what would it be? I'm thinking of something fun, challenging, a little bit informative but mostly a free online escape where gamers earn points and sponsor prizes

What do you guys think? And what prizes - be specific do you want? Name names please

I was thinking a build the life of your dreams game - earn and choose your house, your car, your line of work, your kids, your wardrobe, vacation spots, the charities you support blah blah blah

Do you have any favorite online games you play now?

Denise,

To fess up, I learned a lot about vacuum cleaners, too - in fact, I wondered if it couldn't have been an older Mr. Dyson.

Jen,
Discalculia is one of the 7 learning disabilities .

The test anxiety is only one of the reasons that I wonder about my own "diagnosis". I have very found memories of the nun who finally realized that I did my homework, did it well, answered in class and then tanked on tests.
I attended one of the all-girl Catholic High Schools in Toledo and took a placement test. According to that test (THOSE kinds of tests, I've always done well on) I scored incredibly high - a feat never duplicated in my grades until I went back for my associates).

I don't need any more tests today, Denise, I have to get done what I haven't been doing while I've answered your questions and watched my sports teams win (except my Alma Mater) - congrats to the Falcons, Jen!

Linda

Denise, if your son is doing fine when you work together and just has trouble with tests, it may be simple test anxiety and not necessarily a learning disability. A lot of people just freak out when they see a test in ways that doesn't happen when they're doing homework.

There is a disability I heard about called discalculia that explains a lot of the problems I have in my life, including why I missed the bus to Chicago this weekend and had to take a later one (inability to remember schedules). Luckily the trip went OK anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by johnbol:
Denise,

This took about an hour including watching the Mets/Cardinals baseball game and the Wolverines/Penn State game and watch a program I recorded from last night.
Robert Noyce founded Intel in 1968 originally calling it Integrated Electronics Corporation.

Cool!!!! This is the first one he gave out this year.

I went off on some funny tangents with this one (and took Jamie with me). First I got stuck on the phrase, "This man took vacuums to a whole new level...". We spent 2 hours researching Roomba like vacuum cleaners and computerized hovering vacuum cleaners.... Vacuums/heights… We know more about flying vacuum cleaners than you can imagine.

THEN, being a formerly heavy person… I decided that the phrase “This man took vacuums to a whole new level by integrating them with chips.” MUST refer to Pringles (potato chips in a vacuum sealed package seemed logical to me). I spent a couple hours goole-ing the inventor of Pringles and the vacuum container and the packaging… etc, etc, etc.

Finally, it occurred to me that we ARE in the Silicon Valley… duh… chips… vacuums…

* * * * * * *

Thanks for all of the learning disability stuff… I’ll have to look thru the site. I’ve sent off an email asking for an appt with the math teacher. He has also noticed some red flag sort of things… lining up numbers wrong, doing processes in the wrong order, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by johnbol:
Also, I can make a forensic case for my having LD, too - but, the joke has always been - the more you study LD, the more you think you have one!

LOL! Yeah… I worked as an EMT on an ambulance for a couple of years… I’m sort of familiar with the syndrome…

O.K. Denise,

Now, I'm catching up on your earlier posting. Some information you may or may not know. I am 1.) married to a man with severe learning disabilities, 2.) a non-working teacher of students with learning disabilities and 3.) the mother of a son with learning disabilities. (I hope this doesn't get too long).

I placed the items in the order they happened in my life. When I married Bill, I did not know that what he had was called a learning disability. I did know he read at about a 4th grade level. I also knew he was/is one of the most intelligent people I know. It was through my going back to school to get my teaching certificate that I learned about dyslexia and the other 6 learning disabilites.

By the time my ds was in school, I was teaching and watching him because I knew that being the child of a man with LD, he would be more likely to have one, too. (Also, I can make a forensic case for my having LD, too - but, the joke has always been - the more you study LD, the more you think you have one!)

Despite my credentials, I had to fight major battles with school districts (yes, plural) about DS education AND dh, too. Since ds could read way better than he could, dh felt - what's the big deal? I, on the other hand, was guided by wanting ds to get the best he could.

