that one guy

The familiar, hierarchical sequence of math instruction starts with counting, followed by addition and subtraction, then multiplication and division. The computational set expands to include bigger and bigger numbers, and at some point, fractions enter the picture, too. Then in early adolescence, students are introduced to patterns of numbers and letters, in the entirely new subject of algebra. A minority of students then wend their way through geometry, trigonometry and, finally, calculus, which is considered the pinnacle of high-school-level math.

But this progression actually “has nothing to do with how people think, how children grow and learn, or how mathematics is built,” says pioneering math educator and curriculum designer Maria Droujkova. She echoes a number of voices from around the world that want to revolutionize the way math is taught, bringing it more in line with these principles.

The current sequence is merely an entrenched historical accident that strips much of the fun out of what she describes as the “playful universe” of mathematics, with its more than 60 top-level disciplines, and its manifestations in everything from weaving to building, nature, music and art. Worse, the standard curriculum starts with arithmetic, which Droujkova says is much harder for young children than playful activities based on supposedly more advanced fields of mathematics.

when will my husband return from the war (hiatus)

I love Gabrielle’s smirk face when everytime she wins Xena over Ares.

3x01 The furies

Ares:I still don’t know what you see in her!

5x02 Chakram

Ares:Brought you back.

Xena:With a vengeance.

5X09 Seeds of faith

Ares:I wish I’d known you were looking for a father.

Xena:I’m not.

Ares:Well, somebody clearly got the job.

Xena:Yeah, Gabrielle.

5X14 Amphipolis Under Siege

Ares:Can you tell me you didn’t feel anything.

Xena:I felt nothing.

6X10 Old Ares Had A Farm

Three amigos. The built-upon house. 1929.