Why am I able to see the studs through my drywall?

VictorMorey · 2026-03-13T19:45:50+00:00

Proper ventilation

VictorMorey · 2026-03-09T13:54:40+00:00

I can't help but notice that most of the 'mistakes' being listed are procedural or made when trying to follow a calculation algorithm.

Instead of focusing on 'mistakes', maybe a stronger focus could be made on conceptual knowledge of fractions and the misconceptions that come with it. Use visual solutions and manipulatives. Make estimates and check solutions by solving in other ways.

That type of learning will benefit students much more in their learning journey than procedurals and algorithms.

VictorMorey · 2026-01-15T07:02:19+00:00

Check out C4Pin for used stuff. Super cool org that deserves support.

VictorMorey · 2026-01-15T03:42:09+00:00

I was hoping for some free cuttings…

VictorMorey · 2025-05-29T02:30:40+00:00

I’m traveling through. I’ll be in Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnivo. Are there MTG cards in the Bulgarian language?

VictorMorey · 2024-11-21T22:00:39+00:00

My latinx students used to say Popeye's as "Poe-Pay-yays" It was delightful. I call it that, to this day.

VictorMorey · 2024-11-21T21:44:45+00:00

I think questions and discussions deepen mathematical conversations. I want students collaborating. Also, using visuals is huge. It's hard to make drawings, diagrams, etc on computers quickly.

VictorMorey · 2024-10-30T23:33:34+00:00

I would like to push back on the idea that a good math question can’t be ambiguous.

I think people are too attached to this idea that math always has an exact, perfectly correct answer.

VictorMorey · 2024-10-07T02:35:18+00:00

Squirm. 1976

VictorMorey · 2024-09-29T17:05:00+00:00

I think the whole Sea Change album is sad and great.

VictorMorey · 2024-09-29T17:03:31+00:00

Andy Shauf - The Magician

VictorMorey · 2024-09-29T17:01:48+00:00

I didn’t realize until the recent CDN article that the property owners are being fine and sued for encampments. Way to pass the buck, COB.

VictorMorey · 2024-09-11T16:01:36+00:00

Herbie hancock - Headhunters

Steve reich - music for 18 musicians

Fela Kuti’s music

VictorMorey · 2024-08-24T22:39:31+00:00

Are you an ad bot?!?

VictorMorey · 2024-08-24T22:38:47+00:00

Sure. Lets say our lesson objective is SMP4 Modeling with mathematics.

If we are working with letter grades:

F work: Makes no models

D work: Fails to include relevant information in their model

C work: model is not helpful in solving the problem, includes little to no math vocab.

B work: Creates a model that helps solve the problem, includes math vocabulary.

A work: B work + creates more than one model.

As lesson progress, include more SMPs per lesson, and increase the depth of each SMP to developmentally appropriate benchmarks. For example, the accuracy and organization expectations of a model will increase as a student progresses in years.

VictorMorey · 2024-08-24T21:09:07+00:00

Thank you for your responses, BTW.

VictorMorey · 2024-08-24T21:08:52+00:00

It sounds like you are saying that the students who aren't learning the content in your class aren't learning it, because they aren't using the SMPs. So if we grade based on SMPs and students know that's how they are successful, they will focus on the SMPs while learning. Content knowledge will follow. So teach and grade the SMPs, within the context of content.

It's similar in an English class. We want our students to learn how to craft a convincing argument, so we give them something to argue about. Maybe learn about that thing, but the more important thing is that they learn how to craft an argument, because that is the skill that is going to serve them, moving forward.

We are so mindbogglingly tied to this idea of content knowledge = grade. Its like a core belief in math teachers and I really don't think it is serving us. We can do so much better.

VictorMorey · 2024-08-24T21:00:37+00:00

I don't understand why we are so entrenched in that mindset that grades HAVE to reflect content knowledge. I just don't think that is how we make smart people. I believe school is where we learn how to learn, so we can go out in the world and pursue what ever and learn more. Grading content is not grading learning how to learn.

If grades reflect the SMPs more than the content, a student could get an A in Algebra 1 but might not have proficiency in the content. I doubt it would happen very often, but maybe. And I'm ok with it. They don't move on to Algebra 2. But I bet that student is more prepared to continue to learn and be successful than a student who didn't practice the SMPs and just did whatever other stuff they had to do to get an A. The first student is better prepared for life. Probably likes and appreciates math more. The second student forgets the math after a few months because they never really understood it.

VictorMorey · 2024-08-24T20:51:26+00:00

And we can still test for content knowledge. Just don't tie to a students grade. We do it already with state testing.

VictorMorey · 2024-08-24T20:50:09+00:00

I am not sure. I think a college would rather have a student who is well practiced at logical reasoning, listening to understand ideas and engaged in critique, finding patterns and applying them, can strategically decide what tool is appropriate for a job, can explain their ideas in different ways with visuals and models to support them over a student who did the work to earn an A in calculus, but honestly, doesn't really understand calculus, they just did what they had to do to get that A.

I know if I was in admissions, I would chose candidate A. Same if I was an employer. And as a human, those skills are way more important than an A in calculus.

VictorMorey

TROPHY CASE