Here is an index of articles on my other blog Invisible Math.
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Concrete Examples As Rhetorical Device
I take on the article from Nature claiming abstract examples are better than concrete ones and explain why their use of concrete examples was poorly done.
The Beauty of the Abstract
How can the abstract beauty mathematicians see be conveyed to students whose skills are lower?
Fictional Scenarios in the Presentation of Mathematics
Word problems present a narrative. Why don’t we ever think about if that narrative is interesting?
Real Life Problems Are Not Always Good Ones
The catch-all tag of “real-life” does not instantly make a math problem good.
Ten Ways to Write the Equation of a Line
Some people do it different than others.
The World Puzzle Championship
This regards a tournament held since 1992 which I think math teachers should be more aware of.
Education . . . Of the Future!
What are the advances in education that would be comparable to transporter beams and photon torpedoes?
Visual Clarity in the Naming of Variables
I compare the naming of variables in mathematics to the naming of variables in computer programming, and find the former could learn something from the latter.
The Millenium Problems
I discuss the greater unknown fringes of mathematics and how they can be used to draw a student in (even if the full problem is beyond them). Worksheet included.
Solving Problems Never Before Solved
I experiment with bringing mathematical research to the classroom, using a problem from recreational mathematics.
On Memorization
I argue for an “only when it needs to be reversed” rule for when mathematics needs to be memorized. I also opine that the quadratic formula is not included in this.
Higher Abstraction Equals More Power
I discuss the “wax on, wax off” problem of how things get introduced in mathematics that seem baffling until their real application is revealed later in the curriculum.
A Letter to My Students
I try to motivate mathematics with more than just “it’ll make you smarter”. Includes a bonus lesson plan involving bottled water.