I ended up telling ds that our problems with teachers/school was that he is so intelligent that he's like an 18 speed bike where the rest of the world is a 10 speed. The teacher is happy to have anyone working at 10 speeds. Mom, here, wanted son to develop as many of the 18 gears as possible.

THAT is what I feel should be (and I know it is) guiding you,. YOU don't have to prove he has an LD. The testing should show that.

I understand about being different and lots of things that I'm NOT going to put here - maybe we can IM some time.

Part of my crusade develops from having spent 19 years with a man who can not write a check, read a menu, etc. I love him dearly. I wouldn't trade him in (except for George Clooney). But I know the problems he has had and continues to have because he feels it's a crime (or employers do) to have an LD. It's not always easy for me either.

It is such a tightrope to walk determining what aid to give that won't be too much, yet will be enough.

The site I sent earlier (www.ldonline.org) has at least 5 tons of information including helps for Math. Also look for Dr. Mel Levine's books A Mind at a Time and The Myth of Laziness . I think both are available in paperback now.

I wish I was closer so Alex and I could sit down together (but, I am often delusional and thik I can work anything out - oh! if only it were so.)

Linda

Denise,

This took about an hour including watching the Mets/Cardinals baseball game and the Wolverines/Penn State game and watch a program I recorded from last night. I originally saw your note at 9:04 and had the answer by 10:09, but hadn't worked on it the entire time.

Robert Noyce founded Intel in 1968 originally calling it Integrated Electronics Corporation.

As to your ds - try this: http://www.ldonline.org/article/5735

Linda

Linda,

This website describes my ds...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/mathdiffs.html

This man took vacuums to a whole new level by integrating them with chips. Who is he, and how did he come up with the name of his company?

* * * * * * *
OK... Linda, This one took us an embarassing 6 hours. (How did you lose so much weight? I was Google-ing searching for "Who Is This?" answers and couldn't type and eat at the same time.)

We were the 5th family to email him and at least 10 people got it right...

On your mark... Get set... GOOGLE!!!!

(KD! We should get Google to sponser us and to give us free stuff! Or Cash prizes. Or free math tutors. )

quote:

Originally posted by johnbol:
am I still one of the first 10?

Edwin Hubble

Lolololol! I KNEW you'd want to play Linda... I'll have to give you Math Teacher's email... So that you can play.

"Hi, I'm not in your math class. I'm Linda from Urbana, OH... and I want to play, too. Am I one of the top 10? I really need to know... because I'm sort of competitive in these kinds of games... and I love them!" You can donate any points you earn to the "James W extra credit fund".

quote:

And now, I'm going to stick my nose in where it may not belong: Denise, have you considered having him tested for having a Learning Disability.

Feel free to nose in on any subject, Linda.

I HAVE thought about having him tested. His math tests just come back so bizarre.

A question like, "Graph this line, bla, bla, bla... What is the Y intercept?" We've figured out the Y intercept about 200 times now on all different problems. He can tell you the Y intercept in his sleep. We get back the test and I'll say, "Jamie, look at this problem... what is the Y intercept?" "(0,5)" "Exactly. Why did you write for an answer, (15,106)" "I don't know. I thought it was a trick question." or "It just seemed like a good idea at the time." or "I didn't know what he wanted... I didn't know that he wanted the Y intercept."

And a lot of times, when we are doing homework, I'll say, "OK. Do number 12 now." "I need you to read it to me." "But I won't be there to read it to you for the test." "I know, but I NEEEED you to read it to me."

He has no reading issues. He reads above grade level. I'm sure that he picks up clues when I read it to him for words I stress or inflections in my voice.

"What is the Y intercept?" or
"What is the Y intercept?

I know parents with kids in my band class with REALLY obvious learning disabilities… and getting them tested and then getting the IEP (Individualized Education Program) set up, etc… it all seems like a one way trip to Hell complete with jumping thru 985 flaming hoops… that then getting the IEP *enforced* requires making a pack with the Devil… I think if I started now… I’d finish up when he is a sophomore in college.

