MOVING

I am SOOOOO SAD! I am moving blogs. I have found a blogging host that is much easier (even though it doesn't look anywhere near as fabulous!). I had to weigh up between design and convenience and chose convenience.

www.educatecreatestimulate.posterous.com

Same name just .posterous.com

Calendar Question

Earlier I posted a calendar question. I asked if I was right? Apparently not. Thanks Mr C for commenting and clearing it up.

It's actually not correct (sorry Jacob). It happens every time 1 July falls on a Friday (obviously). This happened in 1949, 1955, 1960, 1966, 1977 and many other dates -- on average, about once every 7 years. The last time was in 2005.

Year 10

Hard Coordinate Geometry question solved using geometry

Surds and Indices Year 9

This comes from Understanding Year 9 and 10 maths (Accelerated Maths Learning)

Surds and Indices Scanned Copy

Maths Song

This is Fun!

Puzzle

Mr Golan asked the class to see if they could find the sum of the first 50 odd numbers. As everyone settled down to their addition, Julia ran to him and said, "The sum is 2,500." Mr Golan thought, "Lucky guess," and gave him the task of finding the sum of the first 75 odd numbers. Within 20 seconds, Julia was back with the correct answer of 5,625.
How did she do this?

FACEBOOK QUESTION - YEAR 10 AND YEAR 9

Thanks for bringing this question to us. At first I thought it was obvious but........Facebook Question 2

Fast Maths Trick - thanks to Jacob.

THANKS JACOB! (Year 6)

Friday Award - Year 7

My WINNERS this week are: Gabi, Madison, Shira, Zac, Lily, Ariel, Aaron, Daniel, Tali, Talya (and a special mention to Ryan who got full marks even though he was walking around the school to find a desk for the first 10 minutes!)

Year 7 29th April

Decimal Rounding

Year 7, here is some practice on decimals for you.

My Daughter's Question for YEAR 6

My daughter, who is in Year 5, loves to make up maths question for me. This is one of hers. Write down the answer on a piece of paper for a token!

I have a bag of lollies that is three quarters full. I eat 7 of the lollies and now the lollies number a multiple of 4. I then put 4 lollies back into the bag and it is now two thirds full. The amount of lollies in 3 bags is a multiple of 9 and over a 100. How many lollies would be in 1 bag?

YUMMY

Once Only

Okay, because so many of you can't do your homework tonight, I've decided to join the club rather than fight against it ..... and .... once only!

Thank You

Firstly, thank you Jacob for checking about the calendar question. Secondly, hello to all my new followers (and a hello to the donkey who's joined - we know who you are and a hello to Coco Bubbles - I know who you are!) I'm on my way to winning a blogging award!

Calendar

How about that! Apparently this July there are 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. It only happens every 823 years. Am I right? Let me know.

The Monty Hall Problem

My Year 6's have asked me to explain this. The problem goes like this. There are three boxes. Only one of them has a prize. After you have picked a box, the game show host opens one of the other boxes that has nothing in it (the game show host knows what is in each of the boxes). He then gives you the chance to switch boxes or not. What do you do?

The Monty Hall Problem
(Make sure you have watched the YouTube video first)


The Monty Hall Problem -

Year 10 Parabolas

Year 10, this is a good video showing the transformations of a parabola when you change the coefficients (a, b and c). You will need this for week 2.

Make 24

Make 24

Use the numbers once only in any order

Use any of the four operators (multiplication, division, subtraction, addition)

You may use brackets

1 2 3 8 = 24

Year 9 27th April

Hi Everyone

Not so difficult to find me, is it? Make sure for homework today, you make mathsonline.com.au passwords. You need to:

www.mathsonline.com.au (you can click this link).

Go into the parents area and make a family account. It is free and you can even sign up your siblings.

They will then email you a password (put your email account in)

You then have to go back in and get a username and password.

It shouldn't be difficult!

Once in, login to the student area and try and find

Year 9 and 10

Algebra

Indices

Multiplication of indices

Do the lesson and perhaps if time, the worksheet.

Also, make sure you try the two Make 24 puzzles.

