The grocery store is one of my favorite places for mathematical inspiration. I'm always finding interesting opportunities for mathematizing that I can bring back to the classroom to share with my students. The more I share my mathematical life and thinking with my students, the more they see math in their world and bring that in to… Continue reading Math in the Real World
Boxes and Marbles
From the Marina Pics Photostream on Flickr Sometimes the best teaching, learning and play happens at unexpected moments, in unplanned ways. I've developed the habit of collecting interesting odds and ends (or, as my husband refers to it, junk!) that I think might be interesting for my students to use or play with. Last year I began to… Continue reading Boxes and Marbles
Play-Debrief-Replay
My kindergarten colleague, Lauren, brought up an important issue in her comment on my last post, Explore: "In the first few weeks of school we use a lot of explore time in kindergarten with Unifix cubes, pattern blocks, and other manipulatives. What kinds of questions can we ask during discussion to create meaningful reflection and what… Continue reading Play-Debrief-Replay
Explore!
Time for mathematical play and exploration is critical to the development of problem-solving skills, creativity, and persistence. And yet, play is something that is increasingly getting set aside as outside pressures in the education world distract from real learning. When I was having trouble finding time for mathematical play (or any play at all, really)… Continue reading Explore!
Yippee!
Math Exchanges is available for complete free preview online at http://t.co/BXj1u0g. You can order your copy there as well. Enjoy!
10 Picture Books for August 10th
Along with many educator friends over on Twitter, I’m participating in the August 10 for 10 Picture Book Event. Each participant chooses ten favorite picture books to blog about. You can check out everyone’s picks over at http://t.co/Wutt11U or by searching the#pb10for10 on Twitter. I have decided to focus on picture books that encourage mathematizing, interpreting and… Continue reading 10 Picture Books for August 10th
Building Identity Through Mathematician Statements
One way that I help my students build their individual identities as mathematicians and our group identity as a community of mathematicians is through mathematician statements. This an idea borrowed from the literacy world, and I think viewing oneself as a mathematical thinker is just as crucial to the teaching and learning of mathematics as… Continue reading Building Identity Through Mathematician Statements
Children as Mathematicians?
It’s August.For me that means wrapping up vacations (I’ve still got one more to Cape Cod coming up!) and starting to think more and more about what is coming up just around the bend--the return to school. I actually love these August days when I am still feeling relaxed and summery, but I can just… Continue reading Children as Mathematicians?
Welcome to Math Exchanges!
I can't believe it! My book, Math Exchanges: Guiding Young Mathematicians in Small Group Meetings, is *almost* out there in the world. One of the purposes of this blog will be to serve as a companion to my book. I'll be posting regularly about my teaching passions-- math workshop, teaching math in small groups and… Continue reading Welcome to Math Exchanges!
Math Exchanges 