+ Mathematics! Logic! Philosophy! Comic Book?

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Graphic novel “Logicomix,” is based on the early life of brilliant philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell and his impassioned search for truth.  

Authors Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou are academic mathematicians and writers who wanted to create an “honest-to-God yarn, simply a story.”  But in this case, the heroes are all logicians.

In Publisher’s Weekly, Calvin Reid says

It’s difficult not to be dazzled by Apostolos Doniadis and Christos Papadimitriou’s Logicomix.  It’s a biography of the mathematician/philosopher Bertrand Russell, a fiercely engaging examination of his elusive attempt to isolate the logical foundations of mathematics, and a rousing historical yarn.

And all of Logicomix’s storytelling and intellectual pyrotechnics are delineated in extraordinarily crisp, cleverly designed and beautifully colored artwork by the team of Alecos Papadatos and Annie Di Donna. 

What a Comic book!  Easily one of the most impressive combinations of popular art and serious history that I’ve encountered in prose or comics.

A dramatic story of madness and reason, love and war, this is a story about the conflict between an ideal rationality and the unchanging, flawed fabric of reality.   In his agonized search for absolute truth, Russell crosses paths with legendary thinkers like Gottlob Frege, David Hilbert, and Kurt Godel.  He finds a passionate student in the great Ludwig Wittgenstein.

But truth eludes him.  According to historian Howard  Zinn

This is an extraordinary graphic novel, wildly ambitious in daring to put into words and drawing the life and thought of one of the great philosophers of the last century…  The book is a rare intellectual and artistic achievement, which will, I am sure, lead its readers to explore realms of knowledge they thought were forbidden to them.

“Logicomix” is at the same time a historical novel and an accessible introduction to some of the biggest ideas of mathematics and modern philosophy. 

Barry Mazur is Gerhard Gade University Professor at Harvard.  He has written that

This magnificent book is about ideas, passions, madness, and the fierce struggle between well-defined principle and the larger good.  It follows the great mathematicians — Russell, Whitehead, Frege, Cantor, Hilbert — as they agonized to make the foundations of mathematics exact, consistent, and complete.  And we see the band of artists and researchers — and the all-seeking dog Manga — creating, and participating in, this glorious narrative.

Writer Apostolos Doxiadis studied mathematics at Columbia.  His international bestseller “Uncle Petros and Goldbach’s Conjecture” was the first novel to make fascinating fiction out of mathematics.  He has awards from his work in film and theater, and is also a pioneer in the study of the interaction of mathematics and narrative.

Co-writer Christos Papadimitriou is the C. Lester Hogan Professor of Computer Science at UCLA Berkeley.  He has won numerous international awards for pathbreaking work in computational complexity and algorithmic game theory.  He is also the author of the novel “Turing: A Novel About Computation.” 

The graphic artists are a husband and wife team, Alecos Papadatos and Annie Di Donna.  Papadatos worked for over twenty years in film animation in France and Greece.  In 1997 he became a cartoonist for the major Athens daily To Vima. 

Annie Di Donna studied graphic arts and painting in France and has worked as an animator on many productions, among them Babar and Tintin cartoons.  The couple have been running an animation studio since 1991.

Michael Harris, professor of mathematics at the Universite Paris 7 and member of the Institut Universitaire de France,

The lives of ideas (and those who think them) can be as dramatic and unpredictable as any superhero fantasy.  Logicomix is witty, engaging, stylish, visually stunning, and full of surprising sound effects, a masterpiece in a genre for which there is as yet no name.

“Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth,” by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H. Papadimitriou, is published by Bloomsbury USA.  ISBN-10 1-59691-452-1; ISBN-13 9978-1-59691-452-0.

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com  

+ National Math & Science Initiative (NMSI)

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The first full year of NMSI’s project is complete.

At the 67 high schools with NMSI programs, the number of passing scores for students taking college-level Advanced Placement (AP) math, science and English exams increased by 51 percent.

That’s nine times the average increase among schools without NMSI support.

Results for underrepresented populations were even better. 

 With NMSI support, African American and Hispanic students passed 71 percent more AP exams.   Girls passed 55 percent more.

