Tag: parents

Mathematician Parent: Jennifer Wilson
Most parents aren’t professional mathematicians. But there are a few. This is the sixth in a series of interviews with mathematician parents with the goal of helping parents integrate math teaching into parenting.

Jennifer here shown receiving recognition for being a Mississippi finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching!

This week we visit with a high school math teacher in Mississippi. Jennifer Wilson, NBCT, teaches at Northwest Rankin High School, and is a Teachers Teaching with Technology (T3) instructor with Texas Instruments.

MathFour: Thanks so much, Jennifer for giving us your time. First, can you share a little about your degree and career?

Jennifer: I have a B.S. and an M.S. in mathematics. I have been teaching high school mathematics for 18 years.

MathFour: Tell me about your family – how many kids do you have and how old are they? Are any of them more or less interested in math than the others in the family?

Jennifer: I have two daughters who are 6 and 9. They are okay with math – but the 9 year old will tell everyone very quickly that her first love is reading.

MathFour: Do you have any worries about your girls academically? In particular, do you think they will do better in math than in other subjects because of your influence?

Jennifer: I feel very lucky to not be worried about my children academically. They love to learn. My husband and I both encourage their curiosity and try not to stifle their desire to ask why or come up with a different idea of how to do something, especially when the only good reason we can think of is “because I told you so”.

I think they will do well in math – but not necessarily better than other subjects. My husband and I both love to learn, and so the girls definitely recognize that desire and enjoy learning as well.

MathFour: That’s great! How do you play with your daughters? Do you view your playtime as different in any way than other “non-mathematician” parents?

Jennifer: We play games. I probably view play differently than a lot of parents – but probably similar to many teachers, no matter their subject of expertise. I am all about learning, and it is hard to turn that off, even at home.

MathFour: Do you think you speak with your daughters or behave differently than other parents because you have a math background?

Jennifer: Yes. Anytime some kind of math problem arises, I always ask the girls about their thinking, because I am very interested in how they arrive at answers.

At dinner, one daughter noticed that her tortilla chip was in the shape of a trapezoid, so we had a great conversation that night about trapezoids. We have a “pi” pie plate, so both girls already know a little bit about pi. They definitely call an “oval” an ellipse and a “diamond” a rhombus. They have called their blocks by the appropriate solid names, such as cylinders, prisms, and pyramids, since a very early age.

When the 9 year old missed a question on her state practice test about perspective drawing, instead of just telling her the correct answer, I got out the stash of Unifix cubes at our house to make her build the drawing with the cubes. She completely understood after doing so – and asked me to make up some more questions for her because she enjoyed working through the problems with the manipulatives. Both daughters play with my TI-Nspire™ CX handheld. They love making shapes, measuring their parts, and making them different colors.

MathFour: I had to google that one – fancy device!

Have you ever had either of your girls express negative thoughts about math? If not, how do you think you will handle it if that happens?

Jennifer: Not yet…I’m not sure I will handle it well. But I am hopeful that since my goal is not just calculating math but understanding math, they can at least appreciate my passion for it, and I will honor their passion for another subject, if the need arises.

MathFour: How do you think you’ll handle it if you find your self in disagreement with one of your children’s math teachers?

Jennifer: I’m not sure I will handle it well if it does happen, but so far, so good. I am lucky to teach in a great school district with great support for teachers at all levels, so I will keep my fingers crossed!

MathFour: Now to change direction a little to a more worldview of math. What do you see as the biggest challenge in math education today?

Jennifer: Having teachers who are experts in mathematics at all grade levels.

MathFour: What do you see great happening in the world of math education?

Jennifer: I see teachers who are willing to use technology to engage students in the learning and understanding of mathematics, teachers who are learning alongside students (often because of and through technology), and teachers who are willing to give up some of their control over the classroom to create a classroom that is truly interactive.

MathFour: What advice can you give to non-mathematician parents that might help them raise their kids to like and appreciate math.

Jennifer: I have been amazed at some of the mathematics that my students are learning in the computer games that they play. So while I realize that some students go overboard with the time that they spend in front of their electronic devices, find a way to encourage them to explore mathematics through tools that do interest them.

MathFour: Wonderful, Jennifer, thank you so much!

How ’bout You? It’s back to school time – do you have any questions for a super technology oriented math mom? Ask them in the comments!

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August 15, 2011
The Math of Parenting
Today’s article is from Laura Laing, author of the book Math For Grownups and publisher of the website of the same name.

So you think you don’t use math on a daily basis? Think again.