And I don’t know about OH… but in our district there is a LOT of controversy because there have been over-achiever parents who get a prescription for Ritalin for their kid and then demand an IEP so that their kid gets extra time on tests… So proving that you need an IEP is very difficult.

There is also a lot of pressure and kids often take classes over the summer to prepare to the next years classes. The math teacher has a whole list of place (he recommends Stanford… ) where you can go over the summer to learn next years classes. I’ve heard complaints that the Honors Classes teachers really don’t teach because a large percentage of the kids already know all the info and they are there to earn their A+ and keep their 4.something GPA. I don't know if ds would have been better off in a “regular” class…

So knowing the “right” thing to do or which class he belongs in is quite overwhelming…

And I honestly don’t know how much of it is a terrible year last year where he didn’t learn anything for various reasons and the “fault” all lies with me, Jamie and his past teacher…

Or if he is in a class that is just over his head…

Or if is mathematically challenged…

I had to take “basic math” twice in HS… and I flunked pre-algebra (mostly because nobody at home made me do homework and my dad was dying and my mom was moving into a drug program and it was a different time and nobody ever thought I’d need math to get a job and it never occurred to anybody that I might go to college…)

And then when I was 29 I went to college and was a math major and took all 3 Calculus classes and Linear Algebra and then had to drop out when I went in the hospital when I was preg with ds (and silly me, I thought I’d want to go back to college and finish with a baby… never occurred to me that I’d be woken up 6 times a night for the next 3 years… and I thought I might go back when ds went to HS… but it never occurred to me that I don’t have time for BOTH of our homework…) But it does sort of blow ds away that I learned what he is learning when I twice his age… 30 seems young to me now… and seems really old to him.

I talked to this years’ math teacher about moving ds to another class at the beginning of the year… and he seemed to think that ds really had a shot at doing ok in the class… and making up for the lost year last year. I’m going to make another appt. and ask if I should enroll him in a test taking strategy class or something… or if he thinks that ds has some sort of math learning disability…

But thank for your input.

Linda, do you know of any website for the 7 kinds of learning disabilities and the math one…

Oh… maybe I should Google it…?

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
Here is the "Who Is This" photo posted today:



Clue: This guy was so bright that he inspired Steven Hawking and gave us a vision for our past, our present, and our future. Who was he, and what do we know of currently that is named in his honor?

* * * * *
I'm going to have to tell Math Teacher that I need more of a challenge... took me about 90 seconds to figure this one out...

Well, Denise it took me longer than 90 seconds, but, am I still one of the first 10?

Edwin Hubble

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
Something happens when he goes to take a test (in part because his grasp of the info is sort of tenuous).

Let’s say he was learning basic math - addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Monday he practices adding for 90 mins. He does 15 addition problems and he pretty much gets it. Tues - subtraction. Wed - mult. Thurs - division. And each day he understands the homework.

Friday he takes a test on all 4 concepts and morphs adding and subtracting into some new bizarre process… or the test will say, Use multiplication on the following 3 problems… and he divides them.

That is what his tests look like. And when he looks at the answer key… he totally understands his mistakes and sort of slaps his head with a “Doh! What was I thinking?”

And we went back and reviewed Chapter Two and Chapter Two is EASY for him now… but he is on chapter 4 and gets it but not TOTALLY. His grasp of the current chapter is always tenuous...

So the good news is… he is learning.

Bad news is he has stopped passing tests and quizzes and currently isn’t passing the class and there is a very real possibility that he won’t pass it this year and will have to take it again. So right now… that is actually our plan, of sorts. It isn’t a waste of a year… and he’ll be prepared for next year. Sometimes it is hard to keep a focus… and hard for ME not to start thinking, “This is just a waste of time”… but it really isn’t.

