July, 2012

Tackling ‘When Will I Ever Use This?’

A student asked me, the other day, but it could have been any day, 'when will I ever use this?' Later, I had an epiphany while reading the excellent Cal Newport's Study Hacks blog. (Seriously, if you're reading this in the hope of becoming a better student, you're in the

Secrets of the Mathematical Ninja: Squaring three-digit numbers (Part II)

In part I, I showed you how to square a three-digit number in your head by squaring the first digit, adding double the cross-product (the first digit times by the other two digits) and adding the square of the final digits, with appropriate shifting. Now, what about something like $798^2$?

Silly questions amnesty

Got something that's bugging you about maths? Post it below for a no-names-no-packdrill reply. It doesn't matter how silly. If you've forgotten what number comes after two, I'll help.

How to replace exams

I've ranted before - frequently - about the need to replace exams with a less stressful assessment system that better reflects the realities of work beyond school - either in work or in further study. Just to flog the dead horse for a second, here are some of the problems

Secrets of the Mathematical Ninja: Squaring three-digit numbers (Part I)

OK, I'll admit that this one is difficult: I'm still trying to get good at it myself. Inspired by this TED talk by Art Benjamin, I wondered: could I do that? The answer is, probably. With a bit of practice. There's no particular trick to squaring three-digit numbers, except maybe