Do you want to enroll in Problem Solving for the Young, the Very Young, and the Young at Heart?

Question

Enrollment is now open for the mathematical problem solving course #mpsMOOC13 The last day to enroll is July 7, 2013. Details at: [ http://www.moebiusnoodles.com/mpsmooc13/][1] ![alt text][2] To sign up, log in at this site, and answer these questions. Then schedule a short video or voice conference at: [ http://mobysnoodles.youcanbook.me/][3] Question 1. Tell us about yourself. Who are you? What do you like to do? What games or puzzles do you play? How did you hear of this course? Do you have a site or a blog? Question 2. Tell us about the kids (or the grown-up members of your circle). Who are they? What do they like to do? What are their individual peculiarities? How old are they? Question 3. Tell us about your expectations. What is one thing you want from the course? Question 4. This course has three goals: 1. To help participants and their kids learn, 2. To make a book about problem-solving, and 3. To do research in mathematics education. Do you commit to adapt the ten problems, try them with local kids, report the results online, and analyze the reports? P.S. Scroll down to the answer box: ![Answer box][4] [1]: http://www.moebiusnoodles.com/mpsmooc13/ [2]: /storage/temp/36-mpsmooc13_banner2.jpg [3]: http://mobysnoodles.youcanbook.me/ [4]: /storage/temp/69-answerbox.png

Answer 1

**Question 1:** I am a long-term homeschooler. I'm an "arts and humanities" person, rather than a "math and science" person, so my math instruction is always a bit challenging for me. My favorite activities, besides teaching and just hanging out with people, are reading, viewing and/or doing art, and during the summer, going to outdoors concerts for all kinds of different music. The games or puzzles I play are usually more words-based or conceptual. I heard about this course first from Maria herself, and then from the Moby Snoodles newsletter. At this point, I have two blogs: http://teachingyourmiddleschooler.blogspot.com and http://teachingyourhighschooler.blogspot.com. **Question 2.** I have one son who is 14 and who has always been homeschooled. His mind is a lot like mine; even more right-brained than I am, and very words-focused (although he is also a much better visualizer than I am). He, too, is more arts and humanities-oriented, and considers math to be his worst subject. However, while he still struggles sometimes with basic computation, he actually does very well at higher-order math, such as problem-solving and algebraic concepts. His favorite thing to do is to draw, but he also loves reading and really enjoys puns and word play, which he often discusses on his blog, http://themadisonainblog.blogspot.com. **Question 3.**I have two primary objectives for this MOOC. Now that my son is older, he mainly does his math through an online curriculum. However, I am looking for ways to spice that up with other hands-on or more interesting and more varied ways of developing his math skills. I'm also interested in the concept of problem-solving in general. There is a company here in Cary, NC (where I live) that has developed a set of graphic organizers called "Thinking Maps" that they show teachers and students how to apply to all disciplines--writing, history, math, science, etc. I thought it was interesting that while we often use graphic organizers for, say, language arts, I hadn't seen them used much for math. So I'm interested in how the problem-solving technique here might lend themselves to those thinking maps and the extent to which the approach to these math problems could be transferred to other disciplines. Not knowing the specifics, they might not be transferable, which would be fine; however, that is something I will be looking at while I'm doing the MOOC. **Question 4.**I commit to the requirements for participation.

Answer 2

Q1. I am a homeschool mom of three (15, 10, 10), a "retired" physics teacher, currently a physics education researcher working with a group at UC Davis, studying how children learn in a very on-the-ground way. I'm trying to fit in this mini-MOOC between our family mission trip to Panama and summer music workshops. My children play viola, cello and violin, and I'm the family accompanist on the piano. I play "try to keep the household going and everyone happy while everyone does something different", and every now and then join a family game of Settlers of Catan, PIT, or Rook, the shorter the better because there's always something I have to run off to do. My husband is really good about sitting down to play games with our children, and I'm grateful, because much of life can be practiced through play: risks, failure, success, losing & winning graciously. I heard of this course via Maria's post, I think it was on Living Math. Q2. My daughter, 15, plays the viola, dances ballet, loves to exercise, then settle down with a good book, and has only just begun to think math might be fun. She's been working through Jacobs' Algebra, and thinks it's better than Sudoku (which she doesn't like). My sons, 10, are currently engaged in Kapla block building. They go back and forth between Kapla wars and Lego building. One plays the cello, reads to relax, and seeks math puzzles for fun. The other plays the violin, reads voraciously, and is very quick with math, but thinks he's not very good at it because it takes work. Q3. I'm hoping for a couple of good ideas that will spark an interest in my less math-crazy children. I'm hoping they/we will come up with at least one thing that helps someone else find math fun and intriguing. Q4. Yes. That is my plan.

