Comments for Dead Bunny Educational http://deadbunny.wordpress.com Tackling math one little concept at a time Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:08:11 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Punnett Squares in Factoring by scribejay http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/punnett-squares-in-factoring/#comment-654 scribejay Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:08:11 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/punnett-squares-in-factoring/#comment-654 I'm a college math tutor and occasional teacher, and I'm with Denise: I strongly dislike FOIL. I find two major problems with it: 1. As Denise pointed out, it only applies to the product of two binomials. Once one of the polynomials has more than two terms, FOIL is no long sufficient. 2. It falsely implies that the order in which you multiply the terms is relevant, which is not the case. A student who decided to do LIFO would get the same answer as a FOILer. I tell students that multiplying polynomials is like a round-robin dance: every boy dances once with every girl. It doesn't make a difference who dances with whom first, as long as every possible couple gets a dance. That seems to get the idea across, although these days someone might object that I'm discriminating against same-gender dances, so I'm thinking about using the metaphor of a (simplified) two-league sports tournament: every West Coast team gets to play every East Coast team once. Except none of the major US sports work that way... Hmm... Ideas? I’m a college math tutor and occasional teacher, and I’m with Denise: I strongly dislike FOIL. I find two major problems with it:
1. As Denise pointed out, it only applies to the product of two binomials. Once one of the polynomials has more than two terms, FOIL is no long sufficient.
2. It falsely implies that the order in which you multiply the terms is relevant, which is not the case. A student who decided to do LIFO would get the same answer as a FOILer.

I tell students that multiplying polynomials is like a round-robin dance: every boy dances once with every girl. It doesn’t make a difference who dances with whom first, as long as every possible couple gets a dance.

That seems to get the idea across, although these days someone might object that I’m discriminating against same-gender dances, so I’m thinking about using the metaphor of a (simplified) two-league sports tournament: every West Coast team gets to play every East Coast team once. Except none of the major US sports work that way… Hmm…

Ideas?

]]> Comment on Simple inequalities by Maria Preciado http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/04/04/simple-inequalities/#comment-650 Maria Preciado Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:48:15 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/04/04/simple-inequalities/#comment-650 This is very helpful. I had problems understanding it at school. The way you explain it is very simple and to the point. Great job!! This is very helpful. I had problems understanding it at school. The way you explain it is very simple and to the point. Great job!!

]]> Comment on Adding and subtracting mixed numbers by mo http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/adding-and-subtracting-mixed-numbers/#comment-648 mo Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:55:46 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/adding-and-subtracting-mixed-numbers/#comment-648 hello thank you very much it really help me to learn about fraction. hope you write more about maths. hello thank you very much it really help me to learn about fraction. hope you write more about maths.

]]> Comment on The Pythagorean Theorem by Rebecca http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/the-pythagorean-theorem/#comment-641 Rebecca Sun, 22 Mar 2009 19:16:34 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/the-pythagorean-theorem/#comment-641 Hi, Elijah. This blog provides explanations of math topics to help students working on their school homework. This site currently does not offer practice activities such as homework. Thanks for stopping by! Hi, Elijah.

This blog provides explanations of math topics to help students working on their school homework. This site currently does not offer practice activities such as homework.

Thanks for stopping by!

]]> Comment on The Pythagorean Theorem by elijah harris http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/the-pythagorean-theorem/#comment-640 elijah harris Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:23:54 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/the-pythagorean-theorem/#comment-640 where do you find the homework assignment on the website and do we do it online or print it where do you find the homework assignment on the website and do we do it online or print it

]]> Comment on Changing mixed numbers to improper fractions by Rebecca http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/changing-mixed-numbers-to-improper-fractions/#comment-639 Rebecca Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:18:35 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/changing-mixed-numbers-to-improper-fractions/#comment-639 Adriana, Where are you getting lost? Rebecca Adriana,

Where are you getting lost?

Rebecca

]]> Comment on Changing mixed numbers to improper fractions by adriana http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/changing-mixed-numbers-to-improper-fractions/#comment-638 adriana Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:01:10 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/changing-mixed-numbers-to-improper-fractions/#comment-638 i dont get it it is nnot that simple i dont get it it is nnot that simple

]]> Comment on Changing mixed numbers to improper fractions by anouse http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/changing-mixed-numbers-to-improper-fractions/#comment-637 anouse Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:46:14 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/changing-mixed-numbers-to-improper-fractions/#comment-637 this makes no sense! I need to learn how to do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this makes no sense! I need to learn how to do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

]]> Comment on Sounds like some of my students by Rebecca http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/sounds-like-some-of-my-students/#comment-635 Rebecca Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:28:02 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/?p=139#comment-635 Oh, I'm not alive just yet. I do have some drafts running around, but I'm very focused on redoing my blogs at the moment so there might still be some dead air here. I'll try to get at least another post up as soon as it lets me write it. :) Oh, I’m not alive just yet. I do have some drafts running around, but I’m very focused on redoing my blogs at the moment so there might still be some dead air here.

I’ll try to get at least another post up as soon as it lets me write it. :)

]]> Comment on Sounds like some of my students by siouxgeonz http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/sounds-like-some-of-my-students/#comment-634 siouxgeonz Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:17:15 +0000 http://deadbunny.wordpress.com/?p=139#comment-634 Hmmm... the things that revive dead blogs :) Hmmm… the things that revive dead blogs :)

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