The authors in this list have one thing in common - I have met them all in person! I know, weird, right? So I feel utterly qualified to endorse them as smart, interesting, nice people. I will try to tell you something about them that is compelling and not readily apparent. Their blogs are relatively new, but all shaping up nicely. Check it out:
Tina (not sure if she wants her last name used) was at PCMI '11. She is SMIZZ-ART, yo, and one of those earnest, wholesome, authentic people who you suspect might not own a television and might spend her weekends hiking and canning seasonal produce. She could also fit in your pocket.
Bill Thill is one of the most thoughtful educators I have ever met. He will push back against all your assumptions and you can count on him to ask the most laser-like, insightful questions. Seriously, your bullshit is not safe within 50 yards of him. Also does a mean Chloe Sevigny impression.
Allison Krasnow, in the first conversation I had with her, gave me a brilliant way to manage homework to make it much more useful as a self-checking tool for the kiddos, but no more work for me. She's warm, genuine, and wears very cool earrings. Her new blog has four posts so far and I want to hug every one of them.
I met Paul Salomon at a School of Math session where we worked on a super-fun problem together. Paul teaches at Saint Ann's School, where they have no grades and the loosest of a math curriculum a.k.a. heaven. He writes a lot about the way math should be taught but he has a bit of authority in this arena, as he gets to teach math the way it should be taught. He's also a demon on Twitter and has been stirring the pot lately on the "how much paper/pencil computation is too much" front.
Chris Luzniak has really just dipped his toe into blogging about teaching math and running his school's speech and debate team, and I am hoping he sticks with it and starts writing some more. But this pattern fits with his persona - he mostly keeps is own counsel when it comes to teaching math and how to do it, but when he does weigh in, it knocks you over, and you wonder just what is going on in there the rest of the time. A real tour de force.
18 comments:
I've just subscribed to all 5 of these blogs, thank you.
Aw shucks, thanks Kate!! I do own a tv, although it is hand me down and remoteless, I went hiking this weekend and plan to do more this week, and canning is a definite goal but so far I only freeze produce, I do love eating blueberries I picked in the summer year round! It's amazing how well you get to know people in a few short weeks. I welcome new followers and I hope I am worthy of your precious blog reading time.
Tina, your post about how kids couldn't identify trees killed me. I don't think I'd know a white birch if I walked into one. The world needs more you's and less me's.
I also know that you probably wouldn't actually fit in a pocket, but realize that most of the times I saw you, you were standing next to Ashli.
(helpful footnote for readers: Ashli Black (@Mythagon) (Learning to Fold) is an impressively tall (and merciless) woman. I felt short next to her, and I'm 5'9".)
The world needs lots of Kates, but maybe Tina needs to take pictures of trees this week and show them to Kate. When showing people pictures from PCMI I spent a lot of time saying "that's my roommate, she's really tall." We are gonna give poor Ashli a complex, she's also cool and smart and fun, not just a height comparison!
After reading the comments (and blog) I had to Google white birch. "Oh, duh, I know that. Use your noggin, Sarah. But what do its leaves look like? Errr.....Google."
wow amazing. i've met *no* math bloggers
(that i know about) and've spoken with
only a couple.
you (or, less likely, the man himself)
spelled paul salomon's name wrong.
Whoa! Thank you. Fixed it.
Wow, Kate, thanks for the shout-out!
Now I need to start writing. Thanks for letting me know what you appreciated.... That gives me some ideas for what to do on my blog.
I wil be looking at your blog frequently tfor example and inspiration!
Bill
Thanks for the list of suggestions. I will be sure to check them out. I have been following your blog for a while (and love all your ideas!) and woudl love for you to check out my new addtion to my blog: Teaching Thursdays. Starting Monday I am hosting a giveaway for a gift certificate to TeachersPayTeachers so hopefully you can stop by and check it out. I will be sharing some of your ideas that I used in my class b/c my students always loved it!
http://lilmoptop.blogspot.com/2011/08/teaching-thursday-first-days-of-school.html
Aw geez, thanks, Kate! I'm clearly behind in the blogging and reading of blogs already...I'm going to get better at this one day
As the first day of school rapidly approaches, I'm quite excited to get some new earrings! Really, I am. And thanks for mentioning my blog. Ironically, we have canned endlessly this last month...I'll share tips with Ms. T!
Thanks for the great back-to-school reading! It turns out that I know Tina from PROMYS and had the same high school math teacher as Allison (different years), which should put my "Kate number" at a solid 2 or so. I'll take that as an excuse to shamelessly plug my own nascent blog: http://misspi.wordpress.com
Can you expand on Allison's homework management system?
I'm hoping she will... I haven't tried to use it yet.
Miss Pi: No fair! You figured out who I am but I can't tell who you are. Boo internet anonymity.
Tina - sorry! I'm Anna and I was a T^2, I think during your 2nd summer.
Aha, hi Anna! Thanks Kate for reconnecting us.
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