You may not be solving for x, and the distance formula may not roll off the tip of your frontal lobe—mainly because you haven’t used it in years and years. But if you can put “parent” among your titles, you do math. I promise.

Just look at a typical day:

6:35 a.m.

Your darling daughter went to bed late last night. Seems that she couldn’t pull herself away from the most recent novel she’s devouring, and she had to finish, “just one chapter.” Problem is, she’s a bear to wake up when sleep deprived, and she’s got an 8:00 checkup at the pediatrician. She can usually get ready in about 45 minutes, and it takes 15 minutes to get to the doc’s office. How much longer can you let her sleep in?

9:03 a.m.

Check-up is done, and you’re waiting to pay the bill. You’ve got $33.65 in your wallet and a $25 co-pay. But after a morning of running errands, you’ve promised dear daughter lunch at the local fast food place. Should you use your cash for the co-pay or pay with plastic?

11:21 a.m.

At the grocery store, you’re deciding between three brands of ketchup. One is on sale for $2.27. For another, you have a 50¢ off coupon. And the third is a smaller container for only $1.49. Which one should you buy?

12:08 p.m.

At Burgers ‘R’ Us, your daughter has requested the chicken nuggets and a drink – no fries! You’d like to eat the fries that come with her kids’ meal, but you’re not sure you can afford the calories. Luckily, the restaurant has a handy sign displaying the caloric values for each menu item. What can you order to go with her fries that won’t force you to eat only carrot sticks for dinner?

1:31 p.m.

You need to fill up, and you have your choice of gas stations. One offers regular unleaded for $3.27 per gallon, plus a free car wash (a $10 value). Another offers $3.15 per gallon—no car wash. Which station offers the best deal?

2:47 p.m.

It’s time for your daughter to practice piano—a task that she hates. You thought the practicing contest that her teacher started would give her the motivation to practice every day. Nope. So today, she’s going to try to catch up on the days that she slacked off. She’s expected to practice a total of 15 minutes a day, but she’s only practiced a total of 25 minutes for the week. Her lesson is tomorrow. How many more minutes does she need to practice to please her teacher?

5:32 p.m.

Time for dinner, and you’re exhausted. Instead of making a meal from scratch, you decide to order from the local pizza joint. Your daughter wants plain cheese, your husband wants pepperoni and sausage and you want a veggie pizza. What’s the most cost-effective way to order dinner?

8:35 p.m.

Thankfully, your daughter has crashed early, meaning she can catch up on the sleep she lost last night. If you wake her up at 7:00 a.m., how much sleep will she have gotten?

Typical day? Perhaps. Typical math? Definitely.

So the next time you think, “I can’t do math,” keep in mind the number-based tasks that come across your path on a normal day. You might be surprised at what you accomplish without even thinking about it.

Where is the math in your day? Tell us in the comments!

Laura Laing is the author of Math for Grownups, a funny and accessible look at how the over-18 set uses math in everyday situations. While this post is not based exactly on a day out of her life, it could be. She is a freelance writer and the parent of a pre-teen in Baltimore.

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August 10, 2011
Mathematician Parent: David Wees
Most parents aren’t professional mathematicians. But there are a few. This is the fifth in a series of interviews with mathematician parents with the goal of helping parents integrate math teaching into parenting.

I am quite excited to feature David Wees who teaches at Stratford Hall in Vancouver. David and I have been on numerous #mathchats together and I’ve found him engaging, fun and knowledgeable. He publishes the website The Reflective Educator (formerly 21st Century Educator).

MathFour: Thanks so much, David for taking the time to answer some questions. First, can you share some more about your degree and career? How long have you been in math?

David: I have a bachelor of science in mathematics with nearly 60 credits in honors level mathematics. I finished my degree in 1998, but have never been officially a mathematician. Instead, I teach mathematics in middle school and high school, and have recently moved into a new position as a learning specialist for technology.

MathFour: Tell me about your family – how many kids do you have and how old are they? How do your family members feel about math?

David: I have a wife, and a nearly 5 year old son. My wife found math to be painfully difficult for her entire career, but hides it well around our son. My son loves math. He recently confided in me that he knows math only slightly less than me, but that I know more technology, and he knows more science.

MathFour: How cute! And great that your wife tries to keep the math environment positive.

Do you have any worries about your son academically? In particular, do you think he will do better in math than in other subjects?