Answer 3

Answer by Viktor Freiman · Jul 08, 2013 at 07:37 PM

Question 1 Hello, I'm living in the Atlantic Canada; teach undergrad and grad educational courses including math education. I do a lot of projects with local schools on mathematics enrichment. I think all students can learn more math and deeper than any curriculum and have fun. My goal is to share this with everyone who is concerned with math ed. Question 2 The age I work with is elementary school (K-8) - mostly from small communities (rural and urban); French linguistic minority. Very bright kids, most of them like math and easily respond to rich and amusing activities. But could underperform when stressed with tests and marks. Question 3 I'm looking for innovative ways to teach and learn math in enjoyable athmoshphere where riour is important but not the final and only goal. I'd like to find a way to develop high level mathematical culture in all. Question 4. Yes I can try to do my best.

1 · Share

Answer 4

Q.1 Me and My wife live in South India.I am in to agriculture and my wife home school's or two childreen aged 7.5 yrs and 5.5 yrs.I have been passionate about the subject "Learning" and have been reading voraciously on the psychological,cognitive,neuro science aspects of learning.We have also been applying a lot of that stuff.One idea we are convinced is that children learn any concept if presented righlty.We got more confidence from the moebius noodles book. Q.2. My two boys are two high energy beings they love to play spiderman,temple run on ipad.Since they are homeschooled they try their hands on everything from music to martial art.They read a lot,are able to grasp a lot of concepts put forward in a manner that interests them.Great memory they were able to memorise the periodic table.They understood digestive sytem,skeletal system etc., Q.3 . we have been looking for innovative platform he help our kids to "think Matematically" I was inspired by a talk i saw on the youtube by Conard Wolfram of Wolfram Alpha who started his speech saying math is not about solving problems,computers can do that better,we need to educate our kids to think mathematically.We use websites like IXL.COm though my eldest has solved around 22,500 problems in that website,his overall understanding of concepts is only skin deep. Q.4 I commit to those conditions.Let explore the unexplored.

Answer 5

1.Hi! I am a post graduate in applied electronics but has completed my graduation in specialization with mathematics and physical sciences both,worked as a lecturer in engineering and PG college, now associated with a science center in Riyadh, KSA and worked with the same organisation two years back on entrepreneurial program with kids of different age groups.This season our science center called Prince Salman Science Oasis (PSSO) plan to initiate a maths program which is like a dream come true for me because basically I am a mathematician and was a maths tutor during my college years.I got to know about this course from my program manager at PSSO. Mostly I play fruit ninja, solve Sudoku and maths related puzzles in my free time. My individual view about mathematics is that it is in itself a big ocean of different vast topics and I want to explore this subject to kids in the most easiest,simple and facile way by enrolling myself with present program where I could learn to teach maths in more exciting and interesting manner. 2.I have three kids and the elder one is of 6 years old, who is good in maths and other subjects as well but I want to show him the subject with new and funny methods that he should always enjoy doing maths. And the other are too young to even understand the "M" of maths and unknown about the fact that there is maths in their innocent games.But there are many students at science center with new and young ideas. 3.My individual motto to join this course to learn and explore maths,and represent the subject in a most convincing way that a child should over come his or her phobia towards maths, have fun in doing maths and apply simple methods of maths in his academic and day to day life which would boost his confidence. 4.Inshallah I would surely give my best and try to solve given problems with the kids involved.

Answer 6

Question 1. Tell us about yourself. Who are you? What do you like to do? What games or puzzles do you play? How did you hear of this course? Do you have a site or a blog? I am a HS mom of three children (9, 6 and almost 3 year old). I love to bake, create with my hands, and make science experiments. I enjoy getting out as much as possible and organizing field trips, fairs, or whatever outing my kids are interested in but doesn't exist yet. Unfortunately, I don't really play that many games for myself but I will with my kids. Question 2. Tell us about the kids (or the grown-up members of your circle). Who are they? What do they like to do? What are their individual peculiarities? How old are they? My two oldest are boys and they energetic and fun. They both play hockey and swim - a lot! But but they also like Minecraft and Lego - a lot! The oldest is auditory learner and picks up everything quiet easily and enjoys the process of learning. The younger boy is a kinesthetic learner, who takes a little longer to grasp concepts and struggles with the learning process. The youngest is my almost three year old who tries to do everything my youngest boy does. She's eager to try to learn along side him. Question 3. Tell us about your expectations. What is one thing you want from the course? I would love to learn techniques to make math easily approachable for the various types of learners that I have in my home. Question 4. This course has three goals: 1. To help participants and their kids learn, 2. To make a book about problem-solving, and 3. To do research in mathematics education. Do you commit to adapt the ten problems, try them with local kids, report the results online, and analyze the reports? Yes!

