An interview with math specialist Carol Fisher, who creates challenging math activities for KidzClix. Carol is a Golden Apple Award winner and has worked as a math teacher and curriculum creator for Chicago Public Schools over the past 35 years.
Well, first of all, I really enjoyed solving problems as a child. Sometimes I got frustrated when my teachers wouldn’t or couldn’t answer some of my questions (apparently I was quite annoying). Even in elementary school I knew I wanted to be a teacher. By the time I got to college I realized that many of my friends didn’t like math because of their teachers, so I knew that being a math teacher was what I wanted to do…. I wanted to be the teacher who would answer all the questions and make everyone like math.
2.You’re a Golden Apple Award Winner. What is that?
The Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching was established in 1986 because its founder felt that excellent teachers did not receive adequate recognition for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated society. Each year since 1986 (I won in 1989), teachers have been nominated for this award. Thirty semi-finalists are selected, and those thirty are observed in their schools and interviewed. Ten finalists are selected and publicly recognized on a Chicago PBS broadcast each year. The winners also receive a computer, a one-semester sabbatical, and a cash award. More importantly, they then become a member of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators and work with other members on a variety of programs to ensure a better education for all.
3.Did you like some kinds of math better than others?
As a child, I really liked the computation problems because I could solve them quickly (and that’s mostly what we got, anyhow). In high school, I discovered geometry and how much fun that was. Now, I especially enjoy sharing problem solving and art-related math with others.
My secret is that I don’t like Suduko!
4.What do you tell teachers who are learning how to teach math to kids?
The first thing is to find out if they themselves enjoyed math in school. If they didn’t they have to figure out why. Then they have to realize that they can find the fun in math and share it with their students. Allowing students to dialog before, during, and after math lessons is critical, so is using multiple modalities. Manipulatives at all grade levels help bring understanding to a variety of topics. Mathematics is both content and process, the process being necessary to understand the content.
Tags: A Golden Apple Award Winner, math interview
5.What advice do you have for kids who think they hate math or aren’t very good at it?
First, realize that there are many reasons possible… a teacher who doesn’t understand how you want to learn, competition from others, etc. Then I would look to outside sources. There are several books that can show you how math can be fun. Try:
The I Hate Mathematics! Book and The Book of Think by Marilyn Burns
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
Fractals, Googols, and other Mathematical Tales and Math Stuff by Theoni Pappas
Anno’s Math Games (I, II and III) by Mitsumasa Anno
Math Doesn’t Suck and Kiss My Math by Danica McKellar
Obviously, www.kidzclix is a great website and has wonderful activities that are fun!!!!
Once you find some area of math that you enjoy, you may find that school math is more tolerable.
6.What advice do you have for kids that are so good at math that their math classes are too easy and boring?
If you can’t get any additional materials or challenges from your teachers, you have to look elsewhere. In elementary school, you might look for “workbooks” that are sold in “teacher stores” that are at a higher grade level so you can learn more advanced computation skills. There are some great books that have a variety of activities that you may find challenging:
The Book of Think by Marilyn Burns
Fractals, Googols, and other Mathematical Tales and Math Stuff by Theoni Pappas
Anno’s Math Games (I, II and III) by Mitsumasa Anno
An excellent source for purchasing challenging math games is www.MindWare.com .
Center for Gifted offers wonderful programs for many age groups in a variety of communities. Check them out at www.centerforgifted.org
Obviously, www.kidzclix is a great website and has wonderful activities that are fun!!!!
While in school, you may want to take the work you are given and dialog with yourself (in your head) about how this math “fits in” with other math you have done, or have discovered in outside sources.
You may want to think about how you could make this work more challenging – changing the questions, adding information, etc.
Your parents might ask that you be allowed to work on other materials once you have completed the assigned work.
7. How do you create activities for KidzClix’s “Math Mania”?
I was a teacher for a REALLY long time, so I look at all the things my students enjoyed doing throughout the years, and I see which ones might work for KidzClix. Then I write up how I would teach them, and other people at KidzClix see if they would work on the website and decide if they might be interesting.
8. There are lots of tangram puzzles in Math Mania. What’s special about tangrams?
Tangrams are an ancient Chinese puzzle that has been around for a very long time. Tangrams can be used to show many relationships in geometry. Look at the five triangles. They are all right triangles, they have one right angle. The two small triangles can be put together and they are congruent (equal) to the middle-sized triangle. The middle-sized triangle and the two small triangles can be put together and they are congruent to the large triangle. The small triangles’ long side (the hypotenuse across from the right angle) is the same length as the non-hypotenuse sides of the middle triangle. Likewise, the hypotenuse of the middle triangle is the same length as the non-hypotenuse sides of the large triangle. The small, middle, and large triangles are similar triangles, because they have the same angle measurements, but different length sides. The sides are in proportion to each other. The triangles are all isosceles triangles, the two sides adjacent to the right angle being equal. Therefore, the measurement of the two other angles of all the triangles is 45⁰.
If this hasn’t made your eyes cross yet, the square is geometrically related to the triangles, also. The length of the side of the square is equal to the length of the hypotenuse of the small triangles and therefore, equal to the length of the non-hypotenuse sides of the middle triangle. The two small triangles can be put together to form a square that is congruent to the tangram square. You can use the square and the two small triangles to make a shape congruent to the large triangle.
AND… the parallelogram is another geometric partner to the other tangram shapes. The two small triangles can be used to form a shape that is congruent to the parallelogram. The shorter side of the parallelogram is equal in length to the non-hypotenuse side of the small triangles. The longer side of the parallelogram is equal in length to the hypotenuse of the small triangle and, therefore, the non-hypotenuse side of the medium triangle. The two acute (less than 90⁰ angles) of the parallelogram measure 45⁰, making them complementary (adding up to 90⁰) with angles on the triangles. The obtuse (greater than 90⁰ angles on the parallelogram) measure 135⁰, making them supplementary with angles on the triangles.
