The Math Instinct

The Math Instinct PDF

Author: Keith Devlin

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2009-04-29

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0786736186

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There are two kinds of math: the hard kind and the easy kind. The easy kind, practiced by ants, shrimp, Welsh corgis -- and us -- is innate. What innate calculating skills do we humans have? Leaving aside built-in mathematics, such as the visual system, ordinary people do just fine when faced with mathematical tasks in the course of the day. Yet when they are confronted with the same tasks presented as "math," their accuracy often drops. But if we have innate mathematical ability, why do we have to teach math and why do most of us find it so hard to learn? Are there tricks or strategies that the ordinary person can do to improve mathematical ability? Can we improve our math skills by learning from dogs, cats, and other creatures that "do math"? The answer to each of these questions is a qualified yes. All these examples of animal math suggest that if we want to do better in the formal kind of math, we should see how it arises from natural mathematics. From NPR's "Math Guy" -- The Math Instinct will provide even the most number-phobic among us with confidence in our own mathematical abilities.

Math Instinct

Math Instinct PDF

Author: Keith J. Devlin

Publisher: Turtleback Books

Published: 2006-05-01

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781417780655

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National Public Radio's "Math Guy" explains why humans possess a remarkable capacity for "natural" math while offering words of confidence for the multitudes who are afraid of math.

Bad at Math?

Bad at Math? PDF

Author: Lidia Gonzalez

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2023-02-03

Total Pages: 153

ISBN-13: 1071907492

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Math really is for everyone—so let’s prove it. You’ve heard it from kids, from friends, and from celebrities: "I’m bad at math." It’s a line that society tends to accept without examination—after all, some people just aren’t "math people," right? Wrong. As we do with other essential skills, we need to expose the stereotypes, challenge the negative mindsets, and finally confront the systemic opportunity gaps in math education, and replace them with a new vision for what math is, who it’s for, and who can excel at it. In this book you’ll find Research on teacher and student mindsets and their effect on student achievement Audience-specific and differentiated tools, reflection questions, and suggested actions for educators at all levels of the system Examples from popular media, as well as personal stories and anecdotes Quotes, data-driven figures, and suggestions for deeper learning on all aspects of a positive and equitable vision of math education Both social commentary and a toolkit of solutions, this bold new book directly challenges the constructs that have historically dictated our perceptions of what makes someone a "math person". Only by dismantling those misplaced assumptions can we reform math education so it works for everyone. Because in truth, we are all math people.

The Handy Math Answer Book

The Handy Math Answer Book PDF

Author: Patricia Barnes-Svarney

Publisher: Visible Ink Press

Published: 2012-05-01

Total Pages: 528

ISBN-13: 1578593883

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From modern-day challenges such as balancing a checkbook, following the stock market, buying a home, and figuring out credit card finance charges to appreciating historical developments by Pythagoras, Archimedes, Newton, and other mathematicians, this engaging resource addresses more than 1,000 questions related to mathematics. Organized into chapters that cluster similar topics in an easily accessible format, this reference provides clear and concise explanations about the fundamentals of algebra, calculus, geometry, trigonometry, and other branches of mathematics. It contains the latest mathematical discoveries, including newly uncovered historical documents and updates on how science continues to use math to make cutting-edge innovations in DNA sequencing, superstring theory, robotics, and computers. With fun math facts and illuminating figures, The Handy Math Answer Book explores the uses of math in everyday life and helps the mathematically challenged better understand and enjoy the magic of numbers.

Math Exchanges

Math Exchanges PDF

Author: Kassia Omohundro Wedekind

Publisher: Stenhouse Publishers

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1571108262

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Traditionally, small-group math instruction has been used as a format for reaching children who struggle to understand. Math coach Kassia Omohundro Wedekind uses small-group instruction as the centerpiece of her math workshop approach, engaging all students in rigorous "math exchanges." The key characteristics of these mathematical conversations are that they are: 1) short, focused sessions that bring all mathematical minds together, 2) responsive to the needs of the specific group of mathematicians, and 3) designed for meaningful, guided reflection. As in reading and writing workshop, students in math workshop become self-directed and independent while participating in a classroom community of learners. Through the math exchanges, students focus on number sense and the big ideas of mathematics. Teachers guide the conversations with small groups of students, mediating talk and thinking as students share problem-solving strategies, discuss how math works, and move toward more effective and efficient approaches and greater mathematical understanding. Although grounded in theory and research, Math Exchanges: Guiding Young Mathematicians in Small Group Meetings is written for practicing teachers and answers such questions as the following: How can I use a math workshop approach and follow a certain textbook or set of standards? How should I form small groups? How often should I meet with small groups? What should I focus on in small groups? How can I tell if my groups are making progress? What do small-group math exchanges look like, sound like, and feel like?