David: I have no concerns at all about my son academically. He is bright, creative, and independently minded. He will almost certainly do better in math than his other subjects. Today he ripped a book because the “binding was loose.” So we told him to find $11 dollars in his piggy bank. He pulled out five $2 coins and one $1 in about a minute, carefully counting by 2s for the first $10, and then adding another dollar.

MathFour: How do you play with your son? Do you inject math a lot?

David: I think we play ordinary games, with some exceptions. Certainly we include mathematical play in our sessions. We count everything, and introduce different ways of counting. We play dice games and practice adding small numbers. We stack blocks in patterns. I’ve also recently introduced a “how can we get this number game.” For example, “How can we get 5?” My son responded with “1 and 1 and 1 and 1 and 1 makes five. Hrmm. 2 and 3 makes five. 4 and 1 makes five.”

MathFour: Great game!

Do you think you speak with your son or behave differently than other parents because you have a math background?

David: Definitely. We spend much more time talking about numbers than other parents do.

MathFour: Has your son ever expressed negative thoughts about math?

David: I’ve not noticed any negative thoughts from my son on math, with the exception that he thinks I know more math than he does. He did ask me today about the odd, even pattern. “Why does it matter if a number is odd or even?” I told him it helped us know quickly if we could split the number into two equal parts. I don’t think he was terribly impressed by that explanation.

MathFour: LOL! I guess that is a little unimpressive.

Your son is almost five, so I’m guessing he’s not had many math teachers. Do you anticipate you’ll ever disagree with any of his math teachers? And what do you think you’ll do if that happens?

David: My son is just starting school. As I work at the same school as he will be attending, I will have to handle disagreements with his math teachers very carefully.

MathFour: Now to change direction a little to a more worldview of math. What do you see as the biggest challenge in math education today?

David: Mathematics, as it is usually taught, is neither interesting or relevant to students. Given that relevance and engagement are key to deep learning of a subject, it pretty much means that in most generations of people, the vast majority of them lack any functional numeracy.

MathFour: What do you see great happening in the world of math education?

David: These types of conversations are amazing in my mind. I love that I can speak my mind about problems in math education and not have everyone jump down my throat.

MathFour: What advice can you give to non-mathematician parents that might help them raise their kids to like and appreciate math.

David: Count lots. Play number games early. Treat learning mathematics as important as learning how to read. Spend time playing and learning early math with your kids. Don’t let your kids learn that worksheets and rote memorization are math.

MathFour: Wow, that was awesome, David! Thanks so much for your time and sharing with us.

How about You? What are your questions for David? Ask them in the comments. And don’t forget to check out all the great stuff on his website!

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August 8, 2011
Mathematician Parent: Marilyn Curtain-Phillips
Most parents aren’t professional mathematicians. But there are a few. This is the fourth in a series of interviews with mathematician parents with the goal of helping parents integrate math teaching into parenting.

I am honored to be able to interview one of math education’s leading minds, Marilyn Curtain-Phillips, author of Math Attack – How to Reduce Math Anxiety in the Classroom, at Work and in Everyday Personal Use. She also created the amazing playing card deck (also named Math Attack) where the numbers on the numbered cards are tiny expressions – the 4 of diamonds has 2² on it!

MathFour: Thanks so much, Marilyn for sharing some of you time with us. First, I’d like to ask about your background. What is your degree and career? How long have you been in math?

Marilyn: My bachelor of science degree is in mathematics. My master degree is in education with a concentration in mathematics and then an additional 30 hours of mathematics. I have been teaching mathematics for 21 years. I have taught grades 6 through 12. In addition I am now teaching on the college level at a local university for the past three years in the evenings while teaching high school during the day. Prior to teaching, I worked in government and banking for 10 years in the area of accounting.

MathFour: Wow, your life has been so full of math stuff! Tell me about your children. Are any of them more or less interested in math than the other children?

Marilyn: I have two children ages 23 and 18. My son, the oldest, has a degree in graphic design. His interest since elementary school has always been in art. Therefore he never showed an interest in mathematics and it was a bit of a struggle. My daughter has just graduated from high school and is going to college with a major in early childhood education. She has been much stronger in mathematics than her brother. But she doesn’t want to teach mathematics, of which I think she is really capable of.

MathFour: Did you have any worries about your children academically? In particular, did you think they will do better in math than in other subjects because of your influence?

I encourage them to do what they enjoy. I feel they have adequate mathematics skills and a good foundation due to my additional help provided at home. As a high school mathematics teacher, I have grown more concerned at the foundation that students are coming to high school with.

MathFour: How did you play with your kids? Did you incorporate math into your play?

