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Thomas E. Clark Presentations
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Teaching Mathematics as a Language Teaching Percent Teaching Addition of Fractions for Algebra "Ours is Not to Reason Why, Just Invert and Multiply" Solving Relations in Algebra – Part 1 (Equations and Inequalities) Can you Really “Teach” Story-Problems? – Part 1 Trouble Spots in Math Deciding What to Teach in Mathematics "Algebra for Everyone" - How Much Do We Really Need? What is “Critical Thinking”, and Can Anyone Do It? Can you Really “Teach” Story-Problems? – Part 2 Solving Relations in Algebra – Part 2 (Special Cases) Teenage Math – What to Teach, and How to Teach It.
Teaching Mathematics as a Language
In this workshop, Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, clearly demonstrates the syntax and structure of mathematical language. First, he will define the five parts of mathematical speech (there are only five). Then he will demonstrate how to build the four types of mathematical expressions (there are only four). Finally, because you will truly understand the roles of all types of mathematical symbols, you will see how easy it is to translate between Mathematics and English, and improve your understanding, and teaching, of “story problems”. (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for all levels K-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.)
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Teaching Percent
In this instructional workshop, you will discover how easy it is to teach percent, when you relate it to equivalent decimal and fraction forms. Join Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, as he demonstrates how a visual development of this important, and practical concept also provides a logic, which does not depend on shortcuts or tricks, and has impact on other mathematical concepts necessary for advancement. (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for levels 6-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.)
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Teaching Addition of Fractions for Algebra
Since algebraic fractions are a much more complex form than arithmetic fractions, the addition techniques often used in elementary arithmetic will not hold in Algebra. Tom Clark, president of VideoText Interactive, and author of "Algebra: A Complete Course", explains how you can teach your students to develop a clear, detailed approach to addition of fractions which is fail-safe, both in arithmetic and Algebra.
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"Ours is Not to Reason Why, Just Invert and Multiply"
Since algebraic fractions are a much more complex form than arithmetic fractions, the memorization of the operational techniques generally taught in arithmetic, simply will not hold in Algebra. In this instructional workshop, Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, explains in detail, the “reasons behind the rules”. Now students can develop a clear, conceptual approach to working with fractions, without a reliance on meaningless shortcuts and tricks. (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for levels 6-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.)
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Solving Relations in Algebra – Part 1 (Equations and Inequalities)
Because Algebra is the study of relations, it is essential that students understand the concepts necessary to solve them. In this workshop, Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, will help you to develop an inquiry approach which is applicable to all basic relations. You will discover the analytical questions students need to ask, in order to “undo” all of the complications they may encounter, when solving equations and inequalities.(This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for levels 6-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.) (This workshop can stand alone, and provide closure, without part 2.)
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Can you Really “Teach” Story-Problems? – Part 1
In this entertaining and instructional workshop with Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, you will develop, and learn how to use, the five analysis questions that must be asked to solve story problems, whether in simple arithmetic or in Algebra. The correct answers to these questions are guaranteed to lead students to the relation (equation or inequality) they must solve in order to find the answer to the problem. (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for all levels K-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.) (This workshop can stand alone, and provide closure, without part 2.)
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Trouble Spots in Math
Join Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, as he offers an entertaining and educational session designed to help you discover the reasons behind the difficulty, on several of the traditional trouble spots in math. Topics discussed will be determined by the audience, and may include division of fractions and multiplication of decimals (using those mindless rules), long-division, story-problems, positive and negative numbers, and numerous others, all of which seem to indicate that Mathematics is just naturally “difficult”. (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for all levels K-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.)
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Deciding What to Teach in Mathematics
This workshop is designed to inform parent-educators about the scope, the sequence, and the logic of mathematics instruction from pre-school through adult. Join Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, as he takes you on a sometimes humorous journey, describing all levels of arithmetic and all mathematics courses encountered in high school and college. In addition, considerable attention will be given to identifying the “why” of the study of mathematics with an emphasis on the development of concepts, instead of rote memorization. (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for all levels K-12, and is especially appropriate for beginning homeschoolers.)
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"Algebra for Everyone" - How Much Do We Really Need?
In this workshop, you will again ask the age-old question, “When are we ever going to use this stuff?”. The answer will become obvious as Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, directs you in a sometimes humorous exploration of the current trends related to finding everyday applications of mathematical concepts.(This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for all levels K-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.)
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What is “Critical Thinking”, and Can Anyone Do It?
Are your students learning passively, or are they involved in concept development? Are they figuring things out for themselves, or are they just learning tricks and shortcuts? Come brainstorm with Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, as he humorously explores the reasons instruction can be difficult, finally arriving at a set of benchmark strategies which help students “think” critically and analytically. (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for all levels K-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.)
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Can you Really “Teach” Story-Problems? – Part 2
This is a follow-up workshop in which the five-analysis-questions approach to solving “story-problems” will be reviewed, and applied to more involved story problems. Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, will explore more troublesome problems, in order to illustrate the universality of mathematical problem-solving. Typical problems will be examined, such as Percent, Age, Geometric Figure, Motion, Mixture, Direct and Inverse Variation, and Work. (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for levels 8-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.) (This workshop, to be effective, must follow part 1.)
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Solving Relations in Algebra – Part 2 (Special Cases)
While basic relations are fairly straightforward, special cases, and compound sentences, such as absolute value and rational inequalities, present a sophistication that requires us to extend our inquiry approach to the next level. In this follow-up workshop, Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, will focus on the application of the same analysis questions, when presented with several of these situations. (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for levels 8-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.) (This workshop, to be effective, must follow part 1.)
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Teenage Math – What to Teach, and How to Teach It.
Are you struggling with teaching math to your teenagers? Do the words “ALGEBRA” and “GEOMETRY” strike fear in the hearts of your family? In this workshop, Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course”, will offer a sometimes humorous exploration of the reasons that instruction can be difficult and will then get serious about WHY teenagers need higher level math. If you or your students have ever asked, “When are we going to use this Algebra stuff?”, then this workshop is for you! (This is a non-product-related, instructional workshop, suitable for levels 7-12, and is appropriate for beginning and veteran homeschoolers alike.)
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