Answer 7

Answer by ckklauzer · Jul 04, 2013 at 10:09 AM

1. I am a Mother of three boys, I have been a stay at home mom at first now I drive school bus.I love to do games and all kinds of puzzles. I like the ones that you have to think about first than solve.I read allot, do all kinds of crafts,and anything outdoors, camping hiking ,etc. 2. My first two are 30& 27. My oldest is a firefighter in the Air Force. Next is my son who is a police officer.They both love to read and did great in school. My youngest is 9 and wants to to everything his own way,and the school system is not working. So we are going to be home schooling him. 3. I would like to get my son excited about learning. to want to find out what makes things work. 4.yes

1 · Share

Answer 8

Answer by ChrisYu · Jul 04, 2013 at 02:47 AM

1 Math was something that came very natural to me growing up. After having a couple kids, and remembering how *poor* my own experience in school, made me want to do something about it. I got into teaching a few years ago, love it. End of this month I'll start teaching math at the secondary level. I love games and puzzles and anything with strategy, but now I more meta. I'm not obsessed about games and puzzles as I was when I was younger, but I'm just curious to see innovations in new games. 2 A daughter, 8 and son 4. Typical kids, my daughter is into anything horse or pony related, and my son is into Star Wars, and Mario. Also I have a bunch of nieces and nephews. 3 My hope make some positive changes on how kids are educated math wise, spread the word about enlightened math, destroy Kumon. 4 Yes

1 · Share

Answer 9

#1 - I am homeschooling momma to four, only 2 are "in school" but the younger two are always along for the ride. I am nurse, with a degree in business, as well. I love to read, just about anything, but these days it seems almost everything I read is homeschooling or learning related. I love to play Sudoku, crosswords (rarely do them though), logic puzzles and make pretty things. I don't have a blog, but have been considering it, mostly as a way to document our learning adventures. I learned about this course through Let's Play Math blog. #2 - My oldest, is a 7.5 years old girl. She is fantastic reader and is great with math, unless she feels under pressure to go fast. She loves to draw. She is ADHD inattentive type, so has to be really interested in something to be able to focus on it without constant redirection. My 2nd daughter is 5.5 years old and wants to do what her big sis is doing. She is quick to pick up on things and has a fantastic memory. She loves to ask questions, mostly ones she already knows the answers to. :/ My younger two, 3.5 and 15 months, are into everything and soaking it all up! #3 - I want to make math come alive and show how interesting it can be. Math isn't just doing problems on a worksheet. #4 - Yep!!

Answer 10

Question 1. I am a HS math teacher and mother of two boys (ages 6 and 4). I like doing almost anything outdoors (hiking, birding, gardening, running), origami, sewing/knitting, and reading. Our family likes to play games like Set (modified), Blokus (also modified), Rummikub, Cribbage, Qwirkle, Chess, Boggle. I can't remember if I heard about this course via Twitter or someone's blog, but it was one of the two. I am working on getting a blog started but all I have so far is a name... Question 2. My kids will be my circle. The older one will be 7 in August and will be going into 2nd grade. He loves to read (constantly) and loves birds and birding (he's read a few field guides cover-to cover). He doesn't like "math" because he thinks that math = arithmetic speed tests, but he likes to figure things out that involve money and he likes puzzles (including tangram-type puzzles). Shh, don't tell him that _is_ math... The younger child is 4 (October birthday). He's into pretty much everything, but not as intensely into any one thing the way his brother is. He likes to figure things out. He likes bugs and plants. Question 3. With so much downtime in the summer I would like some more ideas for ways to do math with my kids that is nothing like those speed tests my older one brings home practice for. Question 4. I will absolutely commit to trying 10 problems. I suspect I will adapt different ones for each child. I'm looking forward to sharing the results and seeing what others do with the work.

