Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Website Wednesday and Multiplication
First, a word about math. Last week, we had a boil water alert and I was checking the local TV channels for information. (Only a local rag, The Trentonian, had online info though I think they were implying the problem was politically motivated.)
In my channel clicking, I came upon a presentation (didn't catch it but she was probably the Curriculum Director) to our local Board of Education re: the complaints about the math curriculum from parents and teachers. Well, the good news is that they know the problem; the bad news is it may take years to fix.
Which leads me to an extra website for you this Wednesday:
http://www.multiplication.com/
Now, the boy is in the fourth grade and still hasn't picked up the entire multiplication table. God knows, I've tried every teaching trick with him but he just can't commit it to memory (and this kid has a memory like a steel trap - if it goes in, it doesn't come out.)
Then, in one of those Eureka moments I thought: What about those BBC education sites I used to play with him when he was still light enough to sit on my lap.
I didn't use those sites but I did find the one listed above. I clicked on "Games" and we have been sailing along for over a week.
Here's what I did:
The results: He has times 2 and times 3 tables down pat! I know, you say: So what? But it is a big deal. Forget that the U.S. is losing the race in higher math to the rest of the world; we're losing it in lower math. We, parents, have to take the small victories where we find them.
Check on the Multiplication.com site; there's a lot of learning there.
And now on to my regular pick for Website Wednesday:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/
I can't believe I missed this site. Remember, how your ancestors used to turn on the TV in the morning and watch Morning Shows? Well, Mental Floss in a web Morning Show. Today, under Morning Cup Of Links, you have the news of the Chilean miners with a live feed. (They're bringing them out alive! Go Chile!) You have a diagram on how cut a bagel so it links. They have cats which talk when they eat. (So there, Mom! I can talk while I chew my food!)
Check out 10 Amazing Costumes for Halloween. They are amazing, and spooky, and gross.
Need some mental stuff. Check out Amazing Facts, Trivia and Quizzes.
The About says:
For the record: mental_floss magazine is an intelligent read, but not too intelligent. We're the sort of intelligent that you hang out with for a while, enjoy our company, laugh a little, smile a lot and then we part ways. Great times. And you only realize how much you learned from us after a little while. Like a couple days later when you're impressing your friends with all these intriguing facts and things you picked up from us, and they ask you how you know so much, and you think back on that great afternoon you spent with us and you smile.
And then you lie and say you read a lot.
And that about sums it up. Grab your coffee and that linking bagel you just made and enjoy.
Final note: As I'm scrolling through the Mental Floss site I'm getting such strong deja vu vibes. I can't believe I didn't use this on another Website Wednesday. So, even though my "Find" in Word Perfect didn't discover this on my list of sites used (Yes, I keep a list and I'm amazed it's such a long list) I scrolled through all the sites the old-fashioned way - using my eyes. And, I still didn't find this site. Could it have changed its names? Did I use just a section of the site another Wednesday?
Oh well, whatever. It's worth a first visit or a repeat visit.
First, a word about math. Last week, we had a boil water alert and I was checking the local TV channels for information. (Only a local rag, The Trentonian, had online info though I think they were implying the problem was politically motivated.)
In my channel clicking, I came upon a presentation (didn't catch it but she was probably the Curriculum Director) to our local Board of Education re: the complaints about the math curriculum from parents and teachers. Well, the good news is that they know the problem; the bad news is it may take years to fix.
Which leads me to an extra website for you this Wednesday:
http://www.multiplication.com/
Now, the boy is in the fourth grade and still hasn't picked up the entire multiplication table. God knows, I've tried every teaching trick with him but he just can't commit it to memory (and this kid has a memory like a steel trap - if it goes in, it doesn't come out.)
Then, in one of those Eureka moments I thought: What about those BBC education sites I used to play with him when he was still light enough to sit on my lap.
I didn't use those sites but I did find the one listed above. I clicked on "Games" and we have been sailing along for over a week.
Here's what I did:
- I reviewed about 30 multiplication games and picked out about 22 which were suitable. (It's not a good idea to use timed tests or those where you move the cute cartoon character to catch the right answer in a basket - too stressful.)
- I picked out games which had short rewards after each section (a Mario-type game; a painting scene, etc.)
- I used only one times table at a time starting with times 2.
- I sit with him for the 15 - 20 minutes he plays the games, not giving him hints but sometimes saying the answer after he clicks it.
- After he is proficient in a times table I test him verbally (2 -x 9 = ?) and with a worksheet.
The results: He has times 2 and times 3 tables down pat! I know, you say: So what? But it is a big deal. Forget that the U.S. is losing the race in higher math to the rest of the world; we're losing it in lower math. We, parents, have to take the small victories where we find them.
Check on the Multiplication.com site; there's a lot of learning there.
And now on to my regular pick for Website Wednesday:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/
I can't believe I missed this site. Remember, how your ancestors used to turn on the TV in the morning and watch Morning Shows? Well, Mental Floss in a web Morning Show. Today, under Morning Cup Of Links, you have the news of the Chilean miners with a live feed. (They're bringing them out alive! Go Chile!) You have a diagram on how cut a bagel so it links. They have cats which talk when they eat. (So there, Mom! I can talk while I chew my food!)
Check out 10 Amazing Costumes for Halloween. They are amazing, and spooky, and gross.
Need some mental stuff. Check out Amazing Facts, Trivia and Quizzes.
The About says:
For the record: mental_floss magazine is an intelligent read, but not too intelligent. We're the sort of intelligent that you hang out with for a while, enjoy our company, laugh a little, smile a lot and then we part ways. Great times. And you only realize how much you learned from us after a little while. Like a couple days later when you're impressing your friends with all these intriguing facts and things you picked up from us, and they ask you how you know so much, and you think back on that great afternoon you spent with us and you smile.
And then you lie and say you read a lot.
And that about sums it up. Grab your coffee and that linking bagel you just made and enjoy.
Final note: As I'm scrolling through the Mental Floss site I'm getting such strong deja vu vibes. I can't believe I didn't use this on another Website Wednesday. So, even though my "Find" in Word Perfect didn't discover this on my list of sites used (Yes, I keep a list and I'm amazed it's such a long list) I scrolled through all the sites the old-fashioned way - using my eyes. And, I still didn't find this site. Could it have changed its names? Did I use just a section of the site another Wednesday?
Oh well, whatever. It's worth a first visit or a repeat visit.
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