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.

What's Your Math IQ? (By grade level)

http://www.mathnasium.com/mathiq.htm

Engineers as Role Models (besides athletes and entertainers)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/science/24educ.html?_r=1&hpw

The White House is starting a campaign to promote Math and Science ed...maybe this will help STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) 's PR ;)

Warning from Free Rice

WARNING: This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance...
www.freerice.com

Checking Homework and Metacognition (Thinking about Thinking)

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/nurtureshock/archive/2009/11/18/at-what-age-do-you-no-longer-have-to-check-your-children-s-homework.aspx

This Newsweek article by Po Bronson, author of Nurture Shock, is titled "At What Age Do You No Longer Have to Check Your Children's Homework?". This is a complex question as many middle schoolers are still developing metacognitive skills for self-evaluation (do I get it?) and the maturity for self-advocacy (I should see the teacher).

Free Rice Has Math and Vocab and More!

http://www.freerice.com/subjects.php?t=27627787492

The United Nations World Food Program's Freerice.com raises awareness of world hunger by donating 10 grains of rice for every correct answer. Besides Math, there's Art, Chemistry, English, Geography and Language Learning.

Coolmath's Math Survival Guide

Very witty and funny ;)

Might think of the wording from a different perspective -- like Thrive with Math. or Math Enjoyment Guide!

Her very terrific web site is www.coolmath.com

Algebra II Regents Sampler

http://www.jmap.org/JMAP/RegentsExamsandQuestions/3-AdobePDFs/CompactExams/Algebra2Trigonometry/fall09ExamA2_EV.pdf

The sampler for Alg II includes trig, abs value inequalities, function definition, logs in non-Base 10, trig identities, imaginary numbers, negative exponents, stats, inverse functions, domain of a fucntion, binomial expansion, compounded interest, sequences, Law of Cosines.

As far as informing SAT prep, abs value inequalities, function notation, summation, negative exponents, equation of a circle, and solving algebraic equations.

US Coalition for World Class Math

http://usworldclassmath.webs.com/

Habits of Mind from Studying Math

From The Opportunity Equation:
"Math and science embody habits of mind and methods for discerning meaning that enable students to learn deeply and critically in all areas."

Goal; Much Higher Level of Math and Science Learning

http://www.opportunityequation.org/

"The Opportunity Equation: Transforming Mathematics and Science Education for Citizenship and the Global Economy"

The Carnegie Foundation and IAS at Princeton have published a report entitled "The Opportunity Equation" about the importance of Math and Science education. An interesting fact is that most of the authors and advisors are college and corporate level -- classroom teachers and educational administrators may contribute ideas and perspective.

The Lessons of the Good Teacher

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/opinion/l04teach.html

Bedtime is Book Time, Math in the Morning

This blogger who has a 7 year old and 5 year old muses on the popularity of bedtime stories and would like Math to get its fair share of time ;)
This might also fall into the category of beforeschooling (working on homework with your kids in the morning before school) !! (as opposed to afterschooling -- working on homework with your kids in the evening/afternoon)