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When studying to become a math teacher, many teachers-in-training are taught to use concrete, real world examples to help illustrate mathematical concepts. New research shows that students who learn through real-world examples have a difficult time applying that knowledge to other situations. Students who were taught using only abstract symbols and concepts, on the other hand, are readily able to transfer their new-found knowledge to other, related problems.

Go Team Abstract Symbols and Concepts!

I know, I read that and threw up my hands in disgust. I'm starting to think that if you assemble all the research, it will show that teaching math is just impossible in all but the most ideal circumstances.

Man, Ruby seems to be fully cool with the new place. She's digging the balcony, big time. That was quick!

if you assemble all the research, it will show that teaching math is just impossible in all but the most ideal circumstances.

Maybe Barbie was right....

I think my kids got the majority of their math skillz from Math Blaster.

Allyson, who doesn't love a balcony?

I had very...convincing dreams last night. Restive sleep, and headaches and nausea throughout, but I managed to dream a book and/or movie and/or TV show. It was so convincing that at the time I thought I was remembering something I'd read or seen, rather than spinning it as I went along. English romantic comedy about middle-aged not-particularly-attractive people. But when I woke up and was at the point where I might have written it down everything hurt too much to bother. Which is a shame. I'm curious now.

You're all having such interesting dreams.

...

OK, so I once dreamt about the second season of Firefly. But seriously, not much in the Cool Dreams Department here.

I think that the math study thing, the results really depend on how you're defining understanding. The same teaching method might show up as giving really good understanding when testing by one method, but horrible understanding when testing by another method.