A Brain for Numbers

A Brain for Numbers PDF

Author: Andreas Nieder

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2019-11-19

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 0262042789

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How our intuitive understanding of numbers is deeply rooted in our biology, traceable through both evolution and development. Humans' understanding of numbers is intuitive. Infants are able to estimate and calculate even before they learn the words for numbers. How have we come to possess this talent for numbers? In A Brain for Numbers, Andreas Nieder explains how our brains process numbers. He reports that numerical competency is deeply rooted in our biological ancestry; it can be traced through both the evolution of our species and the development of our individual minds. It is not, as it has been traditionally explained, based on our ability to use language. We owe our symbolic mathematical skills to the nonsymbolic numerical abilities that we inherited from our ancestors. The principles of mathematics, Nieder tells us, are reflections of the innate dispositions wired into the brain. Nieder explores how the workings of the brain give rise to numerical competence, tracing flair for numbers to dedicated “number neurons” in the brain. Drawing on a range of methods including brain imaging techniques, behavioral experiments, and twin studies, he outlines a new, integrated understanding of the talent for numbers. Along the way, he compares the numerical capabilities of humans and animals, and discusses the benefits animals reap from such a capability. He shows how the neurobiological roots of the brain's nonverbal quantification capacity are the evolutionary foundation of more elaborate numerical skills. He discusses how number signs and symbols are represented in the brain; calculation capability and the “neuromythology” of mathematical genius; the “start-up tools” for counting and developmental of dyscalculia (a number disorder analogous to the reading disorder dyslexia); and how the brain processes the abstract concept of zero.

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Math Cognition

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Math Cognition PDF

Author: Marcel Danesi

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-09-14

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 3030225372

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This is an anthology of contemporary studies from various disciplinary perspectives written by some of the world's most renowned experts in each of the areas of mathematics, neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, semiotics, education, and more. Its purpose is not to add merely to the accumulation of studies, but to show that math cognition is best approached from various disciplinary angles, with the goal of broadening the general understanding of mathematical cognition through the different theoretical threads that can be woven into an overall understanding. This volume will be of interest to mathematicians, cognitive scientists, educators of mathematics, philosophers of mathematics, semioticians, psychologists, linguists, anthropologists, and all other kinds of scholars who are interested in the nature, origin, and development of mathematical cognition.

Strategies for Implementing Guided Math

Strategies for Implementing Guided Math PDF

Author: Sammons, Laney

Publisher: Shell Education

Published: 2017-03-01

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 1618139150

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In this resource, Laney Sammons, author of Guided Math, delves into the strategies necessary to effectively implement the Guided Math Framework. It provides specific strategies for implementing the seven elements of the Guided Math Framework. In addition, this 344-page professional resource includes a Teacher Resource CD, sample lessons, activities, and classroom snapshots of strategy implementation at three grade level spans: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Strategies for Implementing Guided Math is correlated to the Common Core State Standards and aligned to the interdisciplinary themes from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. 304pp.

Guided Math: A Framework for Mathematics Instruction Second Edition

Guided Math: A Framework for Mathematics Instruction Second Edition PDF

Author: Laney Sammons

Publisher: Teacher Created Materials

Published: 2019-03-22

Total Pages: 378

ISBN-13: 1642903760

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This instructional math framework provides an environment for mathematics that fosters mathematical thinking and understanding while meeting the needs of all students. This updated math resource takes an innovative approach to mathematics instruction and uses the same teaching philosophies for guided reading. Educators will learn how to effectively utilize small-group and whole-group instruction, manipulatives, math warm-ups, and Math Workshop to engage K-12 students in connecting mathematics to their own lives. Maximize the impact of your instruction with ideas for using ongoing assessment and differentiation strategies. This 2nd edition guided math resource written by Laney Sammons provides practical guidance and sample lessons for grade level bands K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Promote a classroom environment of numeracy and mathematical discourse with this essential professional resource for K-12 math teachers!

How Children Learn Math

How Children Learn Math PDF

Author: Nancy Krasa

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-10-25

Total Pages: 415

ISBN-13: 1000655768

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Written for pre-service and in-service educators, as well as parents of children in preschool through grade five, this book connects research in cognitive development and math education to offer an accessibly written and practical introduction to the science of elementary math learning. Structured according to children’s mathematical development, How Children Learn Math systematically reviews and synthesizes the latest developmental research on mathematical cognition into accessible sections that explain both the scientific evidence available and its practical classroom application. Written by an author team with decades of collective experience in cognitive learning research, clinical learning evaluations, and classroom experience working with both teachers and children, this amply illustrated text offers a powerful resource for understanding children’s mathematical development, from quantitative intuition to word problems, and helps readers understand and identify math learning difficulties that may emerge in later grades. Aimed at pre-service and in-service teachers and educators with little background in cognitive development, the book distills important findings in cognitive development into clear, accessible language and practical suggestions. The book therefore serves as an ideal text for pre-service early childhood, elementary, and special education teachers, as well as early career researchers, or as a professional development resource for in-service teachers, supervisors and administrators, school psychologists, homeschool parents, and other educators.