Build Math Confidence   December 2015 Volume 79
Early 2016 Events
Wednesday Jan 6 AMTNJ Math and Special Ed Conference, Jersey City NJ
Thursday Jan 7 How to Make Math Count Molloy College LI
Tuesday Jan 19 PD Workshop Rutgers/Piscataway, NJ
Which One Doesn't Belong?
WODB is an amazing website that creates opportunities for students to notice differences and is great for diverse groups of students.  The images can be used with a wide variety of grade levels...there is something for everyone at WODB.
According to their homepage: Which One Doesn't Belong? is "a website dedicated to providing thought-provoking puzzles for math teachers and students alike. There are no answers provided as there are many different, correct ways of choosing which one doesn't belong. Enjoy!"
Brought to you by Mary Bourassa and friends.  

Get the Math & Get the Points:
When putting the answer choices into the TI-84 or Desmos we can see that the only match is II.  Read the blog post here, the first in a series about how the graphing calculator can help students understand Math while earning points on their (Regents) exam.  This will help them Get the Math and Get the Points (the problem to the left is worth 2 points).
In New York, students must pass at least 1 Math Regents exam to graduate high school. Generally, students will focus on the easier Algebra I than the Geometry or Algebra II.  The 8th/9th graders of 2014-2015 were the first cohort to take solely the Common Core Algebra I Regents and fewer students passed than on the old Integrated Algebra.  


A Hot Topic!! The Future of Math and Common Core Algebra
Just as we went to press, this Math problem appeared on the New York Times web site on November 30th (it will appear in print on December 1st):  
that included an interactive quiz with a close cousin of the blog post above.
The four choices above are shown on Desmos and you can see that the red one is the only viable option here in a larger view of this graph.
 
 
 
Goal Setting for 2016
2016 is fast approaching -- here are some tools and tips for planning next year.  As the late great Jim Rohn said:
"The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them."  
Staying partly analog, I have used the planners and pages from Franklin Planners for over 10 years and find that a paper planner is a great way to set goals, stay organized and have a physical place to look at my schedule.  This is in addition to the digitized Google Calendar.
The resources below will help you focus on your overall goals by category including Fitness, Work/School, Family, Finance and Contribution.
Brain Teaser 

Answer to last month's brain teaser: 3^700
Click here for the question and solution to November's Brain Teaser  
Thanks, Robin the Math Lady Schwartz
www.mathconfidence.com        
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