Tag Archive 'arithmetic'

Aug 24 2009

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Tom Biesanz

Right Brain Math with Digital Roots & Modular Arithmetic is Fun

There was a comment about modular arithmetic and digital roots on Youtube. It brings up some fun looks at math. Modular arithmetic is a clock view of numbers. When a clock goes past 12, it goes back to 1. Right Brain Math uses this with a ten base to create the number wheel. But then the fun begins. It goes around the wheel with the Fours and Sixes, but then we can also see it go in a star pattern to create the Fours and Sixes. The Twos and Eights go in a pentagon shape in opposite directions. The Threes and Sevens make a fancy star, again in opposite directions.
Digital roots are a system of adding the digits of a number, then adding again, until only 1 digit remains (the digital root). Look at the Nines to 90 for a useful pattern: 09, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90. They all add up to 9. Tic-tac-toe squares are definitely not modular arithmetic, nor digital roots. However, look at the digital roots of the 3’s on the tic-tac-toe squares for fascinating patterns. Every number in the columns in the first square adds up 3-6-9. The second square to 6-9-3, the 3rd square to 9-6-3, and the 4th square would add up to 3-6-9 again. I might make a video about digital roots. There is an example below. The left side is the Threes on a Tic-tac-toe square from the video. The right side repeats the left (Threes), but it converts each number to digital roots. See that every set of 3 numbers adds up to 3 or 6 or 9. Notice that 66 is 6 + 6 = 12 which is further reduced to1 + 2 = 3.  Try it. Numbers are fun!

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Dec 11 2008

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Tom Biesanz

Math Teachers at convention rate Right Brain Math: “Exceeds Expectations”

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MisterNumbers (author Tom Biesanz) presented at the California Math Council (CMC) Convention Dec 6th in Monterey. CMC is the largest affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Math (NCTM) in the country. Most teachers that attended rated the 90 minute workshop as “EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS” and are excited to teach Right Brain Math visual patterns and “big pictures” to students 2nd-12th grade.

 

Some of their comments were:

“Great way to break down the multiplication chart! I can’t wait to show my students!”

“Nice way of looking at patterns. You created visuals I hadn’t seen before.  Believe me, many H.S. students struggle with multiplication still.”

“So easy to understand. Good handouts. Good ideas for my struggling students. I will use these.”

“Awesome workshop. EZ Times Table is an excellent tool to teach students math.”

“Enjoyed the presentation. I feel that these concepts will be beneficial to me in helping my students (5/6) better learn multiplication facts.”

“Great Ideas. Very Useful. Have him back!”

 “I appreciate the connection to other math concepts, like factors.”

“Teaching HS, I see a lot of students who struggle w/multiplying. They still love visuals, puzzles & games though, so I’m anxious to show them your ideas!  Thank You!”

“WOW”

“I will use this with my low level 6th grade math.”

“Great Concept!”

“Excellent Workshop.  Great tool for teaching students their times tables. EZ Times Table Rocks!”

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