Marilyn: We enjoyed playing board games such as checkers, chess, uno, sorry, playing cards. I wanted to use games that help thinking and reasoning skills. This made great family discussion times while having fun.

MathFour: Do you think you speak with your children or behave differently than other parents because you have a math background?

Marilyn: I have always spoken positively about mathematics. Many parents will say in front of children that they dislike mathematics or is not good at it. To me this almost like telling children that mathematics is something that is tolerated and should be dreaded and avoided whenever possible. As a mathematician I know how much mathematics is a gateway to many
opportunities. This is one of the reasons that I list careers in my book, Math Attack.

MathFour: Have you ever had any of your children express negative thoughts about math and how did you handle it?

Marilyn: Yes, my children have spoken negatively from time to time, mostly during test times. I offer advice and encouragement. It is important to stay positive and listen to their concerns and make suggestions.

MathFour: Have you ever disagreed with one of your children’s math teachers? What happened and how did you handle it?

Marilyn: Yes, I have had a different method of solving math problems. I talked with my children and let them know that many math problems can be done in different ways. Actually I prefer for my children elementary and middle school teachers not know that I am a mathematics teacher. I didn’t want my children to be graded on a tougher standard than other students.

I experienced this growing up in a small town. My mother was a high school mathematics teacher, I felt looking back that I was graded on a tougher level and was expected to be extremely strong in mathematics. My sister experienced this also. She is an artist and doesn’t like mathematics.

MathFour: Now to change direction a little to a more worldview of math. What do you see as the biggest challenge in math education today?

Marilyn: I feel that many students do not have a strong foundation and understanding of mathematics. I have far too many high school students who do not have their times table and or addition facts memorized. Many mathematics textbooks cover too many topics. Studies have shown that the United States textbooks are thicker than other countries that are stronger in mathematics. It almost feels like a cram session.

By the time students get comfortable with a concept it is time to move onto something else. I feel this makes students feel less confident about their mathematics abilities. I think these feelings continue throughout the rest of their adult lives. Which leads to many adults going into careers that require as little mathematics as possible.

MathFour: What do you see great happening in the world of math education?

Marilyn: I think that it is good that a more hands on approach to teaching mathematics is now being used. Teachers are teaching to the different learning styles. I think that it is good that more high schools are requiring students to have more mathematics credit before graduating from high school. Many states require students to have three or four credits of high school mathematics. Also many of the mathematics curriculum are teaching with everyday life application.

MathFour: What advice can you give to non-mathematician parents that might help them raise their kids to like and appreciate math.

Marilyn: I would suggest to non-mathematician parents to speak positively about mathematics. Let their children understand that mathematics is like anything else – it takes practice and patience. Just as parents tell their children to practice at playing sports, they should feel that mathematics takes the same time and effort. Also parents should show their children positive ways they use mathematics in everyday activities such as sewing, cooking, planning a family trip, budgeting and grocery shopping.

MathFour: I noticed that you also have a new math workbook Who is This Mathematician/Scientist? Can you share with us a little about it?

Marilyn: It is a workbook for grades 6 through 12, after reading the biography paragraph, students must solve the math problems to see who the bio is about. The activities can also be used as a way to promote multicultural awareness and appreciation.

MathFour: I can’t wait to check it out! Thanks again for your time and sharing with us.

How about You? Got any questions for this week’s mathematician parent? Ask them in the comments and we’ll drag her in here to answer them.

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August 1, 2011
What makes grownups learn?

Originally published as a guest post on MathForGrownups.com, a math blog by Laura Laing.

Guest Post: Grownups can learn new tricks!

Bon Crowder, another math evangelist

A couple of weeks ago, a fellow freelance writer wrote me about her foray into graduate school. She needed to brush up on some math skills, and she wasn’t sure how. I have a feeling that her questions weren’t unique. Whether you need to learn a little extra to help your kid with his homework or you need to take a math class to further your education, learning math again (or for the first time) can be daunting.

Luckily, my friend and fellow math blogger, Bon Crowder offered to write a guest post on this very topic. I swear, Bon and I were separated at graduation or something, because we approach math education in very similar ways. Plus she’s fun. (See? Math folks aren’t always boring and difficult to understand!)

I wanted to title this “Being a Great Adult Learner.”

But that’s dumb. All adults are great learners. If we weren’t, we’d be stumbling around, bumping into doors, starving and naked. We know how to learn, and the proof is that we’re still alive.

And dressed.

The question is “What makes you learn?”

1) You need confidence.

