mathmarm
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Posts posted by mathmarm
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Scales don't mean much without calibration, something to compare them too.
I can write an exam that even I couldn't solve, I could write an exam that my Honors Calculus 3 students will all struggle to pass, I could write a test that darn near anyone could pass.
It sounds like a good thing that students wont be penalized (as steeply) for non academic things, such as homework (since it tends to be rather inane and dull these days, not to forget plentiful by several reports and anecdotes I've read recently. While I, as a college instructor, dread watered down primary education, I don't know know that I can condemn this change out of the gate. The point is, there are still tests and standards that will equalize the performance and reveal whats really behind a students GPA.
I have to add that in the syllabi that I prepare for my college level class, often have similar grade ranges, I don't think that its so horrible that elementary students should get a similar grading scale. Don't get me wrong, I still have students who fail classes even with wide grade ranges. After all, the Final exam is the day that tells us what we really know and I don't give multiple choice tests.
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Its all in the attitude. From what I have seen of AoPS, I don't like their PreAlgebra which feels "klunky" to me, but the program looks genuinely solid and is unlike any other math curricula I've seen in the US in all my years of teaching, however it is not necessary in the least to be a good math student or to train a mathematician, though it is an excellent program, from what I can tell. I'm still perusing and I haven't gotten through all of the text. I am toying with the idea of buying the collection for my own personal use, seeing as how my son is only a couple of weeks old.
I had started to write about what math studies were like in my household when I was growing up, but it quickly became a really, really long reply so I cut it out. But suffice it to say we didn't have any special curriculum/math program. I honestly don't even think that my mom set out to accelerate us in math or make us "math smart" or anything. She was a math teacher and we were poor, she made up games and gave us tasks to do that were within her personal scope and budget, many of which were very math centric. It probably helped tremendously that my mom was a very well rounded mathematician, though she only taught high school she self studied a few other math courses from the undergraduate catalog she was only certified to teach highschool math.
If your son was serious then I'd say your halfway there, no matter what curriculum you go with. I will advise you get him a math mentor as he gets into highschool mathematics though. Sometimes a mentor is invaluable.
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I can't tell if it is pink or not, but it starts w/ 0mos.
Yes, that is the one. A big thanks from Hubby and I.
There is this one too http://www.adaycare.com/InfantActivitiesCurriculum14.html not pink and brown but starts from birth. The reason the other one starts at 3 months is because that's when infants are generally actually interacting with you. Prior to that is enough to simply talk, smile, coo and sing to baby. Focus on bonding, infant massage, routine, and just getting to know each other in the beginning. Get in the habit of reading aloud books
Yeah, we know we don't have to do anything special or extra, but Jr. is our first and probably only child as we're both a good bit older and I doubt I'll be getting pregnant again. I am home with Jr during the day and when he is home, Hubby enjoys spending a few moments a day, deliberately interacting with Jr and "doing" stuff with him and Jr seems to like it so Hubby has been thinking of continuing the "program". It is very gentle, and gives Hubby just enough guidance to make the little bit of time that he and Jr have together special for them both.
Hubby has been doing the free sample activities he'd printed off and I'd lost the site link. Hubby is doing the program in ASL with Jr., I have the luxury of just talking, reading, and playing with baby (during the brief periods that he's awake) through out the day. Jr is a little more alert in the evenings and once he's fed, Hubby gets prime baby time. If he chooses to do a program, I don't think I should try and stop him. Hubby does read to him, even if he's asleep, every night.
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Thanks for the book recommendation. And the website. It isn't what I was think of though, I would use it but the program is for 3+mos, the one that we are looking for for the website is "brown and pink" Hubby remembers. (I don't.)
But I do remember it started from 0 months.
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I get what OP is saying. Elem. is hard. YOu have to get the basics in to make sure they can learn everything they need to know. You have to start from scratch with reading, spelling, exploring the world, and basic arithmetic before you get to the interesting topics of logic and deeper math and all of that. Many feel that way. In a classroom setting I would MUCH rather teach middle schoolers than young elem. kids. They fall out of their seats. They want to play outside. They have short attention spans. They have to go to the bathroom....
YES! YES! YES! Thank you so much for articulating that! My brain isn't working like it used to for some reason...(*Is this baby-brain?*)
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Well, do you think that all of us who are homeschooling are doing anything less than teaching our children everything they need to know, or that we don't care whether our children are exposed to subjects other than those that interest us?
In other words, does your own research lead you to believe that homeschooling can be a viable option in the first place?
Well, I didn't mean that homeschool parents only teach what they want to teach. I was just asking...well, I guess I don't know how to word my question in a better way. But we would like to homeschool only if we felt that we could do it well. Hubby and I have started talking about it and we could definitely homeschool from a strictly schedule point of view. We both work full time, but there is a lot of flexibility to our schedules. We could HS in morning and evening shifts if needed.
