TAPT,
I haven't been too successful in selling AzAAPT meetings to
the Tucson crowd, but they are always interesting. There are some great physics
teachers in Phoenix and surrounding areas, and I always learn a lot. My husband
and I are driving up Friday night, and could take a rider. I copied Jim Ward's
email below, so take a look, I think it will be a good meeting, and you can see
Lowell Observatory as a side trip. I spent many nights there in my youth.
TAPT meets the following Saturday, April 14th. We have a
speaker, thanks to J.D. Her name is Dr. Elena Plante, and she will be talking
about language and learning. I'll have more information soon.
Our meeting last Saturday (March 24) was great - Fritz knows
so much! We talked about the book Learn Better, and I did distribute Fritz's
notes for your perusal. Some of the highlights:
- How people learn to do math
on an abacus is different than on paper, and apparently better. Something
about a physical connection association with the processes. One Irish
philosopher thinks the hand is part of the mind.
- Fritz thinks there is
something missing in the theory of cognition, something that has to do
with energy - energy is part of learning and gestures are part of that.
- A positive attitude toward
math makes people do better at math. Maybe that's what good parents
provide.
- Steve Jobs trained himself
not to give feedback - he didn't even blink!
- Good decisions take energy.
Parole board clemency decreases right before lunch.
- If students get in the habit
of working, they use less energy to make themselves do it and have more
left over for cognition
- Poverty is noisy.
At our April meeting, I think we should have a discussion
about Pam Tautz's "flashy thing", that piece of equipment that makes
a motion map on students' phones. Pam, can you bring some cost estimates?
Thanks as usual to all who attended.
Hope to see you one of the next two Saturdays!
Best,
Karie
