why should I try?

National Educational Standards...Leadership

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/opinion/05herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
This Bob Herbert op-ed piece outlines a new Harvard Ph D in Educational Leadership that will emphasize reform, learning and policy. He discusses the challenges of public education in our country with its video game culture and high dropout rate.

Leadership is essential in education at the national, district, school and classroom level. Will add some leadership links later in the month.

Math Works from Achieve

From Achieve's web site:
Far too many students in the U.S. give up on math early because it does not come easy and they believe only students with innate ability can really be “good” at mathematics, a notion that is all too often reinforced by adults who believe the same thing. Yet, in most other countries students accept that mathematics—especially advanced math courses—can be challenging, but know that with enough motivation and perseverance, they can learn difficult material. The uniquely American attitude towards math—the perception that only people who are naturally gifted at math are good at it—leads to a dangerous corollary: that it is ok to be “bad at math.” This is a significant factor in the comparatively low math achievement of students in the U.S., which
limits students’ education and career options and makes it harder for the U.S. to compete.