Tag: math education

What’s Math Got to Do with It?: How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success

Recently, Professor Jo Boaler released her new book What’s Math Got to Do with It?: How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success.

The minute it came out, it became an instant best seller on Amazon. Currently, there are some issues on Math education in the United States, due to the very controversial syllabus called Common Core. Professor Jo Boaler attempts to address these controversies and give suggestions and advice to parents.

I totally agree with Professor Jo’s viewpoint that the first step to engage students in math learning is via practical means and showing them how mathematics is useful and relevant to their lives. Next is to always adopt a “growth mindset”, that no matter how weak or strong a child is in math, it is always possible to improve. Just having this mindset makes a huge difference. I took Prof. Jo Boaler’s online course on “How to Learn Math“, and what she said actually makes perfect sense. Hope a new generation appreciative of math will emerge due to new research on how to best learn Math, which Prof. Jo Boaler (PhD in Math Education) is an expert in.

Without further ado, I will link Prof. Jo Boaler’s introduction to her own book:

Hi Everyone,

I wanted you to be the first to know that my new book: What’s Math Got to Do With It:? How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success has just hit the bookstores and of course Amazon and other online outlets.

You can now get a copy here: What’s Math Got to Do with It?: How Teachers and Parents Can Transform Mathematics Learning and Inspire Success

The changes from the original book include:

2 new chapters
A focus on mindset
Ideas for the Common Core
An infusion of new research through the book

Why not buy the book for your principal? Or your colleagues? your family? your students’ parents? or others who you think may need to understand the nature of good mathematics teaching? You may need people to know the research evidence behind what you are doing, as well as get some new ideas yourself.

For youcubers in the UK there will be a new edition of The Elephant in the Classroom coming out in the Autumn, we will let you know when, of course.

I also wanted you to know about some book signings that are planned:

Friday April 3 Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The Exeter High School Auditorium 7-8.30pm talk followed by book signing. See:

http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20150330/NEWS/150339887/101019/NEWS

At NCSM:
Monday April 13th Boston, NCSM Following Jo’s keynote talk

At NCTM:
Thursday April 16th, 11.30 After Jo’s networking session.

We will also be arranging a book signing in the San Francisco bay area soon too.

I hope to see you at one of them. Below is our youcubed team reading the book yesterday 🙂

Viva La Revolution

Jo

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How to become better at Math?

 

Source: http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/766657/becoming-better-at-math?newsletter=1&nlcode=97485%7cd140

How can I become excellent at math? It really interests me but when I fail I become demotivated and begin to give up.

EDIT: Could anyone suggest books for someone with a math education that just barely touches on high-school Algebra (got into parabolas, rationalizing, some graphing and functions). This is what I am currently doing: attending high school as a Junior.

Read the answers given by experts at Math Stackexchange!

Some gems of wisdom:

Researchers have shown it takes about ten years to develop expertise in any of a wide variety of areas, including chess playing, music composition, telegraph operation, painting, piano playing, swimming, tennis, and research in neuropsychology and topology.

The key is deliberative practice: not just doing it again and again, but challenging yourself with a task that is just beyond your current ability, trying it, analyzing your performance while and after doing it, and correcting any mistakes. Then repeat. And repeat again.

All the best in your math studies!

Featured book:

Men of Mathematics (Touchstone Book)

Here is the classic, much-read introduction to the craft and history of mathematics by E.T. Bell, a leading figure in mathematics in America for half a century. Men of Mathematics accessibly explains the major mathematics, from the geometry of the Greeks through Newton’s calculus and on to the laws of probability, symbolic logic, and the fourth dimension. In addition, the book goes beyond pure mathematics to present a series of engrossing biographies of the great mathematicians — an extraordinary number of whom lived bizarre or unusual lives. Finally, Men of Mathematics is also a history of ideas, tracing the majestic development of mathematical thought from ancient times to the twentieth century. This enduring work’s clear, often humorous way of dealing with complex ideas makes it an ideal book for the non-mathematician.