Answer 11

Answer by Silina · Jul 02, 2013 at 08:50 PM

1. I am a homeschooled kid, and almost 12. I like to play Agricola, and chess. I like to go to the park, and go fishing. I have heard about this course from Moebius noodles. 2. My mom is 37 and my little sister is 21 months old who will be my assistants. They like to read and drink tea, other from that they are pretty mysterious. 3. To do something meaningful with my sister and may be get some boost from the course to start my project on a flying machine for humans. 4. Yes, I do. I will try to find some kids who want to help and do the problems with me.

1 · Share

Answer 12

1. I am a mother, homeschooler, and nurse(RN). We love soccer, other sports, art, reading, board games, and music. We are a BUSY active family. I heard about this course through my homeschooling friends. I do not have a website or blog (no time for that!). 2. I have 7 children ranging in age from 20 to 2 years old. My oldest just completed her Jr year at BYU, the next starts college this fall. My 14 year old will be a freshman in public high school in the fall (although homeschooled until grade 7). He plays piano, saxaphone, and competitive soccer. He struggles with math because he thinks that if the answer is close to correct it is enough. i'm always telling him I'm glad he's not figuring someones medication dosage or tragectory for some projectile as his standards would be leathal. My 12 year old will leave home school to start public school 7th grade this fall. She excels at math but doesn't enjoy it. She loves orgami, animals, insects, and the outdoors. She plays soccer, and struggles with piano and reading. The next 2 are elementary aged (7&5) and are homeschooled. They are energetic! They love soccer, puzzles, art,creative problem solving, adn imaginary play. The 7 year old loves to read! The and the last is just toddling about. Dad is the math guy at our house! He loves math and sudoku and logic. He shakes his head at the way I think through math problems often saying my method shouldn't work but I always get the right answer. :) 3. I hope to find new ways to engage my children in math. helping them enjoy math and see application of math. We just want to learn! 4. Yes!! we commit to all that!

Answer 13

Answer by MMMB3 · Jul 01, 2013 at 08:51 PM

1. I am a stay-at-home mom of 3, formally an Early Intervention Specialist. We're in our second year of educating at home. I do not currently have my own blog but do guest posts for Playful Learning on a regular basis. I enjoy being outside - hiking, biking, going to the beach, lounging, etc. I heard of this course through the moebiusnoodles blog. 2. My children are ages 5, 8, and 10. They all love being outside as much as possible, love nature and anything artistic/crafty. My oldest loves to write, read, and sew and is a wonderful role model for her younger siblings. My son enjoys the same things as well as constructing things. My youngest works hard to keep up with her older siblings but her favorite thing remains being with mom. 3. I am hoping for some engaging and meaningful math experiences and problem-solving opportunities. 4. Absolutely! To the best of my abilities..

1 · Share

Answer 14

Answer by Lobr23 · Jul 01, 2013 at 10:59 AM

1. I am a homeschool mom of 3, ages 7, 6, and 4. I am relatively new to homeschooling and am always interested in finding activities to make learning fun for my kids. We enjoy playing games like UNO, spot it, and war (card game). I heard about this site through the Let's Play Math blog. 2. I have 3 children, ages 7, 6, and 4. They enjoy playing outside, reading, and building with Legos. The 7 and 4 year olds enjoy challenges --- physical and mental, and are satisfied when they are able to accomplish something they once thought too difficult. 3. I would like suggestions on how to incorporate challenge and fun into their math studies. I would also like for my kids to see math as an everyday part of life not an isolated, irrelevant subject. 4. Yes

1 · Share

Answer 15

Answer by Hector · Jul 01, 2013 at 10:04 AM

1. I've been a mathematics professor for the past 10 years, and math circle leader for a year. I have just taken a leave of absence from work to open a specialized school that will create a K-12 curriculum based on math circles' ideas. Here's our site. http://mathecospirit.wordpress.com/ 2. I'll engage my four young children (ages 3 to 7) and my wife. 3. I hope to get ideas on how to shape my research questions as I move along my new path. 4. Yes!

1 · Share

Answer 16

Answer by Jennifer Thorn · Jul 01, 2013 at 04:43 AM

I'm an English professor and writer. My two daughters and I love reading, board games, family dance parties, making up stories, exploring outside, family projects. My 13 year old is a honors student with many academic strengths and pleasures. For honors math this year at her school, she was enrolled in an online high school prealgebra class, a wonderful experience. She has participated in some girl-power STEM events at her school and loved them and was on its MathCounts team. My 8 year old has been with me for two years and bloomed amazingly over that time. She is a smart, hard worker, now up to grade level, who loves books, swimming, playing, cooking, making us laugh. Step by step, and this MOOC is part of my dreams for her--dreams of pleasure and confidence as much as skill. We will do our best to participate fully. Thank you!

