Error or Teachable Moment?

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As I was preparing a workshop for the regional NCTM conference in Indianapolis on how to use my math comic books, I discovered an error. We reassure our students, “Making a mistake means we are learning,” and yet, I struggle with internalizing such a positive outlook when my stomach churns and my imposter syndrome flares. Imagine my horror when I opened the graphic novel and realized an error snuck its way into a drawing! The math was wrong.

Number Bias – It’s a Thing!

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We all know the hazards of being biased, but did you know that number bias can hamper a student’s understanding of fractions? Learn how our research subjects overcame it last summer.

The Different Meanings of Fraction

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Over the last month, I have been working with the amazing master teachers at the Columbus Regional Math Collaborative, putting a fun filled summer camp together to help boost children’s knowledge of fractions before they enter middle school. Of course, if I want to boost their knowledge of the meaning of fractions, I knew I needed to reread some of my favorite research articles and books!

Teaching Fractions with Newton’s Nemesis

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Today, I uploaded a new video on YouTube that condenses all the research behind my math mystery comic book series, Newton’s Nemesis. It’s fast paced and 7-minutes long. Every time I need to learn something (like my recent adventure changing a burnt out headlight in my car), I search for a video on YouTube. That […]

Math & The Characters: Theo’s Mother

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As I developed the story for Newton’s Nemesis, I wanted the underlying narrative to reinforce growth mindset, or more specifically, mathematical mindset.  Jo Boaler, a professor of mathematics education at Stanford University, authored a wonderful book entitled Mathematical Mindset that encourages a culture shift in classrooms that rewards children for exploring mathematics. If children are […]