ProfSmudge
@profsmudge.bsky.social
School maths should be more than tables and algorithms. I try to write materials that show that. Dietmar Küchemann
What do we call the tax that you have to pay? Unfair tax?
November 20, 2025 at 12:47 PM
What do we call the tax that you have to pay? Unfair tax?
In #MathsToday yesterday, a Y11 student wondered whether y = 4x + 14 would be the equation of a line parallel to the line with equation y = 2x + 7.
[Where might that have come from? Could one class it as an 'intuition'?]
[Where might that have come from? Could one class it as an 'intuition'?]
November 20, 2025 at 12:05 PM
In #MathsToday yesterday, a Y11 student wondered whether y = 4x + 14 would be the equation of a line parallel to the line with equation y = 2x + 7.
[Where might that have come from? Could one class it as an 'intuition'?]
[Where might that have come from? Could one class it as an 'intuition'?]
I've just had a glance at Twitter, after many months' abstinence. Wow it is nasty, but why have so few maths ed people come (and stayed) on BlueSky?
November 19, 2025 at 4:06 PM
I've just had a glance at Twitter, after many months' abstinence. Wow it is nasty, but why have so few maths ed people come (and stayed) on BlueSky?
Which is larger, 900,000 or 60,000?
When it comes to immigration, it seems to be the second number.
When it comes to immigration, it seems to be the second number.
November 18, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Which is larger, 900,000 or 60,000?
When it comes to immigration, it seems to be the second number.
When it comes to immigration, it seems to be the second number.
- but I think you would need a more challenging question than that, to make a convincing case for the power of ratio tables!
November 18, 2025 at 10:17 AM
- but I think you would need a more challenging question than that, to make a convincing case for the power of ratio tables!
- and what was so horrible about last night's #Newsnight is that they didn't provide space for the presenter or guests to pick up on all the crude claims and disinformation coming from the Reform representative
November 18, 2025 at 10:10 AM
- and what was so horrible about last night's #Newsnight is that they didn't provide space for the presenter or guests to pick up on all the crude claims and disinformation coming from the Reform representative
Labour has started to adopt the Reform formulation, "The British people believe...".
At the very least it should be, "the British people – 1 believe...", as far as I'm concerned.
Labour isn't going to defeat Reform this way. Instead, Labour will fragment, which might be ok in the very long term....
At the very least it should be, "the British people – 1 believe...", as far as I'm concerned.
Labour isn't going to defeat Reform this way. Instead, Labour will fragment, which might be ok in the very long term....
November 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Labour has started to adopt the Reform formulation, "The British people believe...".
At the very least it should be, "the British people – 1 believe...", as far as I'm concerned.
Labour isn't going to defeat Reform this way. Instead, Labour will fragment, which might be ok in the very long term....
At the very least it should be, "the British people – 1 believe...", as far as I'm concerned.
Labour isn't going to defeat Reform this way. Instead, Labour will fragment, which might be ok in the very long term....
2½ heads. How many legs?
November 14, 2025 at 10:39 AM
2½ heads. How many legs?
I bought this wonderful ex-Uni-Leicester-Library book for £1. What was the library thinking of?!
November 13, 2025 at 11:09 AM
I bought this wonderful ex-Uni-Leicester-Library book for £1. What was the library thinking of?!
Inspired by Lyonel Feininger?!
November 11, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Inspired by Lyonel Feininger?!
These authors provide a useful taxonomy of proof schemes:
Harel, G., & Sowder, L. (1998). Students’ proof schemes: Results from exploratory studies. In A. Schoenfeld, J. Kaput, & E. Dubinsky (Eds.), Research in collegiate mathematics education III (pp. 234-283).
Harel, G., & Sowder, L. (1998). Students’ proof schemes: Results from exploratory studies. In A. Schoenfeld, J. Kaput, & E. Dubinsky (Eds.), Research in collegiate mathematics education III (pp. 234-283).
