Math Confidence Newsletter
Volume 5
October 2009
In This Issue
Math Confidence:You Tube
Recommended Reading
Spotlight on LD
Teamwork for Success
Brain Teaser
Maximizing Potential Thru Math
 
 
Math Teaches Knowledge, Skills and Life Lessons on YouTube
Quick Math Confidence Links...
 
on the Web
 
Join Our Mailing List
Check out the new video about maximizing human potential with the study of Math, recommended reading, the spotlight on Learning Differences, an article on teamwork and a brain teaser.
Recommended Reading
First Things First by Stephen Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) and his co-authors Roger and Rebecca Merrill
helps people focus on their goals through their mantra "to live, to learn, to love, to leave a legacy".  They break tasks into four categories Urgent vs. Non-Urgent and Important vs. Non-Important.  To that end, they suggest working on things that are Important but Not Urgent in order to plan the goals and achieve them.   Things that are Important but Not Urgent are: Preparation, Prevention, Values Clarification, Planning, Relationship building, True re-creation, and Empowerment.
First Things First at amazon
First Things First
Spotlight on Learning Differences
A few hundred years ago in the pre-industrial, pre-Information Age World, there were many definitions of intelligence -- many of which cannot be measured on IQ tests.   Howard Gardner is the leading thinker on this idea of Multiple Intelligences.  Since school success is not only based on innate ability, special ed students and their parents and teachers can benefit academically and emotionally with this framework.  Gardner's Books 
 
International Dyslexia Society's Frequently Asked Questions includes signs of dyslexia as well as a list of famous people with dyslexia plus Fact Sheets.
 
 
LD Online Resources ("the world's leading web site on learning disabilities and ADHD")includes articles, links, and resources for Math and all subjects plus advice for families and  teachers on homework, study skills, etc.
 
Misunderstood Minds and Math is a PBS resource based on a video program about learning differences and has great interactive modules to help diagnose and understand LD.
Teamwork for Success: Working Together to Problem Solve
The recent New York Times article For Writing Software, A Buddy System showed how software writers at Hashrocket work together in pairs -- one coding while the other looks for errors.  It is usually easier to find someone else's error than to find our own.  Math curricula have designed this into their process like Connected Math.
Brain Teaser 
Numbers thru Funnel
Mary can paint a room in two hours and John can paint a room in two hours.  Assuming these rates, how long will it take them to paint a room together?   
Answer will be in November 2009 newsletter.
 
Answer to September's Brain Teaser: a) $99, b) $75, c) $0.
Thanks for reading!  How can we make this newsletter better?  Please send comments and suggestions to Robin mathconfidence@aol.com
 
Sincerely,
 
Robin "the Math Lady" Schwartz
Math Confidence