My 2018 NCTM Annual Meeting Conference Proposal
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
We’re two weeks removed from the 2017 NCTM Annual conference, which means we’re also two weeks away from the 2018 proposal deadline. I just submitted mine. I’ll share it here (with some light commentary) in case anyone’s interested in my process or proposal. Process Websites, browsers, the Internet. This stuff is great, and it usually works the way it’s supposed to. However, sometimes a site will crash or my router will restart for no particular reason. So I’ve made a habit of drafting conference proposals elsewhere, then copy/pasting once it’s all ready ..read more
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How Many Squares?
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
I had dinner with the kiddos at Round Table tonight. (Side note: yum.) Must’ve had squares on the brain (thanks Dan and Anna!) because as soon as I sat down with the receipt I folded (and unfolded) it like this: And then I asked Ainsley (4): “How many squares do you see?” She counted the top row: “1… 2… 3… 4…” Then a long pause, followed by (pointing along the bottom row): “5… 6… 7… 8…” We both stared at the receipt for a little while longer. Neither of us spoke for a bit. Then—for better or for worse—I broke the silence, tracing the perimeter of&n ..read more
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Beyond Explaining, Beyond Engaging
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
In my first few years in the classroom, I held the notion that the best way to improve as a teacher was to hone my explaining skills. I figured that if I could explain things more clearly, then my students would learn more. It only took me a few years to realize that this philosophy of personal development was woefully incomplete. (Quick learner, right?!) So I turned my attention to a more noble pursuit: engaging my students. In version 1 of this approach, I tried to find ways to get my students to pay more attention to my better-than-they-used-to-be explanations.  ..read more
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Should Teachers Post Objectives?
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
Last week I shared a little resolution: to post more questions on the blog. I also put out a call for questions, and within hours Chase Orton delivered, sharing a question he had been discussing on Twitter: Is it better to clearly post/state a lesson objective at the start, or to allow students to discover it during the course of the lesson? Feel free to treat this as an always/sometimes/never, or to suggest a third approach not described above ..read more
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More Questions
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
I shared a pedagogy vs content knowledge question last week that made me realize a couple of things. I learn quite a lot from wrestling my own thoughts on a topic into blog post form. I learn even more when I pose a question and have the privilege of reading others’ thoughtful responses. I miss #slowmathchat. And so, a tiny resolution: To post more questions on my blog. Stay tuned. I hope you’ll join in the fun. P.S. I have a few questions of my own queued up, but I’d love to know what questions you’d love to see in the mix. Drop me a line (mjfenton at gmail dot com) with your cont ..read more
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Pedagogy and Content Knowledge, Part 2
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
Yesterday I asked which is more important for a math teacher: teaching ability or content knowledge. Several commenters reframed the question as pedagogy vs content knowledge. I found that shift helpful, so let’s run with that. My original plan was to highlight a few comments here, and then offer a twist (or two) on the original question. But the post received way more than a few comments, and all of them are super thoughtful. Instead of including a few excerpts here, I’m going to push against conventional Internet wisdom and encourage you to go read all the comments ..read more
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Teaching Ability and Content Knowledge
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
Last weekend my wife and I had the privilege of sharing a meal with Scott Miller, David Sladkey, and each of their wives. Awesome food, excellent conversation. It was the highlight of a great weekend at the DuPage Valley Math Conference. At one point, David asked an intriguing question that sparked a lengthy discussion. I’ll share the question here in the selfish hope that I’ll be able to hear a few more opinions, and continue my own pondering (and learning) in the process. Here’s the question: Suppose a teacher gets to divide 100% between ..read more
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Some Thoughts on Modeling
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
Here’s a definition of modeling I’ve offered in a couple of conference sessions: Describing the world with mathematics, in order to make reasoned predictions and decisions. That I borrow heavily from Dan Meyer is readily apparent, especially when considering some of the activities I’ve created over the last couple of years (e.g., Charge!, LEGO Prices, Predicting Movie Ticket Prices, Mocha Modeling). In each of those activities, students build a model in order to make a prediction, ideally a more precise one than the wild estimate I typically call for at the beginn ..read more
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Heartbreak, Relief, Shame
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
I started this blog to explore how I might become a better math teacher. Today I’m writing to explore how I might become a better person. A better husband. A better father. A better neighbor. A better stranger. I have more questions than answers. I’m not quite sure what to say, or how to say it. Anyway, if you’re interested in following along as I stumble along, here goes. — Alton Sterling on July 5. Philando Castile on July 6. Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, Brent Thompson, and Patricio Zamarripa on July 7. Micah Johnson on July 7. I’m halfway across the country. White and insulate ..read more
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Silent? No more.
Reason and Wonder
by Michael Fenton
3y ago
I began tweeting at the end of 2012. I began blogging a few months later. Since then, nearly everything I’ve shared in this medium has been strictly related to mathematics and education. The balance? A few quips about my kids and running. Up to this point, I’ve not written anything overtly political. In fact, for most of my adult life I’ve been so disillusioned by the American political landscape that I considered myself apolitical. Also, beyond the first line of my Twitter bio—which reads Follower of Christ—I’ve shared almost nothing that springs from my faith, the very foundation of my life ..read more
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