Kelly Spoon
@kellymspoon.bsky.social
Math / Stats Professor | Instructional Design Enthusiast | Online Teaching Advocate | Professional Learning Facilitator
We have these giant display cases in our department and I’m slowly giving them facelifts. Added some info on tiling and how to create your own tessellations and some hat and turtle tiles from @triangleman.bsky.social’s shop.
I still want to add something on 3D tiling to take advantage of the space
I still want to add something on 3D tiling to take advantage of the space
September 16, 2025 at 4:00 PM
We have these giant display cases in our department and I’m slowly giving them facelifts. Added some info on tiling and how to create your own tessellations and some hat and turtle tiles from @triangleman.bsky.social’s shop.
I still want to add something on 3D tiling to take advantage of the space
I still want to add something on 3D tiling to take advantage of the space
This Investigate! problem from Levin's Discrete Mathematics (math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/... ) was quite fun as a way to chat lattice paths, binomial coefficients, and combinations.
February 13, 2025 at 4:06 PM
This Investigate! problem from Levin's Discrete Mathematics (math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/... ) was quite fun as a way to chat lattice paths, binomial coefficients, and combinations.
Anyone have a favorite tool for portfolios? Gonna ungrade this discrete math class and need a way to keep my ducks in a row with 50+ students.
February 3, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Anyone have a favorite tool for portfolios? Gonna ungrade this discrete math class and need a way to keep my ducks in a row with 50+ students.
Today was a disappointing day. Because yesterday, I had hope that maybe my department wasn’t horrible… fuck hope.
February 1, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Today was a disappointing day. Because yesterday, I had hope that maybe my department wasn’t horrible… fuck hope.
One of my fave online teaching moves is to highlight student voice in my announcements - basically calling out interesting ideas, fun examples, etc and giving credit to the students who submitted them. I keep track of who I've highlighted (marked in the image with ⭐) and try to call out each S once!
January 10, 2025 at 5:54 PM
One of my fave online teaching moves is to highlight student voice in my announcements - basically calling out interesting ideas, fun examples, etc and giving credit to the students who submitted them. I keep track of who I've highlighted (marked in the image with ⭐) and try to call out each S once!
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
do you have a favorite TEST that you wrote for a math class? in-class, take-home, pre-K to graduate school, etc!
or even a fave question?! cc #iTeachMath ♾️ bcc #MathSky 🧮
i'm looking over some exams i wrote for preservice teachers in 2015 ... not bad! screenshots below; PDFs available by request ↘️
or even a fave question?! cc #iTeachMath ♾️ bcc #MathSky 🧮
i'm looking over some exams i wrote for preservice teachers in 2015 ... not bad! screenshots below; PDFs available by request ↘️
December 23, 2024 at 9:19 PM
do you have a favorite TEST that you wrote for a math class? in-class, take-home, pre-K to graduate school, etc!
or even a fave question?! cc #iTeachMath ♾️ bcc #MathSky 🧮
i'm looking over some exams i wrote for preservice teachers in 2015 ... not bad! screenshots below; PDFs available by request ↘️
or even a fave question?! cc #iTeachMath ♾️ bcc #MathSky 🧮
i'm looking over some exams i wrote for preservice teachers in 2015 ... not bad! screenshots below; PDFs available by request ↘️
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
APPLY!! APPLY!! If Desmos Activities have given ALL your students a 'voice' in your classroom & empowered them with mathematical thinking, then the Desmos Fellowship gives you a voice and a preview of the development of theses excellent resources alongside the most amazing math educators worldwide!
December 18, 2024 at 2:24 PM
APPLY!! APPLY!! If Desmos Activities have given ALL your students a 'voice' in your classroom & empowered them with mathematical thinking, then the Desmos Fellowship gives you a voice and a preview of the development of theses excellent resources alongside the most amazing math educators worldwide!
I had a ton of fun, and only minor frustration, doing the crossnumber for issue 20 while I was proctoring my final. There was very little proctoring and a lot of puzzling.
Chalkdust issue 20 is out now!
Our latest issue features spirographs, complex triangles and a lot of ants, plus all your favourite regulars.
You can read it now at chalkdustmagazine.co...
Our latest issue features spirographs, complex triangles and a lot of ants, plus all your favourite regulars.
You can read it now at chalkdustmagazine.co...