Jamie has a REALLY good attitude and we enjoy the process of sitting and doing the homework. And he actually seems to enjoy the class time and is having a positive experience in there… if it weren’t for that pesky problem of all of his neurons misfiring when he has to take a test, it would all be good. And for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to be affecting his self esteem.

If Algebra was losing weight… he is like somebody on a plateau who is staying the same weight, but losing inches… and he just stays on task and keeps plugging away… even though he isn’t getting that reward on the scale… (or on tests… in his case). (I can tie ANY subject to weight loss).

He is getting an A in all of his other classes and whips through that homework with almost no effort… so that is good.

And we are not really worried about his GPA for college right now… since he will probably either a) go to community college and transfer… b) go to a State College.

And now, I'm going to stick my nose in where it may not belong: Denise, have you considered having him tested for having a Learning Disability.

It sounds from here, miles away, as if he has many supports (you, the small class, practice, intelligence). What would benefit from having him tested? You would know and then you would be able to arrange additional supports for him - like formula cards or having the test read to him or…

Having a Learning Disability is, by law, a circumstance which happens to people with at least normal intelligence and math is definitely one of the 7 areas in which people have learning disabilities.

Just a thought.

Linda

quote:

Originally posted by TriGirl:
Denise, I've read some of your other posts on the math homework situation, and the thing that puzzles me is why teachers are giving homework that the kids can't reasonably be expected to do themselves without tons of help from the parents. I mean, isn't it the kids who are supposed to be learning here?

He needed sooooo much extra help with the regular math homework because he got a D+ in math last year... and when he went to HS... they just promoted him along to the next (honors) math class. I think that many/most of the kids in the class can do all the homework without a lot of help (with the exception of the "Who is This?"). Actually, in our case... ds can do much of the homework on his own now.

He also has a couple of kids in the class who help him with homework... And hearing a process described by me, the teacher, and other kids has really helped him a lot. I think that he is basically keeping up with the class and is doing OK when he hears the lecture. It is a VERY small class with only 18 kids (people are just blown away by this… since most classes have 35 kids) and he gets a lot of one on one attention. The teacher emails me all the time and is very good with feedback.

I think that we do this “extra credit” Google homework together is a positive thing. We’ve spent Sunday breakfast talking about the history of the Silicon Valley because of it. Wikipedia (and other websites) have bio’s on all of these people and I think that it has been good for ds to read that many Nobel Prize winners were not the best in their class in HS or had classes that they failed and some were good at athletics as kids and other odd ball facts that ds finds interesting and encouraging. If I find the “Who is This?”… He reads it and types up the email to send to his teacher. And many positive discussions have come out of it and that wouldn’t have happened if he was in here Googling by himself.

This cyber homework is by no means enough extra credit that it makes ANY difference in ds’s grade.

He is officially failing the class, now.

He is WAY better with the homework and it is taking less time and he is "getting it". His homework part of the grade is an A+.

Something happens when he goes to take a test (in part because his grasp of the info is sort of tenuous).

Let’s say he was learning basic math - addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Monday he practices adding for 90 mins. He does 15 addition problems and he pretty much gets it. Tues - subtraction. Wed - mult. Thurs - division. And each day he understands the homework.

Friday he takes a test on all 4 concepts and morphs adding and subtracting into some new bizarre process… or the test will say, Use multiplication on the following 3 problems… and he divides them.

That is what his tests look like. And when he looks at the answer key… he totally understands his mistakes and sort of slaps his head with a “Doh! What was I thinking?”

And we went back and reviewed Chapter Two and Chapter Two is EASY for him now… but he is on chapter 4 and gets it but not TOTALLY. His grasp of the current chapter is always tenuous...

So the good news is… he is learning.

Bad news is he has stopped passing tests and quizzes and currently isn’t passing the class and there is a very real possibility that he won’t pass it this year and will have to take it again. So right now… that is actually our plan, of sorts. It isn’t a waste of a year… and he’ll be prepared for next year. Sometimes it is hard to keep a focus… and hard for ME not to start thinking, “This is just a waste of time”… but it really isn’t.