Confidence involves two things: feeling worthy and knowing you have the ability.

When people feel they’re entitled to something, they’re more likely to feel confident in getting it. Hang around any Best Buy service desk and you’ll see this in action. People say all kinds of strange things when trying to return a broken product, and these things are said with a sense of entitlement. BY GOLLY they’re going to get their way!

So how do you gain worthiness and ability? You’re worthy of it because you already have it. And you’re able to do it because you already do.

You have it all. It’s just hidden behind a wall of words you or someone else (or both) has told you for years. Now’s the time to ignore everybody, even yourself.

Because here’s the gosh-honest truth: There is not a single thing within a mathematician that is not within you.

You’ve done math since you were a kid. Even before you were in school. You knew at a deep level that if there was one toy and there was another kid around, you’d better run like the dickens to get it. There’s no dividing that toy evenly between kids.

You balance your checkbook (or you would be in jail right now), you probably have some rough idea of your gas mileage, and you know that if you have 12 people coming over, you’re going to have to double or triple that recipe for shepherds pie. You know math. Now’s the time to admit it.

So say this every night before your prayers. If you don’t pray at night, say it twice:

I do math. Today I woke up on time because I calculated how long it would take to get dressed. I knew how much money to spend because balanced my checkbook. I figured out how much weight I needed to lose – and I used math to do it.

Modify this statement to fit your lifestyle and run with it. Every night.

2) You need the right environment.

Once you’ve tapped in to the realization that you’re inherently good at math, you need the right learning environment.

This includes location, timing and the other people involved. If you have to drive too far away after working all day and all you get is a lousy quarter-pounder-with-cheese, you’re going to be tired, grumpy and irritable. If your class is full of teenagers fresh out of high school and the professor is 400 years old and believes in death by PowerPoint, things are not going to go well.

How do you know the right environment?

Look at all the learning experiences you’ve had through the years. List out the good ones and the bad ones. And then dig deep – what made the good ones good? Why were the bad ones so detrimental?

Include timing, location, student body, temperature in the room and details of the instructor. List out the attitude of the instructor, his/her teaching style, voice intonations – even how he wrote on the board.

Pick out the deal-breakers and the nice-to-haves and write them on a special piece of paper. This is your official “Environment Requirement” page. Laminate it, put it in Evernote, tatoo it to your bottom – whatever you do to keep it close so you can refer to it often.

How do you make sure your Environment Requirements are honored?

Here’s where that sense of entitlement comes back into play. If your class has a deal-breaker environment element, do something about it. Think, “If this were a faulty remote control that I bought at Best Buy, how would I handle it?”

Ask the instructor to manage the loud students better. Ask building maintenance to change the temp of the room (or bring a sweater). Don’t sign up for a class during a time when you’ll be tired, hungry and irritable.

And if you can’t change the environment – leave. Drop the class. Get your money back.

If it were a crappy remote control, that’s what you’d do, right?

You’re dressed…

And fed. You learn all the time. And you do math.

Now go find a class that fits and have fun!

Bon Crowder publishes www.MathFour.com, a math education site for parents. But that’s not all! Bon has launched a really, really, really cool initiative called Count 10, Read 10. While parents are encouraged to read to their infants, toddlers and preschoolers, we’re rarely encouraged to inject a little bit of math into the day. Bon will show you how. Take a look at her blog for more information on developing math literacy (or numeracy). I’ll be writing about this more in the coming months.

Questions or comments? Leave them in the comments section below!

July 28, 2011
Mathematician Parent: John Golden
Most parents aren’t professional mathematicians. But there are a few. This is the third in a series of interviews with mathematician parents with the goal of helping parents integrate math teaching into parenting.

I had the privilege of interviewing John Golden, a university math professor and publisher of Math Hombre, a website with clever and fun math content that’s new every week!

Just a sample: “As a bad beginning teacher, emulating David Letterman of all people, I realized that I loved teaching math.”

MathFour: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions, John. First, what’s your degree and career? And how long have you been in math?

John: I have a PhD math in 1996, and am working as math ed faculty at GVSU a 25000 student public university in Michigan.

MathFour: Tell us about your children and how they feel about math.

John: Xavier – 11, a bit more positive about math than his sister, Ysabela – 12. Neither loves it.

MathFour: Do you have any worries about your children academically? In particular, do you think they will do better in math than in other subjects because of your influence?

John: They’re both decent problem solvers, but that doesn’t necessarily equip them to do school mathematics. Ysabela, for example, found out this year she wasn’t allowed to use her method to divide and had to use the standard algorithm.