Year 8

Geometry Year 8 -

Year 8, see if you can open this document and print off. This is a test run! You will not be able to do this yet. Your homework is in the post below.

Homework for Year 8 27th April

HI Everyone. Thanks for coming! I am so excited! Try this (one and only question for homework today. Do it on a sheet of paper or in your practice book.)

Also, please try the Make 24 puzzles. Look on the right and click on the Year 8 and Make 24 folder. Can you do them? (Do not look at the answers straight away!)

Year 9 and Year 10

Mixture word problems and time, distance, speed problems from YouTube

Making 24

Make 24

The second in our Make 24

Rules:

Use each number once only in any order

Use any of the 4 operators (multiplication, division, subtraction, addition)

You may use brackets

1 3 4 6 = 24

The answer is here. Do NOT look until you have tried for awhile!

My Educational Philosophy

Image found here

In a nutshell Daniel and Eden-Lee (and all the gorgeous children I teach)

AIM HIGH, DREAM BIG!

Be principled, prosperous and reach your potential! (Thanks RSA)
All underpinned by excellent education, good values and positive self esteem!

Year 6 Year 7 and Year 8

Check out agoogleaday.com and let's have some fun!

Changing Education Paradigms

http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U

This is the most superb video by RSA that I have seen. RSA is a charitable organisation which encourages the development of a principled, prosperous society and the release of human potential.

BRILLIANT!

Social Media

image found here

image found here

Education is always evolving to find the most efficient and culturally relevant ways to enlighten students. The power and versatility of social media has prompted many educators to experiment with it in the classroom.

Schools teaching a second language could consider using Skype to link each of their students with a native speaker in a different country to help them develop their language skills.

Below is a link to a YouTube video which explains Connectiveness (learning with social media) in the most creative and unique way. I originally found it on Darcy Moore's blog which is also worth a visit.
Darcymoore.net

The Importance of Belonging

The importance of belonging to adolescent children.


Recently I wrote about the importance of middle schools to create quality exciting extra curricula clubs and activities for the students in their care. I wrote how it can improve children's self esteem, give them a sense of belonging and even prevent bullying.

It is sometimes hard for adolescent children to understand and express themselves. They begin thinking that playing board games with their parents is babyish. Instead, they will be looking for new role models, be seeking affirmation from their peers and also want to learn new ideas and be challenged further. Joining a group such as a school club at this time will benefit them greatly.

Being with like-minded children who are going through this adjustment period will help children with their own adjustment.They should be encouraged to join these clubs, sporting teams or groups as it will help them enormously with their sense of belonging. Schools should be actively involved in creating these extra curricula activities for the students in their care.

Technology and Teenages

Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction
Published: November 21, 2010

An article written in the New York Times, titled Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction,(Nov 21 2010) has got me thinking....(Below are just a few quotes from the article that I found fascinating)

"Like Dr. Rich, he says he believes that young, developing brains are becoming habituated to distraction and to switching tasks, not to focus.

“If you’ve grown up processing multiple media, that’s exactly the mode you’re going to fall into when put in that environment — you develop a need for that stimulation,” he said."

"Sam Crocker, Vishal’s closest friend, who has straight A’s but lower SAT scores than he would like, blames the Internet’s distractions for his inability to finish either of his two summer reading books.

“I know I can read a book, but then I’m up and checking Facebook,” he says, adding: “Facebook is amazing because it feels like you’re doing something and you’re not doing anything. It’s the absence of doing something, but you feel gratified anyway.”

He concludes: “My attention span is getting worse.”



At the University of California, San Francisco, scientists have found that when rats have a new experience, like exploring an unfamiliar area, their brains show new patterns of activity. But only when the rats take a break from their exploration do they process those patterns in a way that seems to create a persistent memory.

In that vein, recent imaging studies of people have found that major cross sections of the brain become surprisingly active during downtime. These brain studies suggest to researchers that periods of rest are critical in allowing the brain to synthesize information, make connections between ideas and even develop the sense of self.

Researchers say these studies have particular implications for young people, whose brains have more trouble focusing and setting priorities.