It is clear to me that many people do such an amazing job at HSing, and the things that I've seen on various blogs and websites is pretty amazing--I'm convinced that HS really could work, even for folks like Hubby and I, but Hubby doens't like the Well Trained Mind, so I don't know how much of it we'd be using to HS Jr if we did, and Montessori only goes up to age 6, so by the time PreK and K ends--then what?
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There was a website that I had book marked that had a baby "curriculum" for ages 0-12mos. Hubby and I would like to try some of those things with Jr. but we can't find the link.
It had things like rhymes to sing each week, games to play with your baby, books to read.
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If we were to home school, could we really teach him everything that he would need to know?
Is it odd that I feel like elementary school is challenging to teach, but feel that middle-school and up would be easier? What does that say about me as a prospective home schooler? My mom was a math teacher in PS, I am a teacher at the collegiate level. I have taught or tutored everything from elementary to graduate level math. But my 'expertise' is kind of limited to math (logic, physics and computer science would be close "2nds" I guess), but really I feel that I can teach math and I feel that I could teach it well, but what about other things? Math isn't the only thing that is important or that Hubby and I want Jr. to know or be exposed to in elementary.
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Practice makes permanent, not perfect.
Wow, thats what my dad always told us. I had a total flash back to being a kid again. That's from
Robert R-someone right? I can't think of his name, but I think the initials are RR.Nope, I looked it up and it was Bobby Robson, in case anyone was wondering.My mom would watch us work stuff on the board and if we got sloppy she'd make us stop--have us verbally list everything wrong with our format, calculations, work etc and then we'd erase everything and start over. She always said "Practice being perfect, so you will be."
Sorry, I had a total flash back and had to share.
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I have a lot of time on my hands, so why not?
My mom was a math teacher, as am I and I have become increasingly interested in elementary math education since my son was conceived. I would find it helpful and probably informative to refresh myself on the practices of teaching elementary arithmetic.
Will you have a unit on problem solving in the early grades?
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Refuse to check her work after every single problem. Tell her you will check when the whole row is done or in XX minutes and don't budge.
My mom was a math teacher and she curbed this behaviour in my by requiring that I perform the inverse operation and checking that my cycle was flowing correctly. Once every single problem became 2x the work, I was more receptive to lessons on mental math and estimation and I was able to check my own work from the time I was about 7 on wards.
What grade/age is she?
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Hubby and I each have our own kitchen space, Jr is welcome in the kitchen but seeing as how he's only a few weeks old, he doesn't really have an opinion. Hubby and I share in the cooking/cleaning of the house pretty equally though.
My MIL on the other hand, is crazy protective of her kitchen. She taught her kids to stay out of her kitchen--for Hubby learning to cook with his mom in the kitchen was a rite of passage. She is still very protective of her kitchen, she loves to cook for us but doesn't like us in her kitchen.
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There are many adult ed type math books that are published in series by topic. I can't think of a title right now, they tend to be kind of generic...but if you search around amazon you should find something.
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I'll be following this topic as I have three precious grand-babies that are biracial. The oldest is 2 1/2, and we want to start reading and getting ready for the questions we know are coming.
I just wanted to come back and share this list that I found online since you said you'd be following this topic.
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Your husband is pretty funny!
I would take a mayonnaise jar, empty it, and refill it with vanilla pudding. Then casually take it out of the fridge and start eating it by the spoonful when you are both relaxing, watching tv or something. He'll notice, be mortified, and you can act all innocent. "What? You don't eat mayo from the jar? Come on! Of course you do! Everyone does!" See how long you can keep him going.
This might actually work! and we have some pudding...
Change the babies "poop" diaper (which is actually mustard or whatever you need to use to make it look real) and start licking it. Disgusting!!!!
Yuck! No way Hubby wouldn't freak out but I don't think that I could do this with a straight face/without feeling sick. I'm to squeamish and easily grossed out.
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Memberships/Seasons ticket: Limit yourself to 4 and then schedule yourself to attend often enough that you feel it is worth it. That you're getting your moneys worth and the kids are enjoying/thriving at that level of exposure/repetition then do it. We have seasons ticket to the local theater, a sporting event and 2 different musuems. Hubby attends a lot of sporting events both in the community and at the school where I teach.
Lessons: If it is an important enough area and you can afford it. Then spend. Hubby and I are older and have our first son Jr. who was born earlier this month, but we've saved for his education and extracurricular for years. He'll begin swim lessons when he is 3mos. and we hope to keep him in swimming until he is at least 12yo.
I believe that physical movement, gross motor development and skill is extremely important especially in the early years, so I have no qualms with putting my kid in an indoor gym group, swimming and tumbling the moment he reaches the required age.
