Something that has captivated me from the Maths Twitter Blog-o-Sphere (#MTBoS) in the last few months is Quarter The Cross. It is a classic low-threshold high-ceiling task. And, the more you experiment, the deeper and richer your mathematical understanding becomes. This can lead to some quite sophisticated and beautiful solutions. The solutions above are six of mine. They are rather … Continue reading #QuarterTheCross and @FractionTalks
Month: May 2016
Friday Five: #3
On Fridays I plan to list five highlights from the #MTBoS and the internet at large. I could have discovered them in the last week, or the last year, but for some reason want to share them with you this Friday. I know it might be Thursday in your part of the world when I post this; what can … Continue reading Friday Five: #3
K to 2, to infinity
Okay, so 'infinity' might be a bit of a stretch but I'm talking about the latest low-threshold, high-ceiling task to become my favourite puzzle1. Louise Hodgson shared this activity at the Mathematics Association of Tasmania conference at the weekend. The learning intention, as might be voiced to students, was: "There are patterns in the hundreds chart and the patterns can help us answer questions … Continue reading K to 2, to infinity
One hot minute
The best1 minute in my class is often just before my students leave. And no, it's not because they are leaving! This is when I sometimes ask them to fill out a 'One Minute Survey'. I can't remember where I got this idea, and I don't do the surveys frequently enough, but it is always revealing when I … Continue reading One hot minute
Venn and (the art of) happiness
I am irresistibly drawn to Venn diagrams. They make me very happy. I love how accessible they are to emerging mathematicians. We can draw a Venn diagram on the ground and use it to sort objects — even ourselves! — into categories. An animal-sorting example: those that live on land (green hoop), those that live in the water … Continue reading Venn and (the art of) happiness
Falling down the mountain
I first saw snow when I was 21, which is not surprising given that I grew up in rural South Australia and hardly needed to venture far from home. I finally learned to ski three years ago on the Australian ice-fields1 at the decidedly un-bouncy age of 33, starting on imperceptible slopes that were stymied by a … Continue reading Falling down the mountain
The Joy of SET
Just over a week ago I shared one of my favourite mathematical puzzles. Today I'm sharing my favourite mathematical game, SET. There is something in this game for young children to mathematics professors. I give SET workshops each year, for Year 8 students up. My slides are here, along with some notes I wrote several years ago. I suggest at … Continue reading The Joy of SET
Head or hands?
(A quick post from a delightful Mathematical Association of Tasmania conference in Burnie.) There is a tendency for students, as they progress though the year levels, to think that being 'good' at maths means doing it quickly in your head. I often catch myself saying 'don't try to do all the steps in your head; … Continue reading Head or hands?
Friday Five: #2
On Fridays I plan to list five highlights from the #MTBoS and the internet at large. I could have discovered them in the last week, or the last year, but for some reason want to share them with you this Friday. I know it might be Thursday in your part of the world when I post this; what can … Continue reading Friday Five: #2
MAT 2016
Tomorrow's alarm is set for a rather ridiculous 4:00am. I'm heading down to the Annual Conference of the Mathematical Association of Tasmania in Burnie. I can't believe it's taken me 36 years to get to Tasmania, but I can't think of a better reason than maths. I'm giving the opening keynote on Friday, and a couple of workshops on … Continue reading MAT 2016
