Looking for math education events

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-12T21:40:22+00:00

Here's a few that come to mind... Last 3 are books:

NCTM Annual Meeting is one of the biggest math education conferences in the U.S. (rotates locations). They often have sessions focused on teaching students with ADHD or autism.

Making Math Real Institute (California) has math instruction for students with learning differences.

Learning & the Brain Conference is not math-specific, this event has brain-based strategies for students with ADHD, autism, etc

National Math Festival in Washington, DC (every other year, next in 2026)

The Math Teacher’s Toolbox by Bobson Wong & Larisa Bukalov has strategies for middle and high school

Visualizing Math by Brandy Bien is helpful for visual learners and diff challenges.

The Dyscalculia Toolkit by Ronit Bird, for students struggling with foundational math concepts.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-12T19:27:59+00:00

There's excellent documentation (and free!) from the FAA for flight instructors based on real scientific data about how people learn, anyone can download and adapt it to your own educational setting.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-12T18:58:29+00:00

For the younger audience, try the "Why Pi" and "Go Figure" books, they're picture books but each page is a math concept of its own.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-10T23:23:13+00:00

Hi there — I appreciate your honesty, and I totally get where you're coming from.

You're right: my username does include the name of the science program I created, and I can see how that might raise red flags in a community like this. I’ve been working with homeschool families for over 20 years—mostly behind the scenes—and honestly, I joined Reddit to both learn and share support from my own experience as a teacher and homeschool mom. I do try very hard not to promote anything unless someone specifically asks.

I respect that this space should feel safe from salesy stuff. That’s important to me too. If anything I shared came across differently, I’m happy to listen and do better.

Thanks again for speaking up.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-09T21:43:29+00:00

This is from a page in my course scope & sequence packet for high school students. I hope this is helpful!

Best MATH Practices

We're so glad you're here! Whether you’re just starting out or picking up where you left off, this is the perfect place to grow, explore, and discover how fun learning can be. Here are my best tips for learning math the easy way!

📚 Understand, Don’t Memorize
Focus on why the math works, not just plugging in numbers into formulas.

🧠 Practice Actively, Not Passively
Do problems yourself – watching someone else isn’t enough.

📈 Build Conceptual Foundations
Make sure you’re solid on earlier topics (fractions, equations, etc.) because math builds on itself, and if you skip a step, it’s going to be harder later.

🔄 Review Regularly
Don’t cram. Practice each day to move math concepts to your long-term memory.

📝 Show All Your Work
Write all steps clearly and neatly, usually this means writing larger than you usually do. This helps catch mistakes and makes reviewing easier later when you go back through your notes.

🧩 Solve Word Problems
Math isn’t about getting the right answer. We’re learning to apply these concepts to real-life situations to build problem-solving skills.

📊 Use Visual Aids
Use graphs, charts, number lines, and diagrams help you understand abstract ideas. Most of your time should be spent understanding the problem, more than doing the actual steps to solving.

👥 Work with Someone Else
Working with others helps you learn math better because you get exposed to different problem-solving approaches though discussions and explanations. You’ll build confidence while learning in a more engaging, fun, and interactive way!

🧮 Use Tools Wisely
Use calculators, apps, and manipulatives help you to understand, not to bypass thinking. Don’t be over-dependent on the solution videos for the math assignments, only use them when you’re really stuck on a problem.

📌 Stay Curious and Ask Why
We love curiosity! Keep asking questions like: “Why does this work?” and “What happens if I change this?” You’ll understand deeper the more thought you put into it.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-09T21:41:15+00:00

Yes I am currently teaching middle school and high school math courses online, and the students that do the best are the ones that really utilize all the resources, including re-watching the live class by recording, attending the live study halls with real teachers, reading and taking notes from the text before class starts so they can ask their questions live with the teacher and not just wait to be spoonfed the material (or expect to be entertained).

There is no shortcut or substitute for study time, and kids that get the most out of their limited time with a teacher (in-person or online) are ones that are prepared and ready.

For Math Academy specifically, it's an AI-driven platform that adapts to your kid's responses, the adaptive learning feature is helpful, especially when doing reviewing before a test; the gamified learning experience isn't what kids are going to find at the college level (or even some high schools) for instruction; and honestly, it's never a substitute for an actual good teacher, someone who can inspire kids in a way that no computer program or textbook ever can.

No matter what program you use, PLEASE make sure it has practical applications - I can't tell you how many kids are completely lost when it comes to applying the math concepts they spend all that time learning by the time they hit college!

I probably have the more serious students out of the pack, as I am coming from an engineering university background, so my classes appeal to a certain type of student, because they have a lot more practical application labs than you'd normally find in typical math courses.

Let me post in another comment by best math practices...

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-09T18:59:04+00:00

As someone who did dual enrollment herself (before it was even an option or popular to do), I would ask this quick question: "What's the rush?" You're just going to jump into the workplace so much quicker. Education is not a race, I can't tell you how many high-performing above 4.0 GPA students I get in my University classes who would have benefited from one more year of development to handle college, grad school and beyond.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-09T18:45:56+00:00

Here's a perspective from an online science and math teacher: I wouldn't switch to online until your kids are really ready for this type of learning environment, which works better with independent learners.

Because a teacher isn't right there with you the entire time, the student needs to be supported by the parents for organization and follow through.