For me, the lessons are a priority. I want Jr to grow and develop and have his physical out lets. When he is of school age, then maybe things will change,but for now getting him out of the house and involved in activities is a priority for Hubbby and I. Jr. is an only child and probably always will be, Hubby and I are older, we don't have the energy/stamina/youth needed to engage him fully for every age and stage, but I want him to get that exercise. So, yeah, I'm putting my infant in swim lessons as soon as he is 3mos old. (Actually, he'll be 14 weeks, since the start date for the session is a little later.)
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Ha! I'd wait three or four weeks till he isn't on guard before I got him back.
Yeah, I'm thinking at least until Dec. I can't believe he kept it up so long, Hubby is usually an open-book kind of guy, he's very honest and easy going so I never expected him to pull an elaborate prank like this.
Maybe one day have your dh watch the baby while you are doing something. When dh turns his back make the baby cry and put him on the floor. Rush in and ask how the baby fell off the couch or bed. Watch your dh panic! ok this sounds mean.
Ha! Not mean enough!
I don't know if I want to use Jr. against Hubby or not. I don't mind getting Hubby, but I don't like the idea of involving my little guy. Jr. is just such a cool little baby, ya'know?
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Thank you all so much for your perspectives and your guidance. I just see so many people who are riddled with Math-related-Angst and I know families that all share such a disdain or negative attitude toward math and many who take pride in their ignorance of various subjects or their math apathy.
I don't take pride in my ignorance or short comings--I'm not ashamed of my short comings, they're a big part of my humanity and personality--but I don't want to just be
worry that I could be the influence that creates the exact same thing in my kid.
I just want Jr. to have a fair shot, his best chance at whatever he can or can't do, I don't want him to be 20yrs down the road, lamenting that he's not good at Math/Reading etc and how it holds him back. I have a lot of students tell me how they've hated or feared math for years and the stories that they tell often show that their parents enabled and encouraged their apathy and negativity toward math. I don't want to do the same with reading.
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I need a plan on how to get him back!
This afternoon, Hubby, Jr. and I were just relaxing in the bed and Jr. was doing his sleeping-whenever-not-eating-thing and I repositioned the baby so I could take a quick bathroom break. When I got back, Jr was snoring louder, more noticeably. I was just watching the baby sleep before getting back in bed, hubby noticed and asked me what was up.
Me: Do you hear that?
Hubby: What? Hear what?
Me: Jr., don't you hear him?
Hubby: No, hear him doing what?
Me: Snoring!
Hubby: Uhm...(listens for a moment--Jr. is clearly snoring)...No, I don't hear anything.
So, I get back on the bed and now I'm freaking out. Jr. is snoring, clear and loudly! But is it really just in my head? Am I just being hyper-alert mama? If he's snoring at some weird pitch/frequency is that a hint of something ominous? So, uncertain of my own sanity, I got out the video camera and began trying to get some video.
Hubby: Uhm...What are you doing?
I was putting the camera kind of close to the baby, just to be sure that I captured the sound.
Me: I just really feel that Jr. is snoring,its probably fine, but I'm going to get a 2nd opinion!
Hubby: About what? He is fine, he isn't doing anything.
Me: You really don't notice that snoring sound?!
Hubby leans in close and listens.
Hubby: I can hear the baby breathing, but I don't need a Dr. to tell me that thats a good thing. He's not snoring. Babies cant snore.
Me: But he's been snoring since he was born!!
Hubby stares at me like I am a loony, and grins at me. Feeling nervous, I began talk about passageways and breathing and trying to explain to Hubby blah, blah, blah...and Hubby is adamant that I'm over reacting and that Jr. doesn't snore. That babies cant snore. so I call my mom and let her listen to Jr. breathing/snoring in his sleep and she says that SHE can hear it...kind of.
Hubby is adamant that we are both crazy, he calls some of his siblings and cousins (the hearing ones) and no one hears anything.
I called my mom BACK and asked her to listen again and this time, she isn't sure that she can hear snoring but maybe...
Now I feel like a totally crazy person! I (and my mom) are the only ones who heard Jr. snoring, but it seems sooo loud.
Well guess what? Hubby burst out laughing several minutes later. He has been playing me this whole time!
He said Jr. snores loudly and clearly but pretended that he couldn't hear it just because he wanted to see my reaction!!! He'd told his brother what he did the very first time I'd asked about it and his brother (the family prankster) thought that it was such a good idea, he should see how long he could keep it going. The prankster told everyone to play along.
Any ideas for (harmless) revenge?
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I know someone who does crazy creative (and useful) things with all sorts of household items.
You could...keep outdoor toys in them, put one in the trunk of your car to keep items in so that they aren't rolling around, use one to keep scrap paper and news papers in, make a "Park Day" basket and leave that in the trunk of your car.
