Reflections

3/10/11

**What NOT to do with Technology!**
====Today in class we watched [|A Bad Fraction Movie] where a teacher broadcasts himself working on fraction problems using Microsoft Word.====

It appears that this teacher was using technology for the sake of using technology, rather than using it to actually enhance his teaching and help his students learn.
====﻿Kip mentioned this concept of using technology just for the heck of it on one of his blog posts. Hope's education program and our society as a whole seems to focus more and more on technology. However, I think it's important to remember that not all technology is useful, especially in the classroom. The most important thing is HOW you use it when you teach, not whether you use it or not.====



**Happy Pi Day!**
====Today in class, in honor of Pi day, we watched a video called [|"What Pi Sounds Like.] [|"] The concept of using the digits of pi to compose a series of notes and chords was quite fascinating, and I was surprised by how musically pleasing the composition actually sounded.====

====At the beginning of the video, the musicians gave a brief description of their numbering system for the notes and chords, but in order to understand the math behind the music, or the music behind the math, I would have really liked to know more about their process. What made them decide to cut the length of the notes in half for certain instruments?====

Did they make an effort to avoid dissonances?
====I was also inducted into the Honorary National Mathematics Society, [|Pi Mu Epsilon]. To celebrate our induction, we of course ate pie :)====



** df﻿ **
==== Last week, I spent three days at the [|National Council of Teachers of Mathematics](NCTM) National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. I was accompanied by my professor, Mary DeYoung, her friend Janice Koop, a professor at Calvin College, and six of my fellow math education students, including Colleen Getz and Kim Slotman. The conference offered hundreds of sessions and workshops on a variety of math topics, and was attended by nearly 8,000 math teachers from around the world. ====

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====﻿While there, I was particularly interested in sessions that focused on integrating mathematics with other subjects and content areas. For grades Pre-K - 2 I was shown a number of math lessons that incorporated literature, art and technology, and for grades 6-8, I learned many ways to inspire and motivate young women through the hands on integration of science and mathematics. ====

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==== A few highlights of the trip included hearing [|Marilyn Burns]speak about conducting effective formative assessments in order to understand the process students go through as they problem solve. We also went to the keynote address, given by [|Jeffrey Travis]on his direction of the film //[|Flatland],// which is based on the popular chapter book by Edwin A. Abbott. He also introduced some of the movie scenes in 3D, which will be released in full length in 2012, as well as his recent work on //[|Sphereland]//, the sequel to //[|Flatland]//, which is based on the popular book by Dionys Burger. In the exhibit hall, my friends and I met [|Scott Flansburg], also know as "[|The Human Calculator]," who hold the Guiness World Records for doing the fastest mental math calculations. Scott performs all over the world, has been featured on Oprah and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and was at the conference promoting [|Mathletics] software. ====

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==== Overall, it was a very successfull trip. I had a great time, made new friends, met lots of teachers and influential figures in the math world and learned many new techniques and concepts about teaching math. Now, I can hardly wait to be a math teacher and put everything I learned into practice! ====