tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post8420034340989344696..comments2024-03-26T04:19:38.862-07:00Comments on kitchen table math, the sequel: TIMSS test for kids (and grownups)Catherine Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-57687773988444446892007-08-30T13:03:00.001-07:002007-08-30T13:03:00.001-07:00I was asking Ed, "What's my response when they say...I was asking Ed, "What's my response when they say, No, you can't be on the site committee?"Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-32796432839752409922007-08-30T13:03:00.000-07:002007-08-30T13:03:00.000-07:00oh gosh - good question - I'll try to remember to ...oh gosh - good question - I'll try to remember to put this up front<BR/><BR/>I asked to be put on the site committee at the middle school.<BR/><BR/>Haven't heard back.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-59186441553872724022007-08-29T05:43:00.000-07:002007-08-29T05:43:00.000-07:00Speaking of science, my county is adopting a new s...Speaking of science, my county is adopting a new science textbook for grades 1-12 this year. I've signed up to be on the elementary school committee.<BR/><BR/>Any ideas of good science textbooks out there?PaulaVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16739268887887184465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-55592826458499466312007-08-28T17:02:00.000-07:002007-08-28T17:02:00.000-07:00Price comparison and cost/profit of making, import...<I>Price comparison and cost/profit of making, importing and selling math textbooks would make good percentage and fraction questions, well if only I could remember the exact prices.</I><BR/><BR/>Yes!<BR/><BR/>I think the Singapore Math website has an explanation posted.<BR/><BR/>As I recall, the wife grew up in Singapore....and wanted to bring the books here. (Can't remember the rest.)Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-48421041640035025362007-08-28T16:21:00.000-07:002007-08-28T16:21:00.000-07:00Say, do the US Primary Mathematics folks have a ri...Say, do the US Primary Mathematics folks have a right to print the books, or only import them over? I'm just curious about the price difference. I can't remember the exact prices myself, but I remember paying two to five SGD (1 SGD is about 0.70 USD) for each workbook or textbook.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Price comparison and cost/profit of making, importing and selling math textbooks would make good percentage and fraction questions, well if only I could remember the exact prices.le radical galoisienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14684821442296479803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-56934090782401412562007-08-28T14:34:00.001-07:002007-08-28T14:34:00.001-07:00Ed said, "It'll be fun to learn about Earth Scienc...Ed said, "It'll be fun to learn about Earth Science."Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-74468063804392007112007-08-28T14:34:00.000-07:002007-08-28T14:34:00.000-07:00I bought books I can teach myself Earth Science wi...I bought books I can teach myself Earth Science with this year. Only managed to read one chapter over the summer.<BR/><BR/>Earth Science Made Simple - I think that's the book.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-22574179187065302622007-08-28T14:33:00.000-07:002007-08-28T14:33:00.000-07:00The principal made that statement in a public sett...The principal made that statement in a public setting, so I asked him what led him to believe that the problem lay in the students rather than in the curriculum or the pedagogy.<BR/><BR/>Then every other parent present jumped all over me so I didn't get an answer.<BR/><BR/>(The other parents jumped all over me on grounds that the course was Honors, and therefore one would expect smart students to struggle ---- another uh-oh moment.)<BR/><BR/>In fact the course wasn't and isn't Honors; it's just a high school course taught in 8th grade.<BR/><BR/>But the meeting got sidetracked by an argument over Honors/accelerated and the principal ducked the question.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-49158846223700227172007-08-28T14:31:00.000-07:002007-08-28T14:31:00.000-07:00Of course, a lot of my dread is on my own behalf, ...Of course, a lot of my dread is on my own behalf, not C's.<BR/><BR/>I assume I'm going to be teaching math, writing, AND earth science this year.<BR/><BR/>Not sure about earth science, but the principal himself told us, last year, that "a number of the students [in the class] are struggling and don't belong."<BR/><BR/>These are all hand-picked academically successful kids, so if a number of them were "struggling" that's a bad sign.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-76634398203168857322007-08-28T14:29:00.001-07:002007-08-28T14:29:00.001-07:00I can't tell you how much I'm dreading sending the...<I>I can't tell you how much I'm dreading sending the young ones back into the trenches.</I><BR/><BR/>I was experiencing anticipatory dread over vacation.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-17216399634310919752007-08-28T14:29:00.000-07:002007-08-28T14:29:00.000-07:00Chris missed the cherry question.You're right that...Chris missed the cherry question.<BR/><BR/>You're right that it's ambiguously worded, but I don't think that's why he missed it.<BR/><BR/>Actually...that's an experiment.<BR/><BR/>I should rewrite it so it's clear & see if that makes a difference.<BR/><BR/><I>Robin and Jim took cherries from a basket. Robin took 1/3 of the total number of cherries and Jim took 1/6 of the total number of cherries.<BR/><BR/>What fraction of the cherries remain in the basket?</I><BR/><BR/>Is that question clear?Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-42069818059330734072007-08-28T14:27:00.000-07:002007-08-28T14:27:00.000-07:00I agree about the level of the questions -- they s...I agree about the level of the questions -- they seem pretty low.<BR/><BR/>Nevertheless, they're way too high for most U.S. kids I would imagine.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-84596009555765590482007-08-28T14:26:00.001-07:002007-08-28T14:26:00.001-07:00He's just finished 7th grade, not 8th, but he's in...He's just finished 7th grade, not 8th, but he's in "accelerated" math, which means he's started algebra.<BR/><BR/>Started algebra & can't do fraction word problems.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-90818380636330869302007-08-28T14:26:00.000-07:002007-08-28T14:26:00.000-07:00fraction competence would be great tooditto that!<I>fraction competence would be great too</I><BR/><BR/>ditto that!Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-35114330064646272902007-08-28T13:12:00.000-07:002007-08-28T13:12:00.000-07:00"I thought example question was poorly worded sinc..."I thought example question was poorly worded since it said "bill" and then "total bill" so I wondered if the "total bill" was intended to include the tip." <BR/><BR/>I totally agree. I was wondering the same thing.<BR/><BR/>Here is a problem from the 25-question version for 8th grade that suffers from unclear wording. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Robin and Jim took cherries from a basket. Robin took 1/3 of the cherries and Jim took 1/6 of the cherries. What fraction of the cherries remain in the basket?<BR/><BR/>Here I am wondering if the 1/6 applies to what's left after 1/3 is taken. Can you take different fractions of something simultaneously? I guess you can. I just did it. 1 - (1/3 + 1/6) = 1/2<BR/><BR/>These "8th grade" quesions strike me as 5h grade questions.Instructivisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01652458042291988959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-78208840565411026272007-08-28T11:59:00.000-07:002007-08-28T11:59:00.000-07:00I thought example question was poorly worded since...I thought example question was poorly worded since it said "bill" and then "total bill" so I wondered if the "total bill" was intended to include the tip.Mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05080767128939690601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-69157081916534913742007-08-28T11:23:00.000-07:002007-08-28T11:23:00.000-07:00I think you are right -- C does seem to be getting...I think you are right -- C does seem to be getting a "fraction sense," which is better than nothing, but fraction competence would be great too. Did he just finish 8th grade?<BR/><BR/>We have taken a vacation break from Singapore Math. Dragged those books all the way to the OBX, but never openned them once.<BR/><BR/>School starts next week, so we'll have to start moving things back into gear. I can't tell you how much I'm dreading sending the young ones back into the trenches.LynnGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467061079495021347noreply@blogger.com