I'm not very creative, but those are the sorts of things I've seen my friend do with baskets. She also uses duct tape to repair stuff like the sides of the baskets and I think that she let her toddlers play in and on them. Her husband made like a car out of it. I don't know if your basket is big enough for a 2-7 yo child, but thats one thing that they did. The kids had fun and when it was destroyed, they threw it out.
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The title sort of says it all.
How do you go about skillfully teaching a subject that you don't like or don't know well in the elementary years without any negative bias? I'm not trying to be snide--but if you were one of those people who hated math, or doesn't read well, has really bad handwriting/spelling yet you want to or do home school the elementary years, then how do you go about teaching your weakness skillfully?
Being bad at math isn't always the same thing as being mathphobic, or mathanxious and only having negative feelings associated with math for years and years. If you weren't good at math, you can get an elementary math book and work through the math ahead of your kids--you can learn the math that you never mastered ahead of or along with them and your neutral attitude doesn't hinder you, but if you hate math, every time you see a simple equation you get anxious, defensive and recall Ms. Kimble from 4th grade who humiliated you 15+ years ago then what? How do you overcome that real and visceral reaction to math or whatever it is?
Personally I feel very confident in my ability to teach Math from the PreK to the Post-Grad level (depending on the topic) but thats really my only specialty. For content subjects, sure I can just familiarize myself with/learn that content and use materials to teach, but how do you teach something if you yourself have never really liked that field?
Whether I homeschool or not, I want my son to have an enriched and intellectually stimulating home environment. I want him to have a mom that reads to him, so for Jrs sake, I have been reading a lot more these last several months. I have gone to the library and explored a lot of children's picture books and simple stories and I am progressing to reading a little more each day. I read aloud with voices this week also but I am not sure how I would ever be good enough to teach him to read without letting my negative bias for the subject to show. Next month, I'm going to be moving to more challenging material.
I'm not talking about just phonics or the mechanics of reading, I mean the art of reading. The skill of reading. If he has a mom that hates or is apathetic toward reading, then Jr doesn't have a fair chance to formulate and have his own opinions and experience with reading. (He might dislike or even hate reading--but I don't want it to be because of me, if that makes any sense. That might sound paranoid, but I've had students in college and high-school tell me that their whole family is bad at or hates math, kids pick up on their parents nuances and attitudes! It matters!) So long as he learns to read skillfully and fluently, I don't particularly care if he enjoys it or not. But I don't want it to bar him from anything that he wants to do. I want Jr. to have a chance to have his own experiences with books. My personal academic weakness is reading and writing. I can read and write--I have a college degree after all--but it isn't something I enjoy or am really neutral about. I'm not skillful at it. I'm not neutral about reading--my feelings about the activity tend to be negative.
However, as I ponder my own short comings, I think about the thousands of math phobic, math anxious students I have had in my classes over the years and I know that for every mathaphobe in my class, about 7 more have changed their majors so that they don't have to a class with me! Its crazy, I have also heard of students who do the same with science, or writing intense classes--they wont pursue what they want to do, because of some academic hang up and I wonder how 12 teachers over 12 years failed to reach these kids, failed to make any lasting mark or impact on them--or rather, how more teachers leave negative marks than positive ones! How can so many kids hate [iNSERT SUBJECT] enough that they'd literally spend their whole careers running from it?
I'm looking for genuine guidance here, I have plenty of time to build healthier attitudes and habits where my weaker academics are concerned. I don't want everyone to just agree or go along with me, I would love ideas, articles, books, suggestions, anecdotes, any thing that isn't a blatant dead end--on how you handle(d) this situation.
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Hubby is going to teach me how to sign-read!
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I have a friend who lives in South Korea--I think she's teaching middle or high school there. Her kids speak Korean better than English...
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I'm grading exams and nursing Jr. Hubby is taking a shower, when he's done its my turn. Then we're going to play a game and Jr. is going to lay on the couch while we do.
Developmentally appropriate baby "curriculum"?
in PreK and K
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Yeah, Hubby doesn't have a great deal of experience with babies, even less than me, so it is actually needed. We're a couple of structure loving, plan laying, routine relying old farts, we need something to guide us as we find our feet in parenting waters. Need it.
We've been married a long time and we are older first time parents, so we don't have a lot of "get up and go" about us and Hubby is genuinely clueless about what to do with a baby and when. I've read and re-read all the old baby books, but it still feels very new and foreign to me. The day by day program is very helpful to Hubby and it makes it so that he actually interacts with Jr. when they are together, not just in his presence. At my age, I'm not even sure I would dare go to a Mommy and Me type class just yet. I wouldn't fit in, people would think he's my grandson!
Thank you so much, we are really enjoying him. He's a sleepy, hungry, snory and damp little guy but he is, at long last, ours. I don't think we could love him more, I can't imagine not having him around any more, its really amazing.