Such success today promises further achievements in the future.  Research shows students who pass AP exams are three times more likely to earn a college degree.

There is no secret behind NMSI’s success — just proven methods.  Better training and performance incentives result in better teachers.  Individualized instruction and scholarship incentives result in college-ready American high school students who can compete internationally.

The challenge at this moment is to replicate this project on a national scale and so help rebuild America’s performance in math and education.  Three decades ago, the US ranked third among developed nations for college students earning science and engineering degrees. 

Today, we rank 17th in science and engineering and 26th in math.

This should concern all Americans, because expertise in science, math, engineering and technology is what drives our high-tech global economy.

American companies understand the critical need to close the achievement gap.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and ExxonMobil have committed millions to help NMSI succeed.

NMSI is currently funded for expansion to 350 schools in six states over five years.  But more growth is necessary.  More public and private funds are needed so these proven strategies can be delivered to high schools across the country.  Millions of students can be equipped with the math and science skills they need to succeed in college.

Visit www.nationalmathandscience.org to learn more.

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Staff Development for Educators Online

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SDE Online Courses are available for educators who want to advance instructional skills.  Visit http://www.sde.com/OnlineCourses

Each six-week, instructor-led course is convenient, affordable, fun and fast, and fits perfectly with your lifestyle.  They promise to deliver a rich learning experience, whenever you want, wherever you are — for just $129.

Participate in a group: learn together, share the fun and enjoy the savings — up to 25 %.  Ask about the flexible group discount plan.

And you can net 24 instructional hours when you complete any course successfully.  Also take advantage of the opportunity to earn graduate-level credits through Madonna University and Antioch College.  For more information, email credit@sde.com .

In the Spotlight

• Singapore Math: Number Sense & Computational Strategies — Learn over two dozen strategies from the successful, more intuitive Singapore Math program.
• Singapore Math Strategies:  Model Drawing for Grades 1-6 — Jumpstart your math instruction with this highly visual approach to teaching math; focuses on strngthening problem-solving skills.
• Guided Reading Strategies for the Differentiated Classroom — Combine the principles of differentiated instruction and guided reading to reach struggling readers.
• Ready, Set Read! — Understand how children learn to read and help improve their confidence.
• Solving Classroom Discipline Problems — Create a more peaceful, respectful and productive classroom.
• Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom — Examine DI integration across different subjects, grade levels and learning profiles.

Visit the site for even more opportunities.  You can also subscribe for email updates. 

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Free Parent Seminars at Marburn Academy

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Parents in central Ohio are fortunate because Marburn Academy in Columbus has expanded their popular Free Community Parent Seminar Series for 2009-2010.

For over eight years, Marburn Academy has been offering parents of children with learning differences access to state-of-the-art identification and remediation information that isn’t available anywhere else in Central Ohio.

Parents who have attended these seminars have learned about the many unique and innovative programs Marburn has introduced to our area. 

They have also gained valuable insight into appropriate instructional approaches that work best for teaching reading, writing, spelling, math, and organizational skills to bright children with learning differences such as dyslexia and ADHD.

Seminar Dates and Topics

• September 8, 2009 — “When Children Struggle With Reading: Is It Dyslexia?”
• October 6, 2009 — “Solving Reading Problems”"
• October 20, 2009 — “Understanding the Problems of ADHD Children” (part 1 of a series)
• November 17, 2009 — “Improving Self-Management Skills for ADHD Students” (part 2 of the series)
• January 12, 2010 — “How to Get High School to Work for ADHD Students (And How to Get ADHD Students to Work in High School)”
• February 9, 2010 — “Early Identification and Early Intervention: Why Wait for Failure?”
• March 2, 2010 — “Correcting Persistent Writing and Spelling Problems:  Sources of/Solutions to the Problem”
• April 6, 2010 — “ADHD Students and the Role of Medication”
• May 4, 2010 — “Solving Math Learning Problems”
• June 15, 2010 — “Understanding the Problems of ADHD Children” (part 1 of a series)
• June 21 — “Improving Self-Management Skills for ADHD Students (part 2 of the series)

Registration is required.  Contact Barbara Davidson at 614-433-0822, ext. 107; or email bdavidson@marburnacademy.org.  The Web site is http://www.marburnacademy.org.