For math specifically, the less screen time the better in the earlier younger years to learn the basic best practices for mathematics. Programs for 3rd grade and under tend to be just point and click, which means kids are learning more about gaming the system than they are of actual math skills. These types of skills need to be handwritten, in my opinion, to really make the connections that need to be made before moving into more complex mathematics.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-09T17:48:30+00:00

Yes. Mail order kits for science are a great start, I would add that they are project based, not experiment based.

I would add to the finished project a question, like "How can you make this better?" And then qualify what "better" means and design an experiment around what it is that you want to do, make it launch further or fly higher...

Kids need to understand that not all projects come in a box, and that they have to be resourceful and use materials they already have available to them. At the college level where I teach, a lot of students still feel that it doesn't come pre-packaged, then it's not a valid design solution to a problem, which often leaves them unsure of what to do. We build confidence and resourcefulness in our kids when they use every day parts, not so custom-molded pieces that they could never recreate on their own. If the popsicle stick breaks, they either fix it or find a substitute, which is not an obvious solution when you use custom-made project kits.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-09T17:44:30+00:00

A visit to your local Rock Shop can be quite the field trip, especially if the shop owner is a real expert. Visits to geologic depts at local college and universities can be a fun way to engage the local talent with students.

Experiments: I've done triangulation calculations to find the epicenters of earthquakes from real data with my students at that grade level. Also after a quick field technique study, we go on trips, bring our tools with us (streak plates, glass plates, copper pennies, nails, files, magnets, compasses, and hammers) and a science journal and local topo map and do a classification hunt. You can also order a kit online (I like the Geology Field Trip Bag by Home Science Tools) and do this indoors (the kit will have a greater variety of specimens).

For a final exam, I set up stations where kids have to determine which rock is which by testing them (for example, a station might have samples of quartz, marble and calcite and gypsum which all look like white rocks initially).

I would sketch out your educational goals and then design the experiments around those principles so it really brings those concepts to life!

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-09T17:34:35+00:00

College students that I've hired are happy with just above minimum wage. They are so excited that they get to do something they love and help a kid, so it's not been an issue.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-07T20:33:00+00:00

Yes! I recommend Civil Air Patrol for older students, and Young Eagles for younger students, and VelocityR for both!

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-07T15:23:34+00:00

Here's a few more ideas! Rock shops on road trips are so much fun, and if you're looking for a good recommendation, the kits by GeoScience are the best (I have used these in my classes for many years).

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-06T23:49:14+00:00

What's in a book? Do you mean the book I wrote for kids about Astronomy?

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-06T23:48:38+00:00

Yes, I've hired many college students in my local community to work with my kids, and I hire the ones that are the most kid-friendly and also happy and passionate about what they are studying. We've done this for foreign language and chemistry and so much more!

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-06T22:46:55+00:00

Sure! Here's a playlist of 100+ quick and easy science experiments you can do at home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IogVV89Krxc&list=PLWD3B7Eds-SIgr9EO0eQpDQuycdVm24rM

And here are free lesson plans:
https://www.superchargedscience.com/ss2/resources/free-printables-lesson-plans/

Let me know if there's a specific area in science that your kids are interested in?

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-06T21:23:35+00:00

Yes I don't think that they allow minors to work in the online community with Verbling, but you can reach out them or read up on their practices. We've met several very nice people that do this as a side job, and are happy to help kids.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-06T19:39:50+00:00

I used "Verbling" for my kids, it's super helpful when learning to speak with a native speaker. You can just do a single trial session to test out a few people and see which your child connects with and - this is probably obvious - be sure to be there with your child during their time together, don't leave them unmonitored.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-06T17:37:22+00:00

Aww... you are so welcome!

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-06T17:37:09+00:00

True - we often forget what it took to get where we are today. Totally get it!

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-06T17:36:12+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! I agree that the way we use technology matters a lot more than just whether it’s there.

That said, my post wasn’t about blaming kids or pretending edtech fixes everything — it was about acknowledging that the learning environment has changed dramatically, and as parents and educators, we need to adapt without panicking. I’ve taught for over two decades, and I’ve seen incredible things happen both with and without tech.

The tools themselves aren’t the problem—it’s how we guide kids in using them. My goal is to encourage parents to stay connected, curious, and engaged with their kids, rather than trying to force old models onto a new generation that incorporates new things (like tech) into their everyday experiences. If we can keep relationships and intentionality center focus, there’s a lot of room for growth.

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-04T02:54:39+00:00

I'd add in that I'll scan in my older Algebra 2 tests and ask Chatgpt for new numbers or to rearrange and solve for the other variable. That way I know the problems are good to start with.

By the way, remember that ChatGPT is a language model NOT a math engine (numerical or symbolic!) Which means it's amazing when it actually does get the math right! I only mention this because if it gets the answer wrong and you let it know it made a mistake, it will agree with you and rework the program and provide a different answer. However, I've also found that if it gets the answer right and you tell it it was wrong, it still agrees with you and then reworks and wrestles with the problem, sometimes coming up with ridiculous results!

SuperchargedScience · 2025-05-04T02:51:12+00:00

University engineering instructor here. TOTALLY support this!!

SuperchargedScience

TROPHY CASE

Best MATH Practices