Math is in Everything

As any of my students will tell you my favorite words of encouragement are "well done". In fact, it has beeen known in years past for students to have informal competitions to see how many 'well done's they can get on one paper.

So a hearty 'well done' to all the graduate students in my Teaching Mathematics in the K - 8 Classroom course this semeester for the wonderful eNotebooks they have all completed. I don't think I have ever had such a variety of topics before as the list below illustrates.

Brewing and Math - Scott  Football and Math - Ira Curling and Math - Pat Origami and Math - Gretchen Comic Books and Math - Steven Burlingtonian Math - Micky Art, Nature and Math - Claire Knitting and Math - Kris Motorcycles and Math - June The Roman Empire and Math - Joe Lax and Math - Kevin Three Course Meal and Math - Stephanie Theatre and Math - Marcy
Arthurian Lore and Math - Karyn Math in the Garden - Aurelia Math and Yoga - Kate
The Math of Jane Austen - Julie

The assignment is designed to help students see how math is a part of the world in which we live in all it's wondrous diversity and not just for "balancing a checkbook". It is my hope that children will also see how math is an everyday part of their lives so that they never have to ask the question "when am I ever going to need this?". Most of the things we learn in school are not really needed in the strictest sense of the word; they just make our lives better, richer and more worth while.