All seminars are held at the school – 1860 Walden Drive, Columbus OH 43229.   They are held on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 -9:00 pm. 

All are free to parents of children who learn differently.  Cost to professionals who attend: $40.00.

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards  614-579-6021  or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Warren Buffett Will Teach Kids About Money Online In Fall

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An article by Brian Stelter in the NY Times says renowned investor Warren Buffett plans an animated Web series to teach financial responsibility.

The series, called “The Secret Millionaire’s Club,” will make its debut on AOL’s Web site in the fall of 2009.  He says the short episodes will “entertain kids and deliver a message.”

Andy Heyward, longtime creator of children’s entertainment, and Amy Moynihan, veteran of brand marketing, founded a new children’s media company called A Squared Entertainment.

They are working with AOL to introduce a number of celebrity-backed Web shows for children, including Mr Buffet, supermodel Gisele Bundchen and planner extraordinaire, Martha Stewart.

The  Secret Millionaire’s Club, intended for 6-to11-year-olds, features an animated Mr Buffett playing mentor to a group of children who go into business (a candy store).  So far Buffett has recorded the audio for the first episode. 

According to Mr Buffett, the objective of the series is to instill healthy financial habits in young people, which “appeals to me enormously.”  He says

Kids are forming habits, and habits are strong things.  [Recalling a quote attributed to Samuel Johnson:] “The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” 

Certain financial habits are not necessarily intuitive.  If a young person is exposed to the logic of certain behavior, you’re going to get through to some of them.

Among other topics, the episodes will address the value of patient investments and the risks of credit cards.

“The most important message, really, is that the best investment you can make is in yourself,” he says.

Although he requested the animator make him look like George Clooney, he thinks that’ s probably not going to happen. 

sole source: Brian Stelter’s article in the NY Times on 7/27/09.  www.nytimes.com

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards  614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Summer Brain Drain Worse for Low-Income Students

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Research tells a nuanced story about summer learning losses:  some learning is lost among certain groups while other groups gain, according to Valerie Strauss in the Washington Post..

Experts at Johns Hopkins, the University of Tennessee and the University of Virginia say most students — regardless of family income or background — lose slightly more than two month of the math computational skills they learned last year.

But in reading, low-income students lose two and a half months while middle-class students make slight gains. 

All of this suggests the obvious, says Strauss: children lose math ability when they don’t use it, and middle-class  students read more than those who don’t have a lot of books at home or who don’t get to hone skills in summer reading clubs.

We would think that losing two month of math skills would require two months to make it up.  But educators think it’s not so simple.

When it comes to reading, the experts think, some kids make progress not only because they read more.

“Life experiences other than reading can lead to advantages in reading comprehension,” says Daniel Willingham of the University of Virginia, who is an expert in cognition and the application of cognitive principles to K-12 education.

“If you don’t have a reading problem or a problem with decoding… your ability to read a passage is dependent on having some relevant background knowledge,” he says.

So middle-class kids who go to camp, who take trips and visit museums, historical sites, parks, botanical gardens and planetariums can bring a lot more understanding and life experience to their reading passages the following year.

The lack of resources for poor children in the summer has great consequences, say educators.

“If we can eliminate the summer gap, we can close the longstanding achievement gap between richer and poorer kids,” says Richard Allington, of the University of Tennessee and past president of the International Reading Association.

“Basically, even poor kids grow reading skills at about the same rate as middle-class kids when they are in school.  Two-thirds of the achievement gap occurs during the summers, not during the school year.”

The reason students across the socioeconomic spectrum lose ground in math over the summer, says Ron Fairchild, executive director of the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins, is in part that schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations also tend to place more emphasis on summer reading than on mathematics.

Another factor in the loss of math skills is thought to be the nature of the subject: facts and knowledge based on specific procedures are easier to forget than concepts.

But Willingham says it is also true that the nature of human memory means that students can re-learn very quickly.  “Someone who loses 2 1/2 months of skills doesn’t need 2 1/2 months to relearn it,” he says.

