Author Archives: Daniel Scher

avatar

About Daniel Scher

Daniel Scher, Ph.D., is a senior scientist at KCP Technologies, where he co-directs the NSF-funded Dynamic Number project. He has developed Sketchpad activities across the entire mathematics curriculum, from elementary school through college. He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education at New York University.

Exploring Conic Sections with Sketchpad

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Daniel Scher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9csTtUmKek&w=480&h=360]

As a student, I didn’t place conic sections on my list of favorite high school topics. The standard textbook treatment of the ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola seemed uninspired. There were messy algebraic equations with multiple square roots. There was lots of … Continue reading →

Posted in Math Software | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Exploring Factor Patterns in an Interactive Array

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Daniel Scher

OK, I admit it: I have factors on the brain. First, I wrote about When Factoring Gets Personal. I followed that with a post describing what happens When Factors Put on Their Dancing Shoes. So what’s next—When Factors Apply for a Home Equity … Continue reading →

Posted in Math Software | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Dynamic Number Project Comes to NCTM Philadelphia

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Daniel Scher

It’s time for the NCTM Annual Meeting! For the past two and a half years, my colleague Scott Steketee and I have been collaborating with elementary teachers in New York and Philadelphia as they field test curriculum materials for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Factors Put on Their Dancing Shoes

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Daniel Scher

What’s the narrative? That question, so fundamental to any novel, may not sound as relevant when applied to mathematics. Take, for example, the topic of factors: 1, 2, 4, and 8 are factors of eight; 3, 5, and 7 are … Continue reading →

Posted in Math Software | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

When Factoring Gets Personal

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Daniel Scher

As an author of Sketchpad activities, I like to think that I can pose good problems for students to solve. But as I visit elementary classrooms and watch students use Sketchpad, I realize that a large part of the enjoyment … Continue reading →

Posted in Math Software | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Oh, the Fractions You’ll See!

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Daniel Scher

A quick quiz: How many fractions are there? This may sound like an absurd question, but in the context of elementary mathematics curricula, it makes a lot of sense. Think about it: Children encounter fractions like 1/2, 3/4, and 2/6 … Continue reading →

Posted in Math Software | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment