Monthly Archives: March 2012

Did I Have a Mean Mom?

Posted on March 29, 2012 by jrh794

We always made our beds.  We always said, “May I be excused?” before leaving the kitchen table.  We produced spotlessly clean windows and trimmed all the edges when we mowed the lawn.  Our mother set a standard and we attempted … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Instruction versus Teaching

Posted on March 20, 2012 by jrh794

In a post on Devlin’s Angle, Dr. Keith Devlin differentiates between “instruction/training and teaching/learning.”  As near as I can tell, instruction consists of demonstration, drill, and testing and teaching consists of interaction, collaboration, and deep understanding.  This is not a … Continue reading →

Posted in Pedagogy, Teaching | 1 Comment

The Best Way to Factor Trinomials – A Practice CDF Program

Posted on March 16, 2012 by jrh794

THE PRACTICE APP NO LONGER WORKS BUT THE HINTS BELOW ARE STILL PRETTY COOL. I have created a Mathematica object that people can use to practice factoring trinomials the “best” way.  It is a CDF file (computable document file) and … Continue reading →

Posted in Curriculum, Pedagogy, Teaching | Leave a comment

A Year of Nights of Wondering – V: Fluffy Number Edition

Posted on March 3, 2012 by jrh794

We were beginning a section on complex numbers in my intermediate algebra class when Karen Sheelar (Her name used with her permission and encouragement.) said, “Can’t we call them ‘fluffy’ numbers?”  What a good idea!  I have always disliked the … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom Happenings | Leave a comment