The Mushar people are amongst the poorest of the world’s poor. If you search the web, you’ll find descriptions of these people that range from encyclopaedic to heartbreaking. Their problem is not just that they are poor. They also live in the poorest state in India. Worst of all, they are considered “untouchables” in the Hindu caste system.
Paul the Lucky Octopus
09
Jul
According to the news, there’s a psychic octopus in Germany. Apparently, Paul the Octopus is able to predict the outcome of the FIFA world cup games. Well, they don’t actually know the octopus is psychic – maybe he’s just very good at analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the various teams. Or maybe he’s just lucky.
A Kindy Shape Hammering Toy
04
Jul
The other day I saw a fascinating toy in an educational bookstore. The toy consists of a set of colorful shapes made of wood, and a cork board. Each shape has a small hole in the center – there’s also a box of tachs which ft through the holes, and allow a child to pin the shapes to the corkboard.
Are Computers Bad for Kids?
28
Jun
My son’s teacher sent home a clipping from the newspaper, with the headline “Screens Damage Young: Expert”. According to the article, a UK psychologist “is demanding” that computer screens not be used in the education of kids under 9.
Etymology of ‘Eleven’
11
Jun
Now here’s something I bet you didn’t know – where does the word ‘eleven’ come from?
A Beautiful Fibonacci Movie
23
May
Here’s a beautiful movie I just found on youtube. It shows how the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio are related to the shape of a nautilus shell, the middle of a sunflower, and the pattern on a dragonfly’s wings. I wish I had the technical skills to make movies like this!
Who Is Better At Math?
28
Apr
About two months ago, I asked the question “Are Asians Better At Math?” The answer would appear to be yes (though some disagree). The book I was reading suggested that while young Asian students do perform better at math than students in Western schools (once you account for differences in socio-economic status and yada yada), the reasons were nothing whatsoever to do with ethnicity.
Orchard Puzzle
18
Apr
I recently received a tough puzzle as a gift from my brother. The name of the puzzle is “Orchard”, and so far, indeed, it seems quite tough! The first step in solving it is to solve this puzzle :
Creative Math Teaching
08
Apr
I just saw this excellent online presentation about creative ways to teach math – it explains (briefly) what’s wrong with the current “linear” method of teaching math, and gives some tips on how to improve matters – even within the current system.
Check it out below :
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