Math, Demystified

Math... it is the universal language.  Movie after movie depicts that math will be what bridges communications with ETs if/when that day comes.

Math is vital, the foundation for numerous jobs: computers/technology, physics, engineering, accounting, finance, banking, etc.  There are undeniable connections to math in the areas of the arts as well.  Even social sciences can't escape math if only to consider statistics.

So, this begs the question, "Why do so many of our youth struggle with math?"  And, secondly, "What can we do about it?"

The following are my personal opinions; I've not conducted a single scientific study.

From very early ages, we expose our kids to the dreaded worksheet full of abstract numbers and symbols without first a solid grasp on what those symbols mean.  Visual or physical representations of mathematical concepts are a much better vehicle to understanding.  So, too, is a reason for learning it.  Newton invented Calculus to explain physical phenomena. 

My challenge to math teachers is two-fold: let them "see" it and give them the connection on why it matters.  If you can't do that, then you need to either question the curriculum or need to find the connection for yourself.

[Disclaimer .. I know there are pressures due to certain national/state standards.  My challenge is to find a way to teach it that really connects with kids.]

BYOD - Day 7

We've had seven successful days of BYOD so far.  Today I was privileged to be interviewed by a middle school media team.  I also observed another middle school media team practicing for their intro about BYOD for a piece to be shown to all students.  During that practice, it was clear that the students understood the difference between personal time and education time.  Our teachers have obviously been effective at conveying expectations.  They also included a funny, but true, segment at the beginning in which one student was trying to get the attention of another student who was using her device.

I've also personally witnessed a teacher having students register themselves to Cel.ly through a text message so that the teacher can send reminders.  This teacher even got feedback from a student that thanked them for a homework reminder.

Good things are happening!

On the downside, we've had a couple of lost/stolen devices.  Clearly, we need to do more in educating our kids how they can keep their devices safe.

I fully expect that we will only grow more effective in this endeavor.  Students seem excited by the possibilities.  Teachers are feeling their way and yearn for ideas.  This is a great place to be!

My blog title apparently begins in 1995 ...

Here's a fun little video that has gone viral lately.  It's touted as a 1995 PSA about the Internet.  I now know who to blame for our obsession about CATS on the Internet...




Besides the interesting connection to cat-obsession, if this is truly a real video from 1995, it's pretty freaky.  A graphical interface on the web wasn't available until shortly before that. (The birth of HTML and the browser around '92.)  So, in three short years, we went from deployment of an idea to awareness among even our youth.  That's pretty amazing. 

What's more, the people that were spoon-feeding the kids their lines were spot-on in their predictions.  It left me wondering, is this a hoax?  If not, who were these people?  I really want to know the rest of the story.

Why Blog?

An intense, quick and complicated discussion ensued on the #edchat Twitter exchange about blogging in education.  So, I thought I would blog my own thoughts about blogging in education.

At first, it focused around educators reading others' blogs and writing their own blogs and the benefits of doing so.  Very early on, the main theme was "reflect, share, connect."  The conversation eventually led to student blogs.  While I personally think that the "reflect, share, connect" notion is the great motivator behind student blogs, there were thoughts that if blogs are a required assignment (much as writing journals), then the endeavor is not authentic, even though the audience is the whole world (if blogging is done in a public space).

One Tweeter commented that we write first for ourselves and then for others and if we reverse that process, it isn't authentic.  I somewhat disagree with that notion, since historically, written and oral communication was always a means for sharing with others.  However, I do understand the extremely personal nature of putting one's thoughts into words for all to see and hear.

Since blogs are largely opinion pieces, it is a personal writing endeavor.  This is why I have tried to convey to teachers that they should encourage students to hone their writing skills through blogging to a world-wide audience on a topic that they enjoy and know.  Authentic, while meaning real people reading, also means relevance to the child.  Want to grow a great writer?  Let them write about their interests, their passion, and mentor them in technical aspects of their word choices and writing structure.

Why Blog?  Because you have something to say that others need to hear.  If you made it this far, you've heard me.

BYOD - Day 1

Today was the first day of school.  For our tech department, that means attending to some last minute issues.  Some of the issues are due to lack of foresight (e.g. relocating a teacher computer to an area of the room without network drops or projector connections) and good ole Murphy's Law (e.g. waterfall over a computer because of clogged pipes two days before school starts).

For teachers, the first day involves a lot of information dissemination to students: classroom rules, school/district rules, and the general "getting-to-know-you" activities.

I don't have hard numbers as of yet, but I know that many of our staff have registered their devices on our network.  I also know that a good number of our students tried to, but could not connect successfully.  Thanks to a couple of teachers and a student, we were alerted to the problem.  After an hour or so of troubleshooting, we determined the reason for the inability of students to connect and fixed the problem. Given that teachers aren't dependent on BYOD, especially on Day 1, I'd say this was a success.

In days to come, I hope to report some actual numbers.  I'll also be reporting on great integration ideas.  Our own MS Library Media Specialist has prepared lessons about apps that can be used for reading and citing sources.

I'm excited by the days to come.  Any thoughts and ideas are welcome.  Let's learn from each other!