We encourage them to follow their passions. Both are quite artistic, and Ysabela is an amazing reader. I do worry that I’ve emphasized understanding over grades to the point where they have no interest in academic success.

MathFour: How do you play with your kids? Do you play math things?

John: Lots of games: card, board, table. No video games other than some flash games on the computer. I love games for their math like nature, or math for its game-like nature, so I see it as connected.

MathFour: Do you think you speak with your children or behave differently than other parents because you have a math background?

John: Definitely. Distinguish between what they’re asked to do and what math is, talk about cool and interesting math connections, do think alouds when doing homework, etc.

MathFour: Have you ever had any of your children express negative thoughts about math and how did you handle it?

John: More than occasionally. I take it with a grain of salt because I hated math at this age, too – for being boring and repetitive. I talk about the importance or confirm the irrelevance of what they’re doing, and try to emphasize making sense, and help them make sense.

MathFour: Have you ever disagreed with one of your children’s math teachers?

John: I always volunteer in their classrooms and bring games and such into it. This year, my daughter’s middle school classroom didn’t have me until the end of the year to do algebra tiles, but that was a positive experience. I strongly respect teachers, whether I agree or disagree, and never feel like they’re doing anything other than what they think is best.

MathFour: Now to change direction a little to a more worldview of math. What do you see as the biggest challenge in math education today?

John: Irrelevance of school mathematics, anti-math culture, misunderstanding of what math is, professional/governmental insistence on teaching junk, high stakes tests that preserve bad pedagogy…

MathFour: Wow, that’s a lot. So what do you see great happening in the world of math education?

John: Internet networking, slow but growing awareness among new math teachers about better ways, leveraging of new technologies and opportunities for change because of bad test results.

MathFour: What advice can you give to non-mathematician parents that might help them raise their kids to like and appreciate math.

John: Give it a go themselves. If it didn’t the first time, try to make sense of it along with your kids if they learn it. Value thinking and communication over the right answer. Play games!

MathFour: Thanks so much, John! Great tips and insight.

How about you? What are some questions you have for a mathematician parent? Share them in the comments – I’ll try to get John in here to answer them.

If you want to connect with John directly, get with him on twitter, find his contact information here and make sure to check out his site, Math Hombre!

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July 25, 2011
Mathematician Parent: Caroline Mukisa
Most parents aren’t professional mathematicians. But there are a few. This is the second in a series of interviews with mathematician parents with the goal of helping parents integrate math teaching into parenting.

I had the privilege of interviewing Caroline Mukisa, a math teacher and math blogger.

MathFour: Thanks for taking the time to chat, Caroline. First, what’s your degree and career? And how long have you been in math?

I’ve a Bachelors in Civil Engineering from Imperial College, University of London and a Post Graduate Certificate in Maths Education from Cambridge University. I taught maths to high school students in the UK, and I also ran a Kumon tuition centre before moving to the Middle East as an expat. I now run the Maths Insider website. My husband has a Bachelors in Maths also from Imperial and a Masters in Mathematical Modeling from Oxford University.

MathFour: Tell me about your family – how many kids do you have and how old are they? Are any of them more or less interested in math than the others?

Caroline: I’ve got four kids aged 11, 10, 4 and 2. My 10 year old son is very much the maths boffin, he’s memorized the first 300 digits of pi just for fun. His 11 year old sister is more of a problem solver. The younger two like counting and sorting but it’s too early to say if they’ve caught the maths bug yet!

MathFour: Do you have any worries about your children academically? In particular, do you think they will do better in math than in other subjects because of your influence?

Caroline: With maths, being a former maths teacher, I have a feel of how they’re each doing with that subject, whereas with the other subjects, it’s difficult to judge. For example, “Is that poem they wrote good for their age level?”

MathFour: How do you play with your kids? In particular, what kind of math play do you do compared with non-math play?

Caroline: We talk a lot about maths, we like showing them You Tube videos or Ted Talks related to maths or science, but we also try to expose them to different things like poetry, anthropology, and business.

MathFour: Do you think you speak with your children or behave differently than other parents because you have a math background?

Caroline: I’m not sure about that. I don’t talk about maths with my kids in front of other parents – I don’t want to appear to be “showing off” although my 10 yr old likes to “perform maths.”

MathFour: Have you ever had any of your children express negative thoughts about math and how did you handle it?

