Pi Clock at piday.org:
is celebrating their 22nd annual Pi Day:
Come create Pi puns, participate in Pi-related antics—and have a slice of pie
The site owners have sorted through hundreds of ideas and chosen their 50 ideas best for celebrating Pi Day. (Be sure to check out the Pi Day Carols, too!)
I know you’re on the edge of your seat.
World Metrology Day is celebrated annually on May 20, the anniversary of the international agreement on units of measurement finalized at the Metre Convention in Paris, France in 1875.
World Metrology Day (WMD) commemorates the signing of the treaty and it is a day when all the countries in the world that enjoy the benefits of a single, coherent system of measurements, traceable to the International System of Units (SI), celebrate the scientific, technological, and economic achievements that this treaty has enabled for more than a century.
There are only 3 countries in the world that have not officially recognized the metric system: Liberia, Myanmar, and the United States.
Great news for students struggling to remember how many ounces in a pound, feet in a mile, or cups in a gallon. According to Elizabeth Gentry of the National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST):
The United States is undergoing a subtle transition to the International System of Units (SI), commonly known as the metric system.
Learn about events in Gaitherburg, MD and Boulder, CO as well as celebrations around the world at the official WMD2009 site.
You were wondering: “What is Metrology?”
From Coastal Calibration Laboratories:
Definition 1): Metrology is the science of measurement.
Definition 2): Metrology is the science of weights and measures used to determine the conformance of an item to technical requirements. Metrology also includes the development of standards and systems for absolute and relative measurements.
Want to learn more about Metrology?
(Image courtesy of Indexed.)
I’ll be presenting “How to Use Strategies from Singapore Math to Strengthen your Math Instruction” in Cincinnati on May 13, Atlanta on May 14 and in New Jersey on May 20 & 21, 2009. You can read more about these 1 day seminars and register through the Institute for Educational Development.
All seminars will be “buzzword” free!
These are the only public sessions I’ll be doing until the 2009 – 2010 school year.
Thinking about a field trip to see the world’s top-scoring math in action? There are just a few spots left for this July’s Singapore Math Summer Program.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting and Exposition (NCTM) has ended and I wanted to share a few quick items regarding Singapore Math.
First off, Houghton Mifflin’s division Great Source premiered their new Singapore math series. Called Math in Focus, the textbooks are hardbound (and are heavy!) and the Teacher’s Editions appear quite comprehensive. This series looks like an American textbook series. I chatted with Patsy Kanter, one of the authors, as well as Shar Hammet, the head of the mathematics division for Houghton Mifflin, and they feel that they’ve kept the true essence of the curriculum while adding value to a classroom teacher. I hope to procure a grade level to review and share. At each grade level, the series includes:
You can download a sample lesson from the first grade.
Next:
The Singapore Model Method for Learning Mathematics was available from the Marshall Cavendish booth and will be available next month from Singaporemath.com. Written by the Ministry of Education, this book ( or monograph, as they refer to the publication) is designed to serve as a resource book on the Model Method:
The main purpose is to make explicit how the Model Method is used to develop students’ understanding of fundamental mathematics concepts and proficiency in solving basic mathematics word problems.
Although I’ve just begun reading the book, it appears to be a comprehensive overview of the Model Method and provides examples for both basic and quite challenging word problems.
The table of contents (click to enlarge):
And a sample page 77 from Appendix A:
Finally, there were 4 presentations on Singapore Math at the NCTM:
ALL four Singapore Math sessions were oversubscribed, with disappointed attendees listening outside at the door. Dr. Yeap’s session saw people lining up 40 minutes beforehand to get a seat!
Sponsored by the American Mathematical Society, the American Statistical Association, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the theme for April’s Math Awareness Month is Mathematics and Climate. From the press release:
One of the most important challenges of our time is modeling global climate. Some of the fundamental questions researchers are currently addressing are:
- How long will the summer Arctic sea ice pack survive?
- Are hurricanes and other severe weather events getting stronger?
- How much will sea level rise as ice sheets melt?
- How do human activities affect climate change?
- How is global climate monitored?
You can write to the AMS for a free copy of the poster below or download it direct from their site. Looking for inspiration for the classroom? The site also has a list of activities and events happening around the country as well as a place for you to submit your own.
Passionate about Elementary Math + Author! + Teacher Trainer and Coach + Treasure Hunter + Learner 
as well as in Canada, China, England, Germany, Ghana, Guam, Japan, Mexico, and The Republic of Palau.
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