The puzzle outlines on KidzClix are a fun way to put the different pieces together, utilizing spatial visualization and problem-solving skills. All the geometry of angles and sides does not need to be understood to solve the problems, but by just using the shapes, you will naturally understand many of the relationships.
9. Can math games help kids learn math and improve their test scores?
There are many studies, both by game manufacturers and mathematicians, that indicate games can indeed help children learn math and increase test scores.
Personally, I feel that the use of math games FIRST lays the groundwork by having children ENJOY mathematics. When you are involved in an enjoyable activity, it is easy to absorb the mathematics involved.
I do want to make a distinction between learning math and improving test scores.
Mathematics is process – reasoning and proof, problem solving, representation, connections, and communication. Learning these processes naturally occurs in games.
However, much of our standardized testing focuses on content ONLY – computation mostly, with vocabulary and some number sense. Some standardized tests include problem solving. Specific computation operations, like division of fractions, is not going to be learned through “general” math games, but only through a game specifically involving division of fractions.
If you know the specific skills that are tested at a particular level, you can seek math games that incorporate these skills.
As more activities are developed for KidzClix, more content can be included. The processes are already included in all of their math activities.
Tags: math interview
Q: How are the jaws of a Cat different from that of a dog or a human?
A: Unlike dogs and humans, a cat’s jaw has only up and down motion; it does not have lateral, side-to-side motion.
Tags: animal, kidzclix comic strip
Alice, creator of Frou Frou Flip Flops, recently celebrated her twelfth birthday. Like many things in Alice’s young life, it was anything but ordinary. That is because Alice asked her guests to make a donation to the Make A Wish Foundation in lieu of gifts and raised over $350. This was not Alice’s first act of charity. Alice started Frou Frou Flip Flops with the help of her mom, Raffi, when she was in the second grade. She is now finishing up the sixth grade. Alice designs and makes beautiful ribboned flip flops and then sells them to benefit her favorite charities, which change every quarter. Currently proceeds are benefiting the Make A Wish Foundation. Past charities include Guide Dogs, the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), as well as the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Alice has collected over $3,000 for charities. I asked Alice if she had a goal amount in mind and she said, “I guess my goal would be to give as much as I can.”
Alice was also asked what had influenced her desire to help on such a grand scale. Her answer was, the Tsunami and her grandmother who told her, “Every time you make money, 10 percent should always go to tzedakah (‘charity’ in Hebrew).” Alice said that when the Tsunami hit, her class collected school supplies for the victims. After that, Alice asked her mom, Raffi, if they could run a lemonade stand in the neighborhood to donate proceeds to the Tsunami victims. Raffi didn’t think her daughter could make enough money on a lemonade stand and said no. A few weeks later Alice learned to make flip flops decorated with shredded potholders in class as a Mother’s Day gift. Alice again asked her mom to put up a lemonade stand. Her mom said no again, but suggested Alice might consider making the flip flops instead. Alice used colorful ribbon instead of potholders, much of which is donated today. That is how Frou Frou Flip Flops was born. 
Alice has also been strongly influenced by Dr. Seuss, whom she refers to as, “a very creative man.” Like Dr. Seuss, this multi-talented little lady also loves to write and express herself. You can read Alice’s poetry and musings on The Spirited Woman Blog. When asked what she likes to write about, Alice she said that she likes to, “blend things that happen in my life into fictional characters that have super powers.” It is not surprising that Alice hopes to be a writer when she grows up. Her advice to other kids is to “be creative.” And she stresses that you learn that “a penny always helps” when you are involved in charitable works. It’s advice taken to heart by Alice, who also wants others to know, “if you’re not loving what you do you should probably do something else.” She also recently participated in the Disney Princess Half Marathon with her mom. Again, proceeds from the race benefited the Make A Wish Foundation. Running is not a new sport for Alice, who runs cross country at her middle school in the Tampa Bay area. However, Alice was very proud of her mom who completed her first race. Alice said the race was really fun because there were some well known Disney characters participating.
So how long does it take for Alice to make a pair of Frou Frous? Well, it takes Alice up to an hour to make one pair. There have been a few occasions where Alice had orders for about 20 pairs. In those times it is lucky that Alice has an equally creative younger sister Wendy to help. However, Alice usually makes about four or five pairs at a time, leaving her some free time to do science experiments in her bedroom – another fun way Alice spends free time.
One of Alice’s favorite memories is when she was able to donate a check to the local homeless charity. Alice said they get a lot of clothing donations, but not much in the way of money. “The way her face just lit up and she was really happy. That was one of my favorite memories.”
If you are interested in purchasing a pair of your own Frou Frous you can do so on Alice’s website www.froufrouflipflops.com. They are $10-20 per pair and are available in adult and kids’ sizes.
Tags: art, kids stories
Q: Why do Cats have whiskers?
A: They act as antennae, helping to judge the precise width of what a cat pass through.
Tags: animals, funny comic
Learn from a USCF certified chess coach of champions. Explore basic rules, essential techniques, sophisticated strategies. Experiment with various opening schemes and end-game tactics. Brush up on tournament rules. All kids, from beginners to champions, are welcome.
Tags: chess, online games, play
Discover your power of logical reasoning; confound your nimble number skills via math games, puzzles and brain-teasers. Create Escherian designs and kaleidoscopic visuals; build various polyhedral with string, straws, paper, etc. Discover the principles of chance and probability; maneuver pennies, dice; invent your own math tricks and number systems.
Tags: math games, Math Puzzles
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