About Hannah Fast

Hannah Fast is a teacher in Washington state. She has taught both middle school mathematics and elementary. She got her undergraduate degree from Western Washington University and is currently working on her master's degree in educational technology at Boise State University. Hannah is passionate about technology and mathematics so this blog is focused on sharing ideas and lessons around those topics.

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Commentary on "Why is Algebra so Hard?"

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I am currently transitioning from teaching elementary to teaching algebra at a middle school. Algebra is actually a high school course, but more and more students in my district are taking it earlier than that, which is how I got this job. It has been making me think about how algebra is so important but is also very difficult for students. I stumbled across this Ted Talk by Emmanuel Schanzer called, “Why is algebra so hard?” and just had to watch it: One of his quotes that struck me right away was, “Arithmetic is to math as spelling is to journalism.” This is so true because arithmetic is only a small part of mathematics. Much of mathematics is much more abstract than this, which can be difficult for students. Students grow up thinking math is all about finding an answer but algebra changes this. This video then took a turn though. To me, it didn’t really answer the question, “Why is algebra so hard?” but rather the question, “How can we connect algebra and computer scie
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Grading Homework

How to grade homework has been something I have struggled with ever since I became a teacher. Some teachers grade for completion and correctness. This means a student must complete all of the questions and get all of the answers correct to receive full credit. Other teachers just grade for completion and effort. In this case, students would have to attempt all the questions but they could still get full points even if they got some incorrect. Also, some teachers just check if the homework is complete or incomplete and do not give any points for it. Then there are even teachers who don't score or check homework at all. They just believe it is practice for the students but not a part of their grade. Right now, I usually focus on completion. Because I teach math, I know students are going to make mistakes on their homework and I don't want to penalize them for that. I do give points for completed homework but I have considered getting rid of points and just putting in my grade b
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Question About Screen Time

One of the biggest trends in edtech has been 1:1 devices in schools. Many districts have been working on getting computers or iPads for every student in their schools. That way every student has equal access to technology. This is something I have been passionate about because it is very frustrating to have to share computer carts amongst multiple classrooms. I know that my district is currently working toward getting a cart of computers in every classroom. I do have one concern about this though. In middle school, if a student uses a computer in every class, they could be in front of a screen for up to six hours. That is a lot of screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that there be a limit on screen time for children and teenagers. Computers are such a powerful tool to use in the classroom but how much use is too much? My question for you is: should we limit screen time in the classroom?
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