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Big Bird Supports President’s “Educate to Innovate” Campaign
President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign is a nationwide effort to move American middle and high school students to the top of the pack in science, technology, engineering & math (STEM) achievement over the next decade.
“Reaffirming and strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the [...]
Overcome Math Anxiety
Like other types of performance anxiety, such as stage fright, math tests can lead to panic and cause the mind to go blank. Students overcome by math anxiety may feel a disabling frustration that can lead to full-fledged panic. Math anxiety is real, but can be brought under control with understanding and practice.
Prevent math fright [...]
Tags: math
Entertaining Generations with Math
Martin Gardner’s books (together with hundreds of others) adorned my father’s bookshelves when I was growing up. Filled with mathematical puzzles, many were accessible to me as a child. His clear, simple writing focused on the joy of untangling mysterious knots (sometimes literally). The New York Times profiles Mr. Gardner on the occasion of his [...]
Tags: math
Super Cool Graphing Tool Ideal for School
Now students of all ages can make professional-looking graphs and charts with ease. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education, has created a free, easy-to-use graphing tool on its Kids’ Zone web site.
Sometimes, complicated information is difficult to understand and needs an illustration. [...]
Tags: math
Rigorous High School Math Equals Career Readiness
“The equation is simple: No matter what their background, students who take challenging math courses in high school get better jobs and earn more money throughout their entire lives.”
Do you have a reluctant math student living under your roof? The Math Works advocacy kit from Achieve.org is written for every student who has uttered the [...]
Are Smartphones Smart for the Classroom?
While touring a high school the other day, I watched a math teacher confiscate a cell phone from a student. That she did it with a raised eyebrow and tilt of her head while continuing to instruct the the class convinced me this was not an isolated case. I assumed the student was surreptitiously texting [...]
Abstract Symbols vs. Real World Math Examples
We’ve all heard the classic story problem about two trains leaving different stations at the same time. But, do most students learn the math when presented with real-life situations?
A study led by Jennifer Kaminski, research scientist at The Ohio State University’s Center for Cognitive Science, found that abstract math concepts do not become more relevant [...]
8th-grade Algebra Mandate Blocked
A mandate to make California the first state to require algebra testing for all eighth-graders was blocked by a judge on Friday, December 19.
Despite opposition from California’s School Superintendent, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the State Board of Education endorsed a plan to require Algebra 1 testing for all eighth-graders beginning in 2011. Opposition groups sued, [...]
YouTube Math Tutor
I just watched an online instructional video and cannot imagine why I ever found exponents daunting. Salman Khan, founder of nonprofit Khan Academy, delivers easy-to-follow, 10-minute clips that explain how to work through math concepts, so you can get on with your homework.
Using a simple blackboard format, each video walks the viewer through example problems. [...]


