EducationPoint

I remember a long time ago reading in a science journal that the ultimate fate of the Universe was the Big Crunch. The universe was headed for a massive implosion, and it seemed a shame that the human race would not endure through eternity. Read full article »

The abacus has been around in various forms for over 2300 years. It was used for various counting and operational tasks. One might even call it the original math manipulative (unless you count fingers and stones). In my younger years, abaci were relegated to the bottom shelf or used as a toy for the kinesthetic kids. Read full article »

How many times have you heard someone say ‘I can’t do mental arithmetic’?

Perhaps it is something that you have said yourself many times . . . I know I have!

The problem, I have found, is not ‘I can’t do mental arithmetic’ but ‘I don’t know how to do mental arithmetic’. Read full article »

I know you. I have seen you in my geometry classroom many times over the last 29 years. You have always, and I mean always, been a very good math student. You made good grades in Algebra with very little effort, and you have always liked math. But now you are taking high school geometry, and you are really frustrated. You’ve got good study habits; you pay attention in class, ask questions, and do your homework. Read full article »

While in the old days it was thought that people with certain disorders were simply crazy and belonged in prison, these days we know that these types of disorders are actually very common and can have something to do with a chemical imbalance in the brain. Because of this imbalance the patient will display certain things that are not thought to be what we would call normal. Read full article »

350 years ago William Harvey was the first to state that the hearts main purpose was to circulate blood throughout the body. This was in direct contrast to the rest of the world that was in the thought process that the heart was the center for emotions and love while the brain was the main area for circulation. This revelation led to what we now know as evolutionary psychology or the theory of cognitive structure for the survival of the person. Read full article »

Economists through years of study and practice have concluded that through free trade, based on the principal of comparative advantage, the world economy can achieve a more efficient allocation of resources and a higher level of material well-being. On the other hand, protectionism measures-barriers to free trade-lessen or eliminate gains from specialization. Trying to satisfy diverse wants, nations shift resources from efficient (low cost) to inefficient (high cost) uses. Read full article »

Chemistry is generally divided into two broad branches: organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry. Other types of chemistry include physical chemistry, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry, with each field branching off into several specific subfields. Here’s a brief description of the most common branches of chemistry. Read full article »

Humor and Learning

Humor is important in learning a language. Not only does it enable the student to learn new vocabulary in context but it also is a motivating force. When a student understands a joke she begins to feel like she is in the world of the new language. Puns are especially valuable because they stress meaning. We’ll give a few jokes and puns as examples and hoope that they will move other teachers to use this powerful resource. Read full article »