Read Issue 20 now! - Chalkdust
A magazine for the mathematically curious. Issue 20 now available: Spirographs, complex triangles and a lot of ants feature in our AW24 issue! Plus all your favourite puzzles & columns.
chalkdustmagazine.com
December 13, 2024 at 11:12 PM
I had a ton of fun, and only minor frustration, doing the crossnumber for issue 20 while I was proctoring my final. There was very little proctoring and a lot of puzzling.
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
But, once they finally took the risk to begin making their own conjectures (and learning from their mistakes) their confidence grew. Of all the things I accomplished in my career, this was the most important: empowering independent thinkers.
#iteachmath 4/4
#iteachmath 4/4
December 11, 2024 at 11:09 AM
But, once they finally took the risk to begin making their own conjectures (and learning from their mistakes) their confidence grew. Of all the things I accomplished in my career, this was the most important: empowering independent thinkers.
#iteachmath 4/4
#iteachmath 4/4
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
Best prompt I've ever asked students to answer in a final portfolio:
"I especially appreciated <name of another student in this class> because <reason>".
Great replies AND they reveal things I might not otherwise be able to see AND much happiness as I deal with final grades.
"I especially appreciated <name of another student in this class> because <reason>".
Great replies AND they reveal things I might not otherwise be able to see AND much happiness as I deal with final grades.
December 10, 2024 at 4:49 PM
Best prompt I've ever asked students to answer in a final portfolio:
"I especially appreciated <name of another student in this class> because <reason>".
Great replies AND they reveal things I might not otherwise be able to see AND much happiness as I deal with final grades.
"I especially appreciated <name of another student in this class> because <reason>".
Great replies AND they reveal things I might not otherwise be able to see AND much happiness as I deal with final grades.
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
NEW Blog Post: ‘Four ways of seeing education, and why "best practice" is a myth’
Why do educators disagree about 'best practice'? Understanding competing visions of education's purpose reveals why universal solutions fall short.
amiealbrecht.com/2024/12/11/f...
Why do educators disagree about 'best practice'? Understanding competing visions of education's purpose reveals why universal solutions fall short.
amiealbrecht.com/2024/12/11/f...
Four ways of seeing education, and why “best practice” is a myth
Why do educators disagree about ‘best practice’? Understanding competing visions of education’s purpose reveals why universal solutions fall short.
amiealbrecht.com
December 10, 2024 at 7:34 PM
NEW Blog Post: ‘Four ways of seeing education, and why "best practice" is a myth’
Why do educators disagree about 'best practice'? Understanding competing visions of education's purpose reveals why universal solutions fall short.
amiealbrecht.com/2024/12/11/f...
Why do educators disagree about 'best practice'? Understanding competing visions of education's purpose reveals why universal solutions fall short.
amiealbrecht.com/2024/12/11/f...
Clearly talking too much about my puzzling habits in class.
December 10, 2024 at 10:30 PM
Clearly talking too much about my puzzling habits in class.
This is a super fun puzzle each day for the rest of #ITeachMath #MTBoS whatever the heck our hashtag is. Day 11 was disappointing, but there have been some really fun days in there.
What is your favorite #scroggs-advent-calendar puzzle so far?
I've liked Day 6 and Day 8 the most...
What is your favorite #scroggs-advent-calendar puzzle so far?
I've liked Day 6 and Day 8 the most...
Wow! Over 1000 people have done the first puzzle of the mscroggs.co.uk Advent calendar.
Still plenty of time to catch up if you've not started yet...
Still plenty of time to catch up if you've not started yet...
mscroggs.co.uk
It's nearly Christmas and something terrible has happened: there's been a major malfunction in multiple machines in Santa's toy factory, and not enough presents have been made. Santa has a backup ware...
mscroggs.co.uk
December 10, 2024 at 6:54 PM
This is a super fun puzzle each day for the rest of #ITeachMath #MTBoS whatever the heck our hashtag is. Day 11 was disappointing, but there have been some really fun days in there.
What is your favorite #scroggs-advent-calendar puzzle so far?
I've liked Day 6 and Day 8 the most...
What is your favorite #scroggs-advent-calendar puzzle so far?
I've liked Day 6 and Day 8 the most...
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
A gallery of quintic polynomial graphs, made for our maths bridging course.
