About "Teaching High School Math"

This week I found two blogs that spiked my interest,  one titled "Rational Mathematics Education" and the other "Teaching High School Math."  I first found Rational Mathematics Education which caught my attention by blogging much about ETS, students feeling anxious about math, and technology in math (Khan Academy).  These are just a few of his most recent posts.  The blogger of Rational Math has quite a personality joking about how often things are overlooked with standardized testing and that these questions may not seem to be as they appear.  Throughout the blog, a number of examples of "easy" math problems that have been seen on ETS testing are posted and completed with "what most people would do" and "what you're supposed to do."  I find it quite interesting to see the other side of standardized testing, I've only been given the chance to take them - and never to know which questions I got right or wrong.  Now our blogger, he's been in the Education system for 42 years, so as someone going into Education, I can't wait to read more posts from someone with as much experience as him.

Now, Teaching High School Math is a blog that is more so directed toward her students and lessons she presents in her classroom, bulletin boards, and fun things that will keep her students interested.  She willingly posts her documents for others to utilize, and she also incorporates technology into some of them.  In her back to school post about stimulating her students minds on the first day of class she puts mathematical equations for the students to solve on a card and then she uses a QR reader to determine if her students got the correct answer.  One of my favorite posts by Jennifer was "Writing about Math."  This post could not be any more accurate - she states a definition she was taught in college, she remembered it, but never understood it until she was getting ready to teach calculus herself.  She makes it a point to have her students write about math, this way they can talk about what they learned (reinforcement), and she can also read over them and see what she may need to explain to her class in order for them to understand.  I love this post because it is 100% true - a majority of my classes consist of me not understanding a dang concept being put on the board because teachers are just whipping through their notes trying to get through all the needed material.  I also have a firm belief that students need to improve reading and writing skills in order to continue on with their skills in any subject.