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Showing posts from September, 2023

The Backward-Forward Method

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Unfortunately, little or no time is spent in most math classrooms discussing "heuristics," the art of problem solving.  This often leaves students grasping at straws, struggling even to know where to begin when staring down an unfriendly, unfamiliar math question. George Pólya's How to Solve It is a classic on this subject, required reading for all serious math students. In another classic, How to Read and Do Proofs , author Daniel Solow advances a powerful problem solving approach he calls the “Forward-Backward Method.”  I’ve found it helpful in my own teaching and mathematical work to reverse the method, first thinking backward from the ultimate goal to various subgoals which, if achieved, would enable direct progress to the original objective. Whether writing complex proofs or tackling simple algebra problems, this “Backward-Forward” process provides students with a simple yet powerful structure for solving problems. Just as an archer would prefer to move the target ...

The Backward-Forward Method

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Unfortunately, little or no time is spent in most math classrooms discussing "heuristics," the art of problem solving.  This often leaves students grasping at straws, struggling even to know where to begin when staring down an unfriendly, unfamiliar math question. George Pólya's How to Solve It is a classic on this subject, required reading for all serious math students. In another classic, How to Read and Do Proofs , author Daniel Solow advances a powerful problem solving approach he calls the “Forward-Backward Method.”  I’ve found it helpful in my own teaching and mathematical work to reverse the method, first thinking backward from the ultimate goal to various subgoals which, if achieved, would enable direct progress to the original objective. Whether writing complex proofs or tackling simple algebra problems, this “Backward-Forward” process provides students with a simple yet powerful structure for solving problems. Just as an archer would prefer to move the target ...

The Backward-Forward Method

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Unfortunately, little or no time is spent in most math classrooms discussing "heuristics," the art of problem solving.  This often leaves students grasping at straws, struggling even to know where to begin when staring down an unfriendly, unfamiliar math question. George Pólya's How to Solve It is a classic on this subject, required reading for all serious math students. In another classic, How to Read and Do Proofs , author Daniel Solow advances a powerful problem solving approach he calls the “Forward-Backward Method.”  I’ve found it helpful in my own teaching and mathematical work to reverse the method, first thinking backward from the ultimate goal to various subgoals which, if achieved, would enable direct progress to the original objective. Whether writing complex proofs or tackling simple algebra problems, this “Backward-Forward” process provides students with a simple yet powerful structure for solving problems. Just as an archer would prefer to move the target ...

Bring a Mouse to the SAT

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Most people find use of a mouse to be a time saver, especially if you’re accustomed to employing one. On the digital SAT, every second counts, and use of a computer mouse can save time on this important assessment.  The College Board allows use of a "USB A" mouse (wired or wireless) with mouse pad on the digital SAT. Practice taking digital SATs at home using your favorite mouse. Then bring the same mouse with you on test day, plug it in, and go. Don't forget to bring a small mouse pad, as well. This seems like a minor detail, but there’s almost no such thing when it comes to high-stakes testing. ----- Contact Chris borlandeducational.com Copyright © 2006-present: Christopher R. Borland. All rights reserved.

Bring a Mouse to the SAT

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Most people find use of a mouse to be a time saver, especially if you’re accustomed to employing one. On the digital SAT, every second counts, and use of a computer mouse can save time on this important assessment.  The College Board allows use of a "USB A" mouse (wired or wireless) with mouse pad on the digital SAT. Practice taking digital SATs at home using your favorite mouse. Then bring the same mouse with you on test day, plug it in, and go. Don't forget to bring a small mouse pad, as well. This seems like a minor detail, but there’s almost no such thing when it comes to high-stakes testing. ----- Contact Chris borlandeducational.com Copyright © 2006-present: Christopher R. Borland. All rights reserved.

Bring a Mouse to the SAT

Image
Most people find use of a mouse to be a time saver, especially if you’re accustomed to employing one. On the digital SAT, every second counts, and use of a computer mouse can save time on this important assessment.  The College Board allows use of a "USB A" mouse (wired or wireless) with mouse pad on the digital SAT. Practice taking digital SATs at home using your favorite mouse. Then bring the same mouse with you on test day, plug it in, and go. Don't forget to bring a small mouse pad, as well. This seems like a minor detail, but there’s almost no such thing when it comes to high-stakes testing. ----- Contact Chris borlandeducational.com Copyright © 2006-present: Christopher R. Borland. All rights reserved.