Tag: Exeter

  • Frustration, ideas, and time

    Grr. Really. I have some frustration I need to get off my chest, so this will be a “constructive venting” post. Constructive, because I really do have a point, and venting because I can’t believe the things that occur in math education. First off, I have been really interested in how the curriculum of mathematics…

  • Exeter, WCYDWT and a project begins

    Where to start. I have been thinking and working with the Exeter materials quite a bit in the last 3 months. I have come to see the value in the methods and the questions, and the way the questions cycle from lower levels to higher levels. But I have to say I don’t see the…

  • Writing Linear equations: a realization from Exeter

    One short lesson that came from the Exeter sessions was how they teach lines and what formats they use to teach writing equations of lines. It is amazing how often we, as math teachers, fail to build connections between different elements of mathematics simply because we feel like we have to hold to some form…

  • Exeter – Massive file uploads for your reading pleasure

    Okay, all along I was promising a massive file upload for all the readers who want the Exeter materials. I will explain what each group of files are for as I go. All files are in WORD or PDF format, and all are in a zipped folder. Downloading and unzipping the folders will speed up…

  • The Annual Exeter review of problems sets

    During the summer, the teachers of the math classes at Exeter get together and review the problem sets and compile a series of documents they call the Commentaries. These Commentaries are then used by the Writing Committee to review, edit, and modify the problem sets to make them better for the next year. First of…

  • Exeter and chapter assessments

    While we did many problems and activities at the Exeter training, we discussed how the Exeter instructor conducted his exams very little. We did have a short discussion one day on assessments, and he did give all of us some files with sample exams. He does not use these exams any more, so he felt…

  • Exeter and placing learners where they belong

    This is a post that can not be written without a better understanding of how Exeter structures its school year. First off, they are on a 3 term schedule; 3 ten week (approx) terms per year. This is a FABULOUS schedule, and I can speak from experience. It is a similar schedule to what Knox…

  • Exeter’s problem solving method

    In this post I want to show Exeter’s problem solving strategy. This is important, because it is SO different from how a problem like this is typically approached. First off, the problem I am going to model is M1:21:11 [Math 1, page 21, problem 11] 11. Alex was hired to unpack and clean 576 very…

  • Exeter–The power of 1 exercise

    Before I begin going through this problem I have selected, I want to link you to where the PDF’s of the documents can be found. Notice these are NOT the problem sets, these are activities that ARE used in class, but also are pulled together for teacher use at the Phillips Exeter Academy Summer Math…

  • Exeter: on pedagogy

    Before I get into some examples of what we did for the 4 days of Exeter training, I want to discuss what the overall philosophy of pedagogy that was modeled exhaustively. Never once did the instructor actually SAY, “This is how we designed and planned the problems.” Instead, he set up the situation where we…