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For some reason, the lattice method of multiplication really annoys some people. I wish I could understand what appears to be an irrational rejection of a perfectly sensible approach that is just as mathematically sound as the "traditional" way most Americans were supposed to learn to do multi-digit multiplications. I recently had another fruitless "dialogue" (read: smash-your-head-against-a-brick-wall, you'll-get-further argument) with an entrenched foe of anything and everything viewed as tainted by the evil worm of fuzzy, reform thinking. I will try to edit it into something that some readers may find useful. What started this was the posting by another notorious reform opponent of a link to a YouTube video that shows a way to do multiplication by drawing a series of crossing lines. Of course, the underlying mathematics is the same as what makes the lattice method (and pretty much all methods I've seen taught) work. But the video appears to be presented

Reasons to be cheerful (part three) Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly Good golly Miss Molly and boats Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet Jump back in the alley and nanny goats 18-wheeler Scammels, Domenecker camels All other mammals plus equal votes Seeing Piccadilly, Fanny Smith and Willy Being rather silly, and porridge oats A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks Too short to be haughty, too nutty to be naughty Going on 40 - no electric shocks The juice of the carrot, the smile of the parrot A little drop of claret - anything that rocks Elvis and Scotty, days when I ain't spotty, Sitting on the potty - curing smallpox Reasons to be cheerful part 3 Health service glasses Gigolos and brasses round or skinny bottoms Take your mum to paris lighting up the chalice wee willy harris Bantu Stephen Biko, listening to Rico Harpo, Groucho, Chico Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle Slap and tickle Woody

If you've been wondering about new entries on this blog, wonder no longer. After a month's hiatus, I'm back, blogging from a new perspective. I have taken a job at a public charter high school on the west side of Detroit and reentered the classroom full time after four years of doing professional development work, mostly with elementary and middle school math teachers. As you might imagine, if feels both strange and strangely familiar to be back. Unlike my two previous full-time positions in K-12, where I taught at an alternative high school with students whose average math and literacy level was between 4th and 5th grade, and at a middle college where I basically spent one or more semesters with students trying to get themselves in a position to pass an intermediate algebra course at the community college that sponsored our charter and physically hosted our school, this time around I've got one group of sophomores for Algebra 1, three classes of seniors for Algebra II,