Highschool (and Middleschool) Geometry

I never really did get high school geometry -- I could do it, I got an A, but proving things that have already been proven just for the sake of proving them is really not in my personality.

My son is part way through Algebra 1 and it's time to start thinking about Geometry options for him. Not sure how well he'll do. Though he's much more right brained than I am, and he thinks much more spatially than I do, his analytical skills (& motivation) are not nearly as strong as mine. I think I need to look at several approaches.

This is a great article about Geometry, brain development, and introducing concepts early by Home School Math. It discusses the 5 Van Hiele Levels of geometric understanding that is necessary to successfully get to the understanding of proofs:
http://www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/geometry.php. Might be worth introducing some of those concepts early!

Middleschool Geometry recommendations to cover basic levels of geometric understanding in a more visual age-appropriate way:

• Right Start Geometry
• Mammoth Math Geometry (inexpensive e-book)
• Key To..  Geometry

Some online geometry tools:

• Cabri
• Geometer's Sketchpad
• Cinderella
• GeoGebra

High School Geometry

One of the most common high school geometry texts is Jacobs. 

• A review from PA Homeschoolers suggests Jacobs is more for right brained learners than is Saxon, with more visual descriptions, etc. 
• In the reviews on Amazon, there is apparently a big difference between the 2nd and 3rd editions, with the 3rd edition being better (click here)

The people from Key Curriculm Press have a "Discovering Geometry" book that approaches things from more of a discovery/conceptual method.  Not great reviews on Amazon but the Table of Contents looks like an interesting approach to it.

Carnegie Learning (part of Carnegie Mellon for high school math programs) has a Geometry book with online supplement.  It looks easy to use with good reasoning.  One interesting thing I hadn't realized until going through all these options is that there are no proofs.  Is the point of high school geometry and understanding of geometrical thinking or of understanding how to do formal proofs or....?

Teaching Textbooks Geometry is another option -- it does add in proofs.  My problem is that for Algebra I and II, I don't think that Teaching Textbooks covers enough.  Not sure about Geometry.

(Thinkwell doesn't have Geometry, ChalkDust is $354! VideoText is another option but I've heard some unhappy reviews of its algebra from some people -- not sure learning styles)

Highschool Summer Camps

I have a rising-9th grader.  We often use summer camps to explore new areas or areas of interest that we don't get to during the rest of the year.  However, high school camps are fewer and further apart than camps for younger students.  If you know of some, would you mind sharing?

Here are some I know about in the NC Raleigh area (many have middleschool offerings as well):

Art Space:
http://www.artspacenc.org/summer_arts.html

Wake Tech Community College (Tech camps):
http://atec.waketech.edu/index.php

Cary Academy Summer Camps:
http://www.caryacademy.org/page.cfm?p=10

NCSU Pre-college camps:
http://www.ncsu.edu/precollege/

NCSU's Engineering camps:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/theengineeringplace/summerprograms/index.php

Meredith (girls only camps):
http://www.meredith.edu/youth/summer-programs.htm

Duke summer camps:
http://www.learnmore.duke.edu/youth/

iDTech Camps at UNC Chapel Hill
http://www.internaldrive.com/locations/nc-summer-camps-north-carolina-computer-camps/unc-chapel-hill-raleigh-area/


Marine Science and Activities
Marine Quest camps through UNC-Wilmington
http://www.uncw.edu/dpscs/marinequest/summercamps.htm


Residential Programs:

Sea Turtle Camp at Wrightsville Beach, NC -- very cool (10 days):
http://www.seaturtlecamp.com/signup/camp_schedule.asp

Visual Learning Fractions Site

Fractions:
A great visual exploration of multiplication of fractions using rectangles and sliders:
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_194_g_2_t_1.html?from=category_g_2_t_1.html

Math Options for Elementary

I know preschool and kindergarten is a time to play -- and find learning in everything we do. However, I also know that some kids are really searching for more in certain areas at different stages. And, sometimes a curriculum or a spine or some other framework can provide more sanity for an over-committed Mom who may not have "preschool play" energy!

If I was to look at math philosophy, the closest math curriculum to fit my style would be Math on the Level where students need to cover a certain amount of the concepts but the order and timing is really up to their individual learning styles.  Sometimes students are in "fraction mode" and just want to keep exploring fractions way beyond what "2nd grade" fractions entail.  Sometimes you need to go with the window that's there and keep moving.

However, it's sometimes more work to be on top of those areas and know what to pull in next, it's often unsettling to go with a completely flexible route --especially for a math-uncertain parent, and many traditional math programs have great aspects to incorporate. 

Guess that's why we've used many different programs over the years with my oldest.

Here are some to look at for Early Elementary.

Right Start Math (if one agrees with their math approach, it's worth starting as you mean to go on, rather than re-learn some of the approaches)

Singapore Math -- for $8/workbook, if you have a workbook kid who wants to do more school, this is an inexpensive approach and is great at approaching math concepts in a couple different directions to give a really solid understanding of what's going on.


Moving Beyond the Page -- some of these 5 to 7 yo units look like they'd be a great fit for Jm.

For Bj, we had great success with Math-U-See -- the best parts were:  Decimal Street (an amazing intro to adding and subtracting, place value, carrying) and Skip Counting.

PreK-1 Math Story Books

A set of PreK-1 math books to check out of the library for Jm:
http://www.stuartjmurphy.com/books/level_1/

Lots of science, math, stories -- and accompanying activities on the website.

Technology 2.0 and up sites

Rethinking Education Technology -- book about using the new technologies in education
http://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Education-Technology-Education-Connections-Education-Cnnections/dp/0807750034/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264994196&sr=8-1

EduCon 2.2
An online (and in person) conference about using Education and Web 2.2 technology.  Worth exploring some of the different people who attended.
http://www.educon22.org/conversations/The_Decoupling_of_Education_and_School_Where_do_We_Begin

The wiki for the conference above:
http://i3educon.wikispaces.com/


One of the speakers at the EduCon conference -- haven't explored it much yet.
http://sites.google.com/site/sunilityching/


ScienceOnline 2010 Website
Some interesting local people and websites to look at (see the attendees list):
http://www.scienceonline2010.com/index.php/wiki/

Math future wiki -- for the scienceonline website
http://www.scienceonline2010.com/index.php/wiki/

Visual Technology Tools

Mind mapping:
http://mind42.com/

Poster creation for whatever topic is being used -- a very cool idea, however if you go to the website and browse it, it is full of female teen angst and stories.  Not necessarily a place for younger kids!
http://www.glogster.com/
Here's one with Harriet Tubman that is very cool:
http://mariaha.glogster.com/harriet-tubman/

A periodic table of visualization methods -- so many types of visualization methods but inspiring to look at:
http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html