“Downtime is to the brain what sleep is to the body,” said Dr. Rich of Harvard Medical School. “But kids are in a constant mode of stimulation.”

“The headline is: bring back boredom,” added Dr. Rich, who last month gave a speech to the American Academy of Pediatrics entitled, “Finding Huck Finn: Reclaiming Childhood from the River of Electronic Screens.”



Discuss.....

Make 24

This is the first of my make 24 puzzles

Rules:
Use the numbers once only in any order
Use any of the four operators (multiplication, division, subtraction, addition)
You may use brackets

3 3 7 7 = 24

(Thanks to my sister-in-law, another maths teacher, in Melbourne)

The answer is here. Do NOT look until you have tried for awhile!

Year 10

No more excuses kids. Here's the quadratic formula. Learn it off by heart! (Even better try and derive it from completing the square).

My Secret Favourite Website

I'll let you into a secret. One of my favourite websites with riddles, mathematical puzzles, brainteasers and trivia. You will recognise many of my puzzles of the week!
Visit braingle.com for some fun!

Maths Puzzle

To my Year 6 students studying, Meaurement and the area of a square.

You have a square piece of paper measuring 10cm by 10cm. You would like a square piece of paper that has half that area (ie an area of 50 square cm). What is the easiest way of doing this?


Bring me the answer and get a token!

The horse was folded from one piece of square paper! WOW!

An Interdisciplinary Approach

In the previous post, I mention that students would benefit from an interdisciplinary approach to learning.

An Interdisciplinary Approach

A school that adopts an interdisciplinary approach focuses on 6 essential learning achievements. These are:

Uses a range of strategies to think and learn
• Thinking is the deliberate use of mental powers to form ideas, develop mental images and solve problems. Thinking calls upon perception, reasoning, logic, creativity and imagination.

Some ways to generate thinkers
• Taxonomies of thinking skills (e.g. Bloom’s taxonomy or the SOLO taxonomy)
• Multiple intelligence tools (e.g. Six thinking hats, CORT thinking)
• Mind or concept maps
• Problem solving models (e.g. SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)

Understands and applies the inquiry process

• Seeks information and uses it to draw conclusions and generate new knowledge

Some ways to generate the inquiry process
• Clarifying and defining purpose and what information is likely to be needed
• Planning methods to collect it
• Developing preliminary hypotheses to be examined
• Assembling and evaluating information
• Communicating and justifying conclusions
• Understands the variations of the inquiry process used in particular disciplines (e.g. in historical research, scientific testing, mathematical analysis, critically interpretation in texts)

Makes considered decision

Some ways to generate the decision making process
• Restraining impulsiveness
• Gathering information
• Identifying the significance of decisions
• Weighing up consequences
• Justifying choices

.

Acts with integrity and regard for others

• Integrity is about acting consistently with moral principles and ethics.

Some ways to generate integrity and regard for others
• Investigate real life situations where integrity is required to work with others
• Discuss why it is easier to act with conviction in some situations than others
• Identify the values and beliefs of role models who have acted with compassion and integrity and assess those against their own developing values and beliefs
• Explore and clarify personal and social values

Contributes to group effectiveness

Some ways to generate group effectiveness
• Develop the skills of teamwork, leadership and cooperation
• Develop the skills of communication, negotiation and conflict resolution
• Demonstrate mutual respect and support and learn how to balance commitment to personal needs and views with those of the group
• Recognise and value the different roles and contributions individuals can make in a group


Uses information and communication technologies effectively

Some ways to generate ICT
• Develop confidence and a sense of enjoyment in using ICT for different purposes
• Develop an attitude of openness to new ways of doing things
• Appreciate the responsibility, legal and ethical use of information by using ICT


Students of a school that adopts an interdisciplinary approach
• Become self-motivated learners
• Develop a positive attitude towards learning new things, including the use of ICT in creative ways
• Persevere when thinking through ideas, issues and problems
• Seek help when they need it
• Value creativity and imagination
• Become reflective about their thinking
• Appreciate and value the aspirations of others