The Obama Effect

Emerging from eight years of the second coming of 'The Dark Ages', our nation has hope. But the information in the article "Study Sees an Obama Effect as Lifting Black Test-Takers" in the New York Times, is misleading. The article doesn't provide enough information for us to know the circumstances that surrounded the exams, let alone how educators might use the study to help close 'the achievement gap' in schools.

The Obama effect:

"Now researchers have documented what they call an Obama effect, showing that a performance gap between African-Americans and whites on a 20-question test administered before Mr. Obama’s nomination all but disappeared when the exam was administered after his acceptance speech and again after the presidential election."

For example, were the researchers comparing students from the same neighborhood, with the same family income, whose parents had the same level of education? In other words, are all variables the same except for the fact that Barak Obama is now President of the United States?

The educators and teachers, who I know, are working overtime, on their lunch hour, after school, and in the evenings, to help close the 'achievement gap'. It would be a miracle if all that were required was for the teacher to march around the classroom with a placard of Barak Obama, chanting "remember our President", and presto! no 'achievement gap'.

A Question of Math Literacy

There is a paucity of interesting math education stories on the internet. In my search, I found this fragment from TusconCitizen.com:

Our organization, the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Literacy, has just released the startling results of a survey that shows our financial literacy tracks our math skills.

According to our survey, the same math problems plaguing 15-year-olds continue to vex us into adulthood. The average American cannot answer basic math questions involving percentages.

For example, 65 percent of respondents could not identify what remained if you subtracted 25 percent from eight. Another question revealed that 1 in 3 adults could not calculate 1 percent of 50,000.

Although the point of the article is pertinent to the state of math education in the nation, I can understand how so many people might not be able to identify "what remained if you subtracted 25 percent from eight".

The question is ambiguous. Does it mean "what remains if you subtract 25% of eight from eight?" Or, does it mean "what remains if you subtract 25/100 from 8?" These two questions have very different answers.

This being so, the problem seems to be with the illiteracy of the person who posed the question, and not the innumeracy of the person trying to answer it.

Guilloché Pattern Generator

Anyone who ever enjoyed playing with the Spirograph will enjoy the Guilloche Pattern Generator.

Definitions of Terms Commonly Used in Math

Continuing in the theme of finding funny math stuff on the Web, I give a partial list of definitions from In Between Meals. The see the rest of the list, visit the sight.

CLEARLY: I don't want to write down all the in-between steps.

TRIVIAL: If I have to show you how to do this, you're in the wrong class.

OBVIOUSLY: I hope you weren't sleeping when we discussed this earlier, because I refuse to repeat it.

RECALL: I shouldn't have to tell you this, but for those of you who erase your memory tapes after every test, here it is again.

WITHOUT LOSS OF GENERALITY: I'm not about to do all the possible cases, so I'll do one and let you figure out the rest.

ONE MAY SHOW: One did, his name was Gauss.

Interesting Websites About Pennies

This website discusses size (number, area, weight, dollar amount) in terms of pennies. It is a great site for kids to help understand how big is big. The Mega Penny Project

This sight, as an aside, has a section on coin stacking. It is fascinating to see what people do with their time.