Blogging for real
Over recent years, blogs have become an The adventures of Alexandria Jones naz.edu/). This collaboration has resulted
extremely popular way for people to and her family, taking a tour through the in a wide variety of interesting links,
share ideas and opinions. Even our very history of mathematics, are just one of articles and maths problems, mainly
own web editor has started his own blog, the resources available on Let’s Play suitable for A-level classes, as well as a
combining news about the ATM website Math! (http://letsplaymath.wordpress. recurring mathematically-inclined
and interesting thoughts relating to the com/) The blog was originally written dinosaur. Favourite articles include:
maths he encounters in the world. The with home-schoolers in mind, and it teaching induction by using examples of
articles in blogs are only the start of the retains a distinct focus on games and Patterns That Fail (http://threesixty360.
story: comment sections on the larger activities which can be used both in and wordpress.com/2008/10/26/one-two-
blogs offer a very interesting read, partic- out of the classroom. Highlights for us three-four-six-again-and-then-again/); an
ularly when someone disagrees with the include the aforementioned series of article analysing a Top Gear challenge
opinion in the original post. Alexandria Jones articles (http://letsplay (http://threesixty360.wordpress.com/
Blogs can be a great way to challenge math.wordpress.com/alexandria-jones/), 2008/12/09/how-fast-could-they-have-
your own thinking, as well as a source of twenty things to do with a hundred chart gone/); and a survey of mathematical
wonderful ideas to use in your own class- (http://letsplaymath.wordpress.com/2008 jokes (http://threesixty360.wordpress.
rooms. We thought we’d share a few of /09/22/things-to-do-hundred-chart/), and com/2007/12/06/so-a-horse-walks-into-
our favourites, concentrating this time on a review of resources on using journals in a-bar/), particularly for the comments!
those containing useful resources and maths classes (http://letsplaymath. 360 is one of the nominees for ‘Best
lesson ideas. wordpress.com/2008/10/06/writing-to- Group Blog’ in the 2008 Edublog awards.
dy/dan (http://blog.mrmeyer.com/), learn-math-ii/). There are hundreds more blogs out
written by Dan Meyer, a young US maths Mathnotations (http://mathnotations. there covering education, or mathematics,
teacher, is a really good read. He has blogspot.com/) by Dave Marain, now in or both. One great way to find interesting
strong views about teaching, instructional its third year, concentrates on ‘developed new authors and articles is t