Poem about zero

How your world look like when you have no zero?

How math would be if there is no zero exist ? 

Zero is nothing but it is everything
How much do you know about zero?
 

Did human know zero when they just began to know counting concept?

Then add zero there are whole numbers

Without zero can we find positive or negative?

Don’t divide by zero when you come up with ratio

Multiply with zero then you have nothing left

Power to zero then you just have one

Take zero then power to zero do you know how much ?

That’s a limit problem when you learn Calculus one !

No log of zero, don’t divide by zero

No root to zero

No cotangent of zero or you call infinity

Nothing come out when multiply by zero

Group of zero is empty set

The neutral number when you add is zero

Don’t cancel out zero when multiplying in math

Otherwise one could equal two !!

Do you know since when time begins to float?

What I mean is when the clock began from zero

If universe now has zero dimension in it

Then where you are when you read this poem?

Microteaching: Sketching a Quadratic Function by Maria, Hungdang,and Esther

	WHAT	HOW LONG	MATERIALS
BRIDGE	*Review Quadratic Formula by introducing the fun song from the web: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnJT1ojHT28&feature=related *Tell students being able to graph basic quadratic functions without using a graphing calculator is important (why?) and the Quadratic formula will be a useful method to remember in graphing a quadratic function	1 minute
LEARNING OBJECTIVES	*to learn how to graph a quadratic function of a standard form, , by hand
TEACHING OBJECTIVES	*to teach effective ways of graphing a quadratic function: 1.        using domain, range, vertex, x/y-intercepts 2.        using a shortcut (a, b, and c relations in)
PRETEST	*Test if the students can rewrite the general quadratic equation in standard form by using the method of completing the square	2 minutes
PARTICIPATORY LEARNING	*Observe changes in graphs by altering a, b, and c in : - discuss the role of a, b, and c  (use the following simulation to demonstrate the role of ‘a’ http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/equation-grapher/equation-grapher_en.html) *Do a specific example by sketching a quadratic function of standard form by finding:       1. vertex       2. maximum and minimum       3. x & y-intercepts  - analyze the domain and range *Compare the graph on paper with the one on the graphing calculator screen	1 minute 4 minutes	graphing calculators
POST-TEST	*Give students an example to work on their own and let them check their graphs with the graphing calculator *Each of us will go to a group of 5-6 students and help them if questions/difficulties arise	5 minutes	graphing paper, graphing calculators
SUMMARY & WRAP-UP	*If the students grasp the main idea, then we can introduce the shortcut method. (a, b, and c relations in )      1. x-coordinate of vertex = -b/2a      2. y-coordinate of vertex = c-b^2/(4a)          (or by plugging in the x-coordinate to the           given function)      3. y-intercept = (0, c)      4. x-intercept = (x, 0), where x can be found by            using the quadratic formula *For some quadratic functions with complicated numbers, we might not be able to draw by hand; however, it is important to understand the process and the basic shape of the graph.	1-2 minutes

Fast writing articles in class

Division is an operation that we learn. Divide could be the process of breaking a whole into smaller pieces. In term of human meaning, divide means  different opinions, different religions, different ideas. We can divide a task between more than one person, so we can complete the whole task together. Divide has negative meanings as well as positive

zero means nothing. add zero to integers set then we have the whole number set. zero has important meaning in mathematics. zero is neutral entity in addition. everything multiply with zero is zero. We can not simplify zero in algebra. zero is a reference value, is the middle value between negative values and positive values. without zero, the whole mathematics foundation could be collapsed. zero is very important thing in math but not in your banking account.

Battleground Schools: Mathematics Education

This article described the ‘battle war’ in Mathematics education in North America since 1900. That is the battle between two different approaches in teaching mathematics. Two different approaches could be characterized as ‘progressive’ and conservative’ or ‘traditionalist’. This battle around mathematics education  could be divided into three periods and movements:

(1) the Progressivist movement for mathematics through activity and inquiry (circa 1910 – 1940),  led primarily by John Dewey:  John Dewey proposed that students must engage in doing mathematics as part of a reflective inquiry if they were to increase their intelligence and gain knowledge. He advocated the development of high quality mental process and a scientific attitude toward learning mathematics. He focused on sense making activities of reflective practice rather trying to cover a large number of mathematics topics in curriculum design. Dewey’s ideas won a high degree of acceptance in progressive teacher’s colleges during this period.   

(2) The New Math reform movement of the 1960’s:  a new curriculum was designed to satisfied the demand of public (during the Cold War with Soviet Union). The new curriculum was written, focused on abstract topics such as: set theory, abstract algebra, linear algebra, calculus and removed the teaching geometry from the curriculum.  The new design had caused huge problems to teaching mathematics in class room since teachers had little or no familiarity with the new mathematics topic. By the early 1970’s, the New Math program came to an end. 

(3) The so-called “Math Wars”, based on NCTM Standards reforms, from the 1990’s to the present:    the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) developed its own standard program in the mid 1980’s and later the new California Mathematics Framework. Both programs emphasized the depth understanding in mathematics  In the mid 1990’s, conservative attitudes toward mathematics education were adopted by a number of religious group. The battles over mathematics curricula and teaching methods have begun and continued until now

Mathematics is the foundation of almost modern scientific researches.  In the process of learning mathematics, students will develop crucial skills which are necessary for further developments and researches. All of those are the results of depth understanding mathematics rather than influence math skills. To my observations, students who have achieved high mathematics academic in high school. still find mathematics in university entrance levels very difficult to study, especially about learning abstract concepts in mathematics. Public attitude toward learning and teaching mathematics is an very important factor which would decide the result of the mathematics battle..