Fairchild’s center promotes quality summer programs for children, especially those who are less affluent.  The Center works with 5,000 programs in all fifty states, aiming to provide academic and cultural enrichment, healthy meals and physical activity — the elements that help students succeed when they return to school.

The healthy meals are not an afterthought.  Research shows that most children gain weight in the summer, an undesired outcome amid concerns about childhood obesity.

So, writes Strauss, if you’ve been telling yourself that your children don’t need to do anything academic during the summer, listen to the experts. 

Think again.

sole source: Washington Post article by Valerie Strauss on June 15, 2009.  www.washingtonpost.com   For more information about the Johns Hopkins Centers for Summer Learning, visit  http://www.summerlearning.org/

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or eamil  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ STEM Equity Web Sites

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 From EduHound’s “Classroom Tools & Tips” Newsletter, some sites to support teachers who want to spark interest — especially girls’ interest — in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Topic: STEM EQUITY

• National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT): Gotta Have IT – This computing resource kit designed with K-12 educators’ needs in mind.  A select set of high-quality posters, computing and careers information, digital media and more, the resource kit builds awareness and inspires interest in computing.  http://www.ncwit.org/ghit
• Access STEM – Where K-12 teachers, postsecondary educators, and employers learn to make classroom and employment opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) accessible to individuals with disabilities, and share promising practices.  http://www.washington.edu/doit/Stem/
• Sally Ride Science: For Educators –  Features innovative science content dedicated to supporting girls’ and boys’ interests in science, math and technology.  A key part of their mission is to make a difference in girls’ lives, and in society’s perceptions of their roles in technical fields.  http://www.sallyridescience.com/for_educators
• Educational Equity Center –  Promoting bias free learning through innovative programs and materials.  It strives to decrease discrimination based on gender, race/ethnicity, disability, and level of family income.  Includes information on programs and materials, and training.  http://www.edequity.org
• STEM Transitions — At the heart of the project are the six Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career clusters that will provide the context for instructional materials demonstrating the convergence of academic and technical content.  http://www.stemtransitions.org
• Ingear — Provides teachers and teacher educators with access to materials that will enhance their own understanding of gender equitable classroom practices and access to materials that can be used to help teacher education students address issues of gender equity in their teaching.  http://www.coe.uga.edu/ingear/
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: Equity Resources — Features equitable resources to encourage teachers and students to value and respect the work of all members of the classroom community and to believe that all students can make important contributions.  http://www.nctm.org/equity.aspx

source: EduHound’s Classroom Tools & Tips, a newsletter that provides valuable ed tech resources to incorporate into K-12 curriculum.  Educational topics, preformatted templates, technology tutorials and practical tips.  Judi Rajala invites you to suggest topics, share templates or join the list.  JRajala@eduhound.com.  

EduHound’s other Web sites include Awesome Clipart for Educators, EH Schools on the Web, EH Classrooms on the Web, T.H.E. Journal, Campus Technology.

for tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021  or email   aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Marburn Academy Free Parent Seminar on Math Problems

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Periodically, Marburn Academy in Columbus OH offers free Community Parent Seminars. 

Marburn Academy is the premier K-12 school for bright students who have learning challenges in Columbus Ohio.

The next is

• “Overcoming Math Learning Problems,”
•  Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
•  7:00pm.

RSVP and get directions from  Barbara Davidson at bdavidson@marburnacademy.org, or phone 614-433-0822.

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Students in KY Apply Geometry to Construction Projects

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In Northern Kentucky, geometry students at Newport High School are answering the question “How does this matter in real life?” according to an article by Sarah Hardee in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

A pilot program, through the state’s Department of Education and Kentucky Educational Television, is providing 19 students with a construction geometry course that integrates the two disciplines.

The students will apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to an important construction project.  The hope is that students will be more interested in math, and retain information better, says educator Terry Bennett, who designed the lessons used for the program.  Bennett is a consultant with both the state Department of Education and KET.

Says Bennett, “It’s an interdisciplinary video course for students taking both geometry and carpentry courses.  The idea of the program is allowing students to learn math in the context of something they’re interested in.

“When you apply math to a field with real-life examples, it makes it more real for students.”