Jamie has a REALLY good attitude and we enjoy the process of sitting and doing the homework. And he actually seems to enjoy the class time and is having a positive experience in there… if it weren’t for that pesky problem of all of his neurons misfiring when he has to take a test, it would all be good. And for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to be affecting his self esteem.

If Algebra was losing weight… he is like somebody on a plateau who is staying the same weight, but losing inches… and he just stays on task and keeps plugging away… even though he isn’t getting that reward on the scale… (or on tests… in his case). (I can tie ANY subject to weight loss).

He is getting an A in all of his other classes and whips through that homework with almost no effort… so that is good.

And we are not really worried about his GPA for college right now… since he will probably either a) go to community college and transfer… b) go to a State College.

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
The first "Who is this?", Jamie was horrified that he was cheating as all three of us were Googling our fingers off. I said, "Oh PLEASE, parents all over town are googling trying to get an extra 100 points for their kids..." I was right.

Denise, I've read some of your other posts on the math homework situation, and the thing that puzzles me is why teachers are giving homework that the kids can't reasonably be expected to do themselves without tons of help from the parents. I mean, isn't it the kids who are supposed to be learning here?

I didn't invent it... and it isn't a game...

It is my kid's extra credit math homework. (All the kids in class say that their parents do it... our house is no exception... so far I'm the best at it... but Jamie gets the credit)

"Who is this?" is a photo of a famous (well famous to some people) person and a Jepardy like clue.

"The goal of this webpage is to be a fun connection between math, science, history, and English. Should you choose to embark on a quest for one of these famous persons, be prepared to have an open mind and do a bit of research on the internet! Good luck, sleuth!!! Correct answers are worth 100 points, as long as you are 1 of the first 10 to answer correctly with an MLA Citation and not be plagiarized in any way."

Here is the "Who Is This" photo posted today:



Clue: This guy was so bright that he inspired Steven Hawking and gave us a vision for our past, our present, and our future. Who was he, and what do we know of currently that is named in his honor?

* * * * *
I'm going to have to tell Math Teacher that I need more of a challenge... took me about 90 seconds to figure this one out...


The first "Who is this?", Jamie was horrified that he was cheating as all three of us were Googling our fingers off. I said, "Oh PLEASE, parents all over town are googling trying to get an extra 100 points for their kids..." I was right.


I don't know if you can send people off Googling for nutition or weight loss info.

ooooooo, Jen,

I really like your grand prize. Where do enter?

How about a trainer or coach, too? Is that part of the lifestyle makeover?

Just about the only cybergame I play is Word Racer on Yahoo. Could be a trivial pursuit type game only "smart answers" about lifestyle, healthy eating, etc.

Linda

Grand prize -- a KD kitchen and lifestyle makeover.

I don't play online games...
but one you'd come up with might hook me.

For prizes I would like magazine subscriptions, lotions, lip balms, t shirts, books

Your game idea sounds like "Life" -- I used to love that game when I was a kid. They changed it, from what I hear. Yours sounds more fun! What would be cool would be if you gave suggestions on how to make your game life a real life -- like, what are 3 baby steps you can take toward being a famous writer right now.

I don't play many online games but the ones I've tried are word games: text twist, online scrabble, crossword puzzles.

You could always do a sort of "game" that tied into the website themes. Like a "Choose your own adventure" game that resulted in a recipe. What I'm thinking are swappable elements -- choose your starch, choose your protein, choose your veggies, choose your seasonings -- that would give you the recipe and nutritional info for your creation. One person might do Couscous with Chicken, Red Peppers and Cilantro and another would end up with Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Basil. You could give "upgrade suggestions" for each recipe, like "Next time, try brown rice for x more grams of fiber and x less calories." Silly idea, maybe.

There was a Biggest Loser challenge last season where contestants had to guess the calories for a super-sized fast food meal. That would be kind of fun. In magazines, I've also seen the "Which is a better choice," and there are two different meals.