Math Cracker – Free Math Help Site
I was looking for some free tutorials to share here and found Math Cracker.
They share:
Our site offers a wide variety of free math resources, so please search around to find what you need. We are continuously adding new tutorials and lessons, online calculators and solved math problems. The math help we provide is mostly suitable for college and high school students, even though we believe that there is a little bit for everyone.
What you’ll find here? You’ll find
* Math Tutorials and lessons (Calculus, Algebra, Statistics, etc)
* Online Solvers and Graphing tools
* Metric Conversions (Feet to meters, etc.)
* Solved math problems (Currently we have 20 step-by-step solved math problems)
* Articles about math and education
TedTalks -William Kamkwamba: How I built my family a windmill
This young gentleman built his family a windmill. He tells how he did it in this inspirational Ted Talk:
William Kamkwamba: How I built my family a windmill
COH #155
Carnival of Homeschooling #155 – Smoeky Mountain Edition was posted earlier this week. I’m running late due to the holidays or as usual? Probably a bit of both!
Holidays around the World
Explore different holiday traditions from around the world-
Be an Architect
This site from Sanford Adventures allows students to take a look at architecture, including the choices that architects make when designing a house.
Top 10 Most Incredible Animal Journeys
This is a fascinating look at incredible animal journeys from Live Science: Top 10 Most Incredible Animal Journeys.
Holiday Games
Explore and play a variety of holiday games from GameGibs arcade. There are also other games you can play there as well.
Holiday Games
The Man Who Invented Christmas: Charles Dickens & “A Christmas Carol”
This exhibit features illustrations from various editions of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” which “was officially published on December 19, 1843, and by Christmas Eve, five days later, it had already sold six thousand copies, at three shillings and sixpence each.” Includes images of other Christmas-related publications from Dickens. From the University of South Carolina University Libraries, Rare Books and Special Collections.
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Virtual Math Lab
This virtual math lab is a free online tutorial from Texas A&M University. They write:
If you need help in College Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, Beginning Algebra, or preparing for the math part of the THEA, ACCUPLACER or general GRE test, you have come to the right place. Note that you do not have to be a student at WTAMU to use any of these online tutorials. They were created as a service to anyone who needs help in these areas of math.
Enrollment Data on Homeschoolers
Professor Milton Gaither’s recent post, Homeschooling Enrollment Data Trends got me to thinking about “homeschooling data” again. The fact that he did not claim “explosive homeschool growth” was refreshing. Some states gather data on homeschoolers, some do not. I live in a state that does not, so I’ve been curious about the numbers that some in the media and elsewhere throw out occasionally about homeschooling’s continued explosive growth. Larry and Susan Kaseman addressed this issue concerning one homeschool investigator in a 2003 HEM Taking Charge colulmn , Who Is Pat Lines and Why Is She Writing About Homeschooling? They noted:
Lines presents misleading statistics and information about homeschoolers, although she made her name as an expert on homeschooling statistics. For example, she exaggerates the rate at which homeschooling is growing. In her 2003 monograph, Lines admits that “the number [of homeschoolers] now appears to be growing at a less dramatic pace,” but she still assumes “a 10 percent future annual growth rate.” (p. 7) In fact, since the 1998-1999 school year, the number of homeschoolers has declined in Washington by an average of 1.8% a year; increased in Wisconsin at a rate of only 4.1% a year; and in Florida, just 7.7%. (Notes: Lines cites Florida as a high growth state. From 1990 through 1995, Washington and Wisconsin had higher average growth rates than Florida. The decline in the rate of growth began before virtual charter schools opened.)
in addition to researchers studying our community, homeschoolers have been featured in the national, state and local media on many occasions over the years and many of the writers continue to claim that there is explosive homeschool growth. In my state it has been reported that there are over 60,000 homeschoolers, but they never cited a source, nor could they put their finger on where they got this particular number when contacted. Home educators in Ohio are not kept track of via the Ohio State Department of Education, but by local school districts where we notify of our intent to home educate. in response, OHEC studied the number issue and explosive growth claim and came up with Trends in Homeschool Numbers and this spreadsheet, Homeschoolers: Numbers and Yearly Percent Change. OHEC also heard back from the Ohio Department of Education verifying that they do not collect this data.
It is maddening to be included in a statistic that no one can confirm, so finally I contacted Ohio’s live online reference service, KnowItNow via our county library and after several days, they did come up with a logical answer. They said that many used a formula shared at A-Z homeschooling that is based on the explosive growth that had occurred in the 80’s and 90’s. Not to critique Anne because she has since updated it and added plenty of disclaimers to her article such as:
“I can get the numbers online of homeschool students in only seven states, so I am using their average growth rate, and assuming it applies in other states. This probably isn’t accurate to assume, but is all I have to use.”
It is no secret that I’m not a big fan of homeschool statistics, studies, surveys and data gathering. At best they provide a very flat picture of those they are studying, are only as accurate as the data gatherer, the formula and the information provided, and often end up creating a false image of the larger community.
I’m aware that some in our own community have used similar data gathering to promote how wonderful the choice to homeschool is, often claiming that homeschoolers test better and excel in many ways. I’m not saying I’m not very proud of the individuals who have succeeded in this manner, but again, it does not paint an accurate picture of the community as a whole. As a home educator, there are many different ways that I view success and it is often very different from those of a statistician, or even of a fellow homeschooler. What is accurate? I don’t know that anyone can answer to that question, but I think Mark Hegener, publisher of Home Education Magazine comes close with this statement from the Washington Post a few years back:
Any way you slice the American pie, you’re going to find homeschoolers sticking out of it.
The Informed Parent Feed- National Gardening Month April 3, 2013
- Happy Birthday Vincent Van Gogh March 30, 2013
- Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss March 1, 2013
- Carnival of Homeschooling and Following your Interests February 19, 2013
- Responsible Pet Owners Month – Official February 10, 2013
- It’s been a while… February 4, 2013
- February is Library Lover’s Month February 2, 2013
- Carnival of Homeschooling Blog Carnival May 29, 2012
- Come to the Carnival! May 23, 2012
- Great Earth Day Opportunity from GardenSoxx.com April 20, 2012
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