Comments on: Factoring Unit http://www.ateacher.org/blog/?p=357 Do the impossible Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:12:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Nick http://www.ateacher.org/blog/?p=357&cpage=1#comment-693 Nick Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:36:56 +0000 http://www.ateacher.org/blog/?p=357#comment-693 @David. I went through all these ways, but I think going for the "split the middle" has a pretty wide umbrella, so potentially boiling down and not teaching so many different skills sounds great. Ultimately, though it's not that there are so many strategies to factoring. You have the "to split, or not to split" (though splitting always works, it's not always the <i>fastest</i>" and then you need to know how to "reverse distribute" and pull out the GCF of an expression. There are a lot of related skills that go under the umbrella. Thanks for sharing the video. I learned a new technique (your technique for <i>a</i> not equal to 1). My thinking would be that for most kids, cutting down on the text in the handouts would be helpful, but that comes when I have a short, clear, and effective way of conveying the skill. @David. I went through all these ways, but I think going for the “split the middle” has a pretty wide umbrella, so potentially boiling down and not teaching so many different skills sounds great. Ultimately, though it’s not that there are so many strategies to factoring. You have the “to split, or not to split” (though splitting always works, it’s not always the fastest” and then you need to know how to “reverse distribute” and pull out the GCF of an expression. There are a lot of related skills that go under the umbrella.

Thanks for sharing the video. I learned a new technique (your technique for a not equal to 1). My thinking would be that for most kids, cutting down on the text in the handouts would be helpful, but that comes when I have a short, clear, and effective way of conveying the skill.

]]> By: David Cox http://www.ateacher.org/blog/?p=357&cpage=1#comment-687 David Cox Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:01:48 +0000 http://www.ateacher.org/blog/?p=357#comment-687 Nick I really like your "split the middle" technique. I am not sure how many techniques you want to show your students, but I have one that, from a purely algorithmic standpoint, is pretty easy for kids to grasp. Check the second example here: http://tinyurl.com/dca9uj Nick
I really like your “split the middle” technique. I am not sure how many techniques you want to show your students, but I have one that, from a purely algorithmic standpoint, is pretty easy for kids to grasp. Check the second example here: http://tinyurl.com/dca9uj

]]> By: Puzzle: Factoring Trinomials « Let’s Play Math! http://www.ateacher.org/blog/?p=357&cpage=1#comment-684 Puzzle: Factoring Trinomials « Let’s Play Math! Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:32:54 +0000 http://www.ateacher.org/blog/?p=357#comment-684 [...] Factoring Unit A brief set of worksheets to guide students through the basics of factoring in about a week of classes. Looks good, but it came out after our semester was finished. If you try it with your students, please let me know how it works. [...] [...] Factoring Unit A brief set of worksheets to guide students through the basics of factoring in about a week of classes. Looks good, but it came out after our semester was finished. If you try it with your students, please let me know how it works. [...]

]]>