Caroline: Of course! There’s always days when maths homework is not appreciated, and although my 11 year old finds maths easy, I wouldn’t say she loves it – she likes that maths can help her do the things she likes, like Design and Technology and Science. It’s not a problem – kids shouldn’t be carbon copies of their parents.

MathFour: How is the interaction with your children’s math teachers?

Caroline: I usually let my kids teachers know early on about my and my husband’s maths background. We try to work with the kids teachers to help extend their maths but in the end we can supplement and support their maths ourselves at home.

MathFour: Now to change direction a little to a more worldview of math. What do you see as the biggest challenge in math education today?

Caroline: With the move away from rote learning towards practical maths, kids mental maths skills are declining. Parents need to make sure that they’re reinforcing those skills at home, since there’s not enough time allocated to fully learning them within the curriculum.

MathFour: What do you see great happening in the world of math education?

Caroline: I love that kids get to explore different practical applications of maths, with many teachers, using technology to present real-life math problems.

MathFour: What advice can you give to non-mathematician parents that might help them raise their kids to like and appreciate math.

Caroline: I think the key things are to stay positive about maths even if you hate it, try to spot something related to maths as often as you can. If your child is having problems with maths, act early and make sure their basic skills are solid. And of course, read MathFour and Maths Insider!

MathFour: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions, Caroline!

How about you? Do you have any questions for a mathematician parent? Share them in the comments – I’ll bet Caroline will be around to answer them!

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July 18, 2011
[50 Word Friday] A Vicious Cycle
“I hate math,” the girl said to her friends. They repeated it. Then they grew up.

“I hate math,” they all said to their kids. “I hate math,” the kids repeated to their teachers.

“NO YOU DON’T,” the teachers scolded. “It’s fun and you’ll do it!”

“No! We hate math.”

Learn more about 50 Word Friday here.

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July 15, 2011
Mathematician Parent: David Chandler
Most parents aren’t professional mathematicians. But there are a few. This is the first in a series of interviews with mathematician parents with the goal of helping parents integrate math teaching into parenting. See the list of interviews here.

I had the privilege of interviewing David Chandler, a physics and math teacher. He runs Math Without Borders, an ongoing project to supplement high school math textbooks with Home Study Companions, to make them useful for homeschoolers and adults for self-teaching.

Last week I published an article about mazes that was inspired by some of his work with homeschoolers. He does some really cool things!

MathFour: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions, David. First, what’s your degree and career? And how long have you been in math?

David: I have a BS in physics (1970), an MA in education (1975), and an MS in mathematics (applied math) (1997). I have taught physics and math (high school, Jr. college, some K-12) since 1972 and done other math-related projects on the side (inventions, design projects, publishing, curriculum innovations).

MathFour: Tell me about your family – how many kids do you have and how old are they? Are any of them more or less interested in math than the others in the family?

David: Two daughters born in 1974 and 1979, making them currently 37 and 32. B1, my older daughter, went through Alg II. She had some excellent teachers and some rather poor teachers. She would freely come to me for help and discussion. My younger daughter, B2 didn’t want the discussion. She tended not to come to me because she just wanted to know how to do the immediate problem at hand and got irritated when I said any more. As an adult she went back for more math as a prerequisite to other course work (involving logs, trig, etc.) and got tutoring from me over the phone. She values the explanation thing more now. My wives have not been mathematicians.

MathFour: Did you have any worries about your daughters academically? In particular, did you think they would do better in math than in other subjects because of your influence?

David: I think they both got the point that math is about understanding and problem solving and creativity. Both are academically well rounded.

MathFour: How did you play with your girls? How do you play with your grandchildren? Did/do you view playtime as different in any way than other “non-mathematician” parents?

David: I engage in a lot of banter that is probably math-influenced. When they say to me “Happy Birthday” I say back to them, “Happy Birthday to you too,” in the sense that she can be happy on my birthday. This year B1 sent a Facebook message, “Happy Birthday to us all.” That’s not explicitly mathematical, but it is the kind of thing Sheldon might say. I came up with a song that eliminates the asymmetry of l-m-n-o-p so you could sing the alphabet both forward and backward and taught it to my grandkids. Every rainbow we see is a physics excursion into dozens of phenomena. Theme park rides are, of couses, a learning experience. We have lots of “shared learning experiences.” Whenever something triggers a new insight in me, they are definitely exposed to the excitement it generates. They know what it is like to experience the world through eyes informed by physics/math awareness.

Screenshot from David’s Algebra II with Trigonometry Home Study Companion

MathFour: Do you think you speak with your daughters or behave differently than other parents because you have a math background?