1 · Share

Answer 17

Answer by Marianna · Jul 01, 2013 at 02:11 AM

1. I am a meditation teacher (before - owner of a shop for mothers, before - computer programmer). I've always loved math, and my husband and my son love it too. I like to solve puzzles, to play board games, to walk, swim and run, and to live in general. I am Russian and I live in Russia. My blog is http://marik_.livejournal.com and my web-site is http://omama.ru 2. I want to play math with my son (10 y.o.), my husband, my cousin, her children (6 and 2 y.o.) and our friends - a small circle of kids between 5 and 12 and some of their parents, too. Some of us homeschool. They like different things. Some of them like to think, some of them like to win, some of them like to understand, to be perfect, to learn etc. etc. I like the idea of adapting the material to different persons. 3. I'd expect to obtain more freedom in learning settings. 4. I commit. But I'll be absent from 17 to 24 of July so maybe I'll be late with one report.

1 · Share

Answer 18

Question 1. I am a homeschool mom with 4 kids. I was educated abroad and have a post graduate degree in International Commerce/Economics/Business Administation. I like to play board games such as Ticket to Ride, Cascassone, Saint-Petersburg and few others as well as read good historical novels, skating, badminton, sewing, baking, learning new languages. I read about you on well-trained mind forum. I am still developing my personal blog and web-site. Question 2. Our oldest daughter, Anya(10), enjoys figure skating, learning new languages, puzzles, robotics, math and logic as well as history and science. She is writing her own novel. Our son, Michael(6), enjoys ice-skating, math, science, puzzles, logic books and boardgames. He is very math accelerated. He bits my husband in "Set" game. My second daughter, Katya (5)likes ice skating, books, puzzles, science experiments and learning everything about electricity and circuits on her own. My third daughter is only 2 years old who has a mind of an engineer and trying to learn few new words in different languages. Question 3. I want my kids to have fun but also being challenged solving different problems through investigation, creative thinking and logic. Question 4. Yes.

Answer 19

Question 1. I am a mathematics professor at California State University Fullerton and I, with my wife, homeschool our three sons. I really enjoy playing board games (Carcassonne, Dominion, Pandemic, etc.), tennis, and talking about math. I read about the course on the blog, "Let's Play Math!". My personal blog is glsr.wordpress.com and my professional site is at bit.ly/adamglesser. Question 2. Our oldest son, Alex (7), enjoys tennis, Minecraft, Puzzles & Dragons, and board games. He started working with James Tanton's Thinking Mathematics books when he was five and is all over the place in terms of what he can do. Our middle child, Jonathan (6), enjoys bug collecting and gardening, and is extremely shy. He is very bright, but hasn't taken much of an interest yet in doing anything that seems "academic" (in start contrast to his older brother). Question 3. I want both boys to have fun and to leave with the impression that mathematics is about thinking through problems, not using algorithms and formulas. Question 4. Absolutely.

Answer 20

Q#1: I am a homeschool mom of 5 kids. I have always liked math and now am trying to figure out a way to help my children like it too. I heard about this from the Let's Play Math blog. Q#2: I have 4 boys and 1 girl, ranging from 10 down to 2. #1 boy (10) is a workbook-a-holic. He loves to get the answers right. I want to teach him how to look for more than one answer and think outside the box. #2 boy (9) is great at math, but hates it. He hates it when I ask him to write problems down, and to do tedious problems over and over. He LOVES to create his own math, so I hope to show him how math can be fun. #3 girl (7) is just getting started in math, I have not forced her into a curriculum yet. She loves math art projects. #4 and 5 are boys age 4 and 2. They just like to do anything interesting. 4 yr old especially enjoys puzzles and learning how things work. Q#3: The expectations I have are very general, I want to get my kids excited about math and thinking in mathematical ways. I want to teach them cause and effect, logic and how to predict outcomes. I hope to get out of this course some good activity ideas, but I'm also excited to participate in an open-ended process to help them see that we can create our own math! Q#4: Yes! We are excited to get started!

Do you want to enroll in Problem Solving for the Young, the Very Young, and the Young at Heart?

47 Replies

Follow this Question

Related Questions