December 8, 2024 at 12:41 PM
A gallery of quintic polynomial graphs, made for our maths bridging course.
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
Now we wait.
December 7, 2024 at 6:39 PM
Now we wait.
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
1) Pick two Fibonacci numbers.
2) Find their GCD (greatest common divisor).
3) Repeat Steps 1 & 2 until conjectures form.
#math #maths #MathSky #iTeachMath
2) Find their GCD (greatest common divisor).
3) Repeat Steps 1 & 2 until conjectures form.
#math #maths #MathSky #iTeachMath
December 6, 2024 at 2:39 PM
1) Pick two Fibonacci numbers.
2) Find their GCD (greatest common divisor).
3) Repeat Steps 1 & 2 until conjectures form.
#math #maths #MathSky #iTeachMath
2) Find their GCD (greatest common divisor).
3) Repeat Steps 1 & 2 until conjectures form.
#math #maths #MathSky #iTeachMath
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
Thank you to whoever suggested this set of looky-likeys. I enjoyed using them with Y13 #ALevelMaths #MathsToday
December 6, 2024 at 9:18 PM
Thank you to whoever suggested this set of looky-likeys. I enjoyed using them with Y13 #ALevelMaths #MathsToday
Still noodling this. Join me!
Can you find a Pythagorean Triple containing...
• exactly one multiple of 5?
• exactly two multiples of 5?
• three multiples of 5?
• no multiples of 5?
Any conjectures?
#iTeachMath #MathSky
• exactly one multiple of 5?
• exactly two multiples of 5?
• three multiples of 5?
• no multiples of 5?
Any conjectures?
#iTeachMath #MathSky
December 5, 2024 at 7:39 PM
Still noodling this. Join me!
And this is how I realized open enrollment had started at my college.
These were top tier examples in how to email professors when crashing classes though.
These were top tier examples in how to email professors when crashing classes though.
December 5, 2024 at 5:33 PM
And this is how I realized open enrollment had started at my college.
These were top tier examples in how to email professors when crashing classes though.
These were top tier examples in how to email professors when crashing classes though.
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
in #MathsToday (Alg2+Trig) i asked:
given sec(x) - tan(x) = 1/3, what is sec(x) + tan(x)?
this was scaffolded towards using the difference of squares and the sec, tan identity, but one student pursued a rather different route!
it's now in the newest PS (screenshot below; links next)
#iTeachMath ♾️
given sec(x) - tan(x) = 1/3, what is sec(x) + tan(x)?
this was scaffolded towards using the difference of squares and the sec, tan identity, but one student pursued a rather different route!
it's now in the newest PS (screenshot below; links next)
#iTeachMath ♾️
December 2, 2024 at 2:39 PM
in #MathsToday (Alg2+Trig) i asked:
given sec(x) - tan(x) = 1/3, what is sec(x) + tan(x)?
this was scaffolded towards using the difference of squares and the sec, tan identity, but one student pursued a rather different route!
it's now in the newest PS (screenshot below; links next)
#iTeachMath ♾️
given sec(x) - tan(x) = 1/3, what is sec(x) + tan(x)?
this was scaffolded towards using the difference of squares and the sec, tan identity, but one student pursued a rather different route!
it's now in the newest PS (screenshot below; links next)
#iTeachMath ♾️
Reposted by Kelly Spoon
I just came up with a related rates problem that I don’t entirely hate.
December 3, 2024 at 7:01 PM
I just came up with a related rates problem that I don’t entirely hate.
Trying to fit in with a pic of my boy cat.
November 23, 2024 at 12:44 AM
Trying to fit in with a pic of my boy cat.
A belated #UngradingChat response to Q1: My grading philosophy is that grades are antithetical to learning... but as a necessary evil, I'll try to make sure they communicate that learning as a process and focusing on understanding of the actual math, rather than understanding of the education system
Here are the questions for this week's slow chat on #UngradingChat
I will drop Monday's question tomorrow morning. #EduSky
I will drop Monday's question tomorrow morning. #EduSky
November 19, 2024 at 4:29 PM
A belated #UngradingChat response to Q1: My grading philosophy is that grades are antithetical to learning... but as a necessary evil, I'll try to make sure they communicate that learning as a process and focusing on understanding of the actual math, rather than understanding of the education system