Category: Articles

MathEd in the News + CotW #5

SUGGESTED READ – MathEd in the News

The following article examines the evolution of mathematics education in American classrooms and curriculum as emphasis has shifted away from memorizing facts and towards understanding underlying concepts and processes:

“This is where successful math education starts; with adults who know what questions to ask and who have the skills to help children discover their own solutions.”


Read more: “This is why it’s so hard to help with your kid’s math homework” (Jessica Lahey, Washington Post)

COMMENT OF THE WEEK #5

Congratulations to Comment of the Week winner, Steve Park! For this session, 4 out of 5 positive feedback tags were applied by the student, who left the following comment:

“Thanks for helping me study for my test tomorrow. I feel a lot more confident :)”

Please read through the session and annotations to see why this session helped the student feel better about finding the vertex.

Comment of the Week #5   ›   

Create your own user feedback survey

Suggested Read: “Why Teachers Need To Know The Wrong Answers”

The following article addresses “the importance of wrongness” and why it is our duty as educators to understand our students’ thought processes, especially when they’re incorrect:

Why Teachers Need To Know The Wrong Answers (nprEd) – opens in a new tab

Sadler says that cognitive science tells us that if you don’t understand the flaws in students’ reasoning, you’re not going to be able to dislodge their misconceptions and replace them with the correct concepts.

“It’s very expensive in terms of mental effort to change the ideas that you come up with yourself,” Sadler says. “It’s a big investment to say, ‘I’m going to abandon this thing that I came up with that makes sense to me and believe what the book or the teacher says instead.’ “

As an online tutor, how could understanding and addressing incorrect ideas be more helpful than simply focusing on the solution? In what ways might this practice benefit the student long-term?

What are some common student misconceptions you see in your subject area?

Read the article and share your thoughts below!

— Team Yup