David: I don’t talk down to them, but I don’t overwhelm them in jargon either. I wonder about a lot of things out loud. I critique the world with a quantitatively informed (and order of magnitude informed) crap detector in their presence. I model inquisitiveness and observation and show appreciation when it is a shared endeavor. I think that attitude has rubbed off on both of them, possibly genetically as well as environmentally.

MathFour: Have you ever had either of the girls express negative thoughts about math?

David: Not really, except for B2’s impatience for my explaining in too much detail, and a tendency to go on too long when her attention has already shifted.

MathFour: Have you ever disagreed with one of your daughter’s math teachers?

David: Yes. B1 took Alg II in India where I was teaching at an international school. Her teacher was a young, very traditional Indian woman who spent a week or so teaching them how to read log tables, including interpolation, funky work-arounds for logs of numbers less than 1, etc. It was a total turnoff to the class, all of whom had calculators by then, and seeing this drove me up the wall.

MathFour: What happened; how did you handle it?

David: I discussed with B1 how all of this was now outdated and how using logs to solve exponential equations, using log paper, modeling perceptual phenomena with log scales (dB’s, astronomical magnitude scale, octaves, etc.) was really where it was at. I approached the teacher about this issue, as tactfully as I knew how. She listened politely, and didn’t react in an overtly negative way, but she may have been overwhelmed by me. She didn’t change what went on in class. I taught B1 a lot of things not in the book, and better ways to do things, but this didn’t generally lead to direct interactions with the teachers.

MathFour: Now to change direction a little to a more worldview of math. What do you see as the biggest challenge in math education today?

David: Getting kids to quit memorizing things and start digging for understanding. Also seeing math not so much as a body of knowledge as a mindset.

MathFour: What do you see great happening in the world of math education?

David: Internet communication for discussions like these. New insight-generating computational tools (Geogebra, Geometer’s Sketchpad, Tracker, spreadsheets, etc.) and their use in the classroom. What goes on in my (and presumably a lot of other) classrooms despite regressive influences like high stakes testing, minimum standards which become maximum standards, etc.

MathFour: What advice can you give to non-mathematician parents that might help them raise their kids to like and appreciate math.

David: Learn some math, engage in problem solving, problem posing, observation of the world, cultivating a sense of wonder, taking curiosity a step further and digging a little, model these for your children, etc.

MathFour: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, David!

How about you – do you have any questions for a mathematician parent? Share them in the comments – we’ll see if we can get David in here to answer them!

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July 11, 2011
How to Quit Saying “I Hate Math”
Is changing how you feel about math like changing who you are?

My Little Brother is a licensed professional counselor. He often tells me that you can change your attitude by changing your behavior.

Apparently the behavior-attitude door swings both ways. If you don’t want to do something because you feel frustrated, do it anyway and that will clear up the frustration.

So that’s how you can get your attitude and your child’s attitude aligned with positive feelings of math.

Stop saying angry math things.

I’ve pointed out that the real place kids learn math is at home. And I’ve discussed why grown-ups should quit talking about hating math. But until now, I’ve never said how to do this.

Because it’s easier said than done right? When you’re frustrated, or your children are frustrated, you’ve gotta say something. So you can’t “just stop.”

HOW do you quit saying “I hate math” (when you really do hate math)?

First, make a list of all the math things you do (download the handy helper here). Here’s a starter list for both you and your children:
- I know how long it takes to get dressed and so I can calculate when I have to wake up in the morning.
- I can figure out if our car is getting good gas mileage.
- I can figure out if I have enough money saved to by a nice toy.
- I know what I have in savings and if that’s enough to buy the fancy shoes I want.
- I know how many minutes it takes me to walk to my friend’s house.
- I know that riding my bike to my friend’s house is faster than walking.
- I know that in the past I couldn’t reach the middle of the dinner table, and now I can – because my arms are longer.
- I can figure out how much I’ve grown in the past year by looking at my growth chart.
Copy your list and put it on the refrigerator, in the bathrooms, on the front door and next to your bed. When you find your child or yourself wanting to say, “I hate math,” instead say, “I can do math because __” and fill in the blank with something from the list. If you need to, continue like this:

This particular math problem I’m working on is more challenging than what I already know, but it isn’t hard. I just have to figure it out. And since I’m smart enough to do all that other math, I can figure this out!

The behavior of changing what you say will have a positive affect on how you and your children feel about math!

Try it. Let me know how it goes!

This article was previously part of a We Are That Family “Works for Me Wednesday” post.

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June 24, 2011