At the moment, only a handful of schools in Kentucky are part of the pilot program that requires state assessments and evaluations.  But more than 30 schools are using program materials, and applying the curriculum in math and carpentry classes.

At Newport, carpentry teacher Harold Davis, a carpentry teacher who is also certified to teach math, is in a unique position.  “It’s an advantage and made us perfect for this program.” 

Davis is helping the students build a garage at the district’s bus lot using geometry and carpentry lessons they learn in the program. 

“For students, the program is great because it is hands on learning that has a purpose.  Students are building something by applying what they’re learning in the classroom… it’s a win-win for them.”  

Travis Jones, a sophomore, said learning geometry through the program has been much easier for him because he’s a hands-on learner.  It’s also been nice to knock out both credits at once, he said.

“We’re putting what we’re learning to work,” says Jones.  “It’s all coming together now and it will be nice to see the finished product.”

The construction geometry course is also available through the Kentucky Virtual High School, which offers a range of online learning services for teachers and students throughout the state.

“All of the feedback we’ve been getting on the program has been nothing but positive,” said Bennett.  “We’re hoping it proves to be a success and we can bring it to even more students in Kentucky.”

For more information on the course or to obtain materials, contact Carole Frakes at the Kentucky Department of Education at 502-564-3472.

sole source: Sarah Hardee’s article on 3/24/09 in the Cincinnati Enquirer in Northern Kentucky.  http://www.nky.com

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ AOGPE Conference Agenda: May 1-2 2009

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The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) annual conference is being held Friday May 1 (half-day) and Saturday May 2 at Harrah’s Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas.

The theme is Empowerment! for Teachers, Clinicians, Children & Parents.

Register by April 16 and save: call 845-373- 8919, or visit www.ortonacademy.org.

Keynote Speakers are

• Drake D. Duane, MD — behavioral neurologist, who established the Institute for Developmental Behavioral Neurology at Arizona State University.  He is the immediate past president of the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities and a past president of the International Dyslexia Association. His address is titled:  Dyslexia: Neurobiology & Behavioral Associations, a 21st Century View.
• Denise P. Gibbs, Ed.D — director of the Scottish Rite Foundation of Alabama Learning Centers; she is the author of “RTI in Middle and High School Structures for Literacy Success,” as well as “Leading the Dyslexia Challenge: An Action Plan for Schoolwide Identification and Intervention.”  Her address is titled: Response to Intervention for Middle & High School Students: Frameworks, Assessments & Interventions.
• Tom Pierce, Ph.D. — co-project director of the Nevada Child Care Subsidy Project, and co-director of Project CONNECT; he is associate editor for “Intervention in School and Clinic.”  His address is titled  Post-Secondary Assistance for Students with Learning Differences: Creating Seamless Transitions. 

 Breakout sessions include

• Squaring Up to Math:  Geometry — What is it all About?
• The Orton-Gillingham Approach : 3 sessions through the continuum
• English Isn’t Crazy — It is Merely Complex
• For Parents — moderated panel
• Advanced Writing I: Using a Taxonomy of Semantics in Creative Writing
• The ABCs of Education Law
• A Reading Evaluation that Guides Instruction
• Grammar I — Getting Started with Grammar: the O-G Approach
• Poor Readers + Advanced Orton-Gillingham = a Great Combination for Success!
• Squaring Up to Math: Rounding — A Skill Important in Problem Solving
• Reading amd Writing I + II:  Perfect Together
• Teaching the Subject Matter to Students Who Struggle with Reading, Written Expression & Spelling
• Advanced Writing II: Scaffolding the Essay
• Why Teach Spelling?
• The How and When of Teaching Morphology
• Grammar II — Continuing with Grammar Instruction
• Leveling the Playing Field for All Types of Learning
• Squaring Up to Math: The Rights & Wrongs of Teaching Algebra
• Opening School Doors — An Orton-Gillingham Approach
• Mind versus Brain: The Roots of Whole language versus Phonics
• Empowerment with the Assistance of Technology
• Panel Discussion:  What is the Academy?

You can email the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) at ortonacademy@verizon.net.  Their phone: 845-373-8919.

tutoring in Columbus OH:  Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email   aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com