Math News

Spread Sheet Thinking = Algebraic Thinking (What Do We Need Algebra For?)

Keith Devlin of Stanford University, also know as the Math Guy on NPR, was interviewed by Scott Simon on February 28, 2009. Scott asked Professor Devlin, “ What exactly is Algebra, and why do so many people find it so hard to learn?” “Isn’t algebra just arithmetic with letters?” Keith asserts that we confuse arithmetic calculations with algebra. Arithmetic is thinking with numbers (sizes, measures) and algebra is reasoning about numbers (thinking logically, analytically). He says that one of the best ways to get school kids to start thinking algebraically is to teach them how to use computer spreadsheets.

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Listen to Danica McKellor’s interview with Ira Flatow on Science Friday

Danica McKellor was interviewed about her new book, Kiss My Math, on NPR on May 29, 2009. Ira Flatow asks Danica about her first two books, and her plans for the future. Danica’s enthusiasm about math is contagious, encouraging parents to start early helping their children to think mathematically at an early age.

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Turing Award Granted to Stanford Doctoral Graduate

Dust off the slide rules and recharge the calculators. Square Root Day is upon us. The math-buffs' holiday, which only occurs nine times...

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Math fans to celebrate Square Root Day

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U.S. Students Make Gains in Math Scores

“It’s about high expectations and following through,” said Elizabeth Crowley, Principal of Arthur T. Talmadge Elementary School in Springfield, Massachusetts, when reporting her school’s successes in math education, with some of the best scores in the state’s testing programs.

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