Avoid Hard Work! Crowdfunding – Newsletter June 8, 2016
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Check out Avoid Hard Work! – problem-solving for the young and the young at heart
Avoid Hard Work by Maria Droujkova, James Tanton, and Yelena McManaman gives a playful view on ten powerful problem-solving techniques. It is for parents, teachers, math circle leaders, and others who work with children ages three to ten. The book is planned to come out in the Fall of 2016. Help us make this a reality!
Go to the crowdfunding page and listen to James Tanton’s video story about a strange island and a clever pirate who uses imagination to solve problems. On the page, you can also download sample pages from the current book draft, read questions and answers, and try the activities with your children!
Below is one of my favorite quotes from the book.
What is this book really all about? Our early readers shared their worry-dreams. Here is the dream page from the book.
For our children, we dream that mathematics…
… makes sense
… is more than just arithmetic
… is joyous
… makes them strong
… is meaningful
… is creative
… is full of fascinating questions
… opens up many paths to solutions
… is friendly
… solves big problems and makes the world better
… is a powerful tool they can master
… is beautiful
… lets them learn in their own ways
… is connected to their lives
… asks “why” and not just “how”
… opens the world
Bundle sale ends Monday the 13th
Our Five for Fifty sale ends this Monday, and the book bundle reverts to its regular price. If you were planning to order, now is a good time.
See you online!
Dr. Maria Droujkova and the Natural Math crew
Questions? Email reach.out@naturalmath.com or ask in comments to this page.
Posted in Newsletter
Summer Camps and Book Crews: Newsletter April 19, 2016
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Be a beta reader: volunteer with Natural Math authors
How do we learn to help our children better? How do we learn to lead beautiful, joyful math activities? We talk with other parents and teachers who share our values!
We have two crews looking for members to help make our upcoming books. If you haven’t tried before, here’s how it works: As a beta reader, you talk with book authors, play-test newest activities, and make sure books fit your children’s needs. Your name will appear in the book credits.
When you volunteer, we arrange a meeting online (text or voice chat). You will read a chapter and try activities with your children, and then meet the authors to give feedback.
In the next couple of months:
- With children ages 3-12, join Dr. Irina Malkin Ondik and the crew of Kingdom on the Wall: a physics, math, and arts experiment-based adventure.
- With children ages 6-15, join Alfreda Poteat and the crew of Math Roots: building the foundations of math through storytelling, history, pretend-play, and discussions.
Interested? For more details, email reach.out@naturalmath.com
Join the new online summer camps for children
What’s an online summer camp? Shelley Nash has perfected the format over the past few years, and now she’s bringing it to Natural Math! Every day for a week, your children and you join others in a meeting software similar to Skype. It feels lively, active, and inspiring. Not like talking to the screen, more like a math circle or meeting friends – but without all the driving.
This summer, we offer three subject areas students rarely encounter until high school or college: linear algebra, calculus, and logic. In the signature Natural Math style, the activities are playful, hands-on, and accessible to everyone. Check them out!
My Account: all your Natural Math stuff in one place
Quite a few people asked for a more convenient sign-up, and here it is! You can access all your recordings, electronic books, and courses from one central place when you log in to NaturalMath.com
Your account is created when you first write on our forum, join a course, or get a book. After that, the site remembers you, and makes sign-ups easier.
With an old account, you may need to request a new password before using the new system.
This is how to navigate to My Account from the top menu, on your computer:
On a mobile device, click the top menu icon first, then select My Account:
See you online!
Dr. Maria Droujkova and the Natural Math crew
Questions? Email reach.out@naturalmath.com or ask in comments to this page.
Posted in Newsletter
My Kingdom on the Wall!
This week wrapped up our live session of Kingdom on the Wall! What fun! We had an amazing, international group! I think I learned more physics in two days than I had before! I’m not the only one that felt that way either! The magic glass of water spurred some fun activities for my children, but what I loved seeing happen the most was the balancing activity.
I set the supplies on the table and left, planning to come back in a bit. My children grabbed the supplies and started playing around before I returned. (You don’t see the 9 year old who loved helping!) It didn’t take them long to outwit gravity!
We started out trying to balance on the lens cleaner bottle, but got the salad dressing for a larger base. He immediately plopped the lens cleaner on top and loved that he could put things anywhere and it would stay balanced!
His finished tower (for now!)
He wanted to pull a goofy face, but he was proud of putting that final paper on top and getting it to balance. It was like outwitting it!
Wait look! I can just stack those plates with bottles between them and balance whatever I want! Doesn’t take them long to figure out some basic principles of balance, mass, and torque does it?
Want to try some yourself?
Irina Malkin’s book, Kingdom on the Wall is coming out soon. You can help crowdfund it. Email reach.out@naturalmath.com to learn how.
Posted in Make
Summer Camps for Kids!
- Are you looking for a fun adventure for a child in your life?
- Are you hoping to keep up the math skills during the summer?
- Have you wished that your kids could play math with other like minded kids?
- Do you love the idea of a camp, but hate the daily driving?
Good news!
NaturalMath.com is offering three new, online summer camps for kids!
Check them out!
Posted in Make, Make & Grow