November 9, 2025 at 12:20 PM
These authors provide a useful taxonomy of proof schemes:
Harel, G., & Sowder, L. (1998). Students’ proof schemes: Results from exploratory studies. In A. Schoenfeld, J. Kaput, & E. Dubinsky (Eds.), Research in collegiate mathematics education III (pp. 234-283).
Harel, G., & Sowder, L. (1998). Students’ proof schemes: Results from exploratory studies. In A. Schoenfeld, J. Kaput, & E. Dubinsky (Eds.), Research in collegiate mathematics education III (pp. 234-283).
#NotMyBBC This is Fiona Bruce's typically negative intro to Question Time this week:
"Why is it so hard to keep prisoners in prison?
Rachel Reeves, should she quit if she raises taxes?"
The obvious answer:
"We don't fund the legal system properly. Be brave, Rachel, please raise taxes."
"Why is it so hard to keep prisoners in prison?
Rachel Reeves, should she quit if she raises taxes?"
The obvious answer:
"We don't fund the legal system properly. Be brave, Rachel, please raise taxes."
November 8, 2025 at 11:07 AM
#NotMyBBC This is Fiona Bruce's typically negative intro to Question Time this week:
"Why is it so hard to keep prisoners in prison?
Rachel Reeves, should she quit if she raises taxes?"
The obvious answer:
"We don't fund the legal system properly. Be brave, Rachel, please raise taxes."
"Why is it so hard to keep prisoners in prison?
Rachel Reeves, should she quit if she raises taxes?"
The obvious answer:
"We don't fund the legal system properly. Be brave, Rachel, please raise taxes."
In #MathsToday I tried to help two Y11 students with simultaneous equations. It was all very abstract and procedural, though. Should I use a WW Sawyer-type story, eg about the cost of cakes and buns but where the letters elide between representing objects and quantities (of the quality, cost)??
November 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
In #MathsToday I tried to help two Y11 students with simultaneous equations. It was all very abstract and procedural, though. Should I use a WW Sawyer-type story, eg about the cost of cakes and buns but where the letters elide between representing objects and quantities (of the quality, cost)??
In #MathsToday (last week) a repeat-gcse student was successfully using socatoa to identify trig ratios - however, I got the impression that this very habit had prevented him ever forming a secure image (verbal or visual) of the ratios, so it was holding him back rather than helping.
October 26, 2025 at 9:57 AM
In #MathsToday (last week) a repeat-gcse student was successfully using socatoa to identify trig ratios - however, I got the impression that this very habit had prevented him ever forming a secure image (verbal or visual) of the ratios, so it was holding him back rather than helping.
#MathsUntangle The blog has suddenly been discovered in China. What does it mean? Should I be worried?
October 24, 2025 at 8:54 PM
#MathsUntangle The blog has suddenly been discovered in China. What does it mean? Should I be worried?
Gulp! Beaten 4-nil.
Maybe we do have join up with those other maths associations.
Maybe we do have join up with those other maths associations.
October 22, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Gulp! Beaten 4-nil.
Maybe we do have join up with those other maths associations.
Maybe we do have join up with those other maths associations.
Reposted by ProfSmudge
#MathsUntangle Week 13. Using a calculator to gently move away from the notion of multiplication as repeated addition.
mathsuntangle.blogspot.com
mathsuntangle.blogspot.com
October 17, 2025 at 1:49 PM
#MathsUntangle Week 13. Using a calculator to gently move away from the notion of multiplication as repeated addition.
mathsuntangle.blogspot.com
mathsuntangle.blogspot.com
#MathsUntangle Week 13. Using a calculator to gently move away from the notion of multiplication as repeated addition.
mathsuntangle.blogspot.com
mathsuntangle.blogspot.com
October 17, 2025 at 1:49 PM
#MathsUntangle Week 13. Using a calculator to gently move away from the notion of multiplication as repeated addition.
mathsuntangle.blogspot.com
mathsuntangle.blogspot.com
#MathsUntangle Probably the best fractions task I've ever written (at least I thought so at 4 am this morning....)
October 16, 2025 at 11:49 AM
#MathsUntangle Probably the best fractions task I've ever written (at least I thought so at 4 am this morning....)