Will The Ball Hit The Can? March 28th, 2009 by Dan Meyer I pick up a huge static charge whenever six words, paired with the right a/v material, can motivate an hour of mathematical exploration.

When we teach math we are helping our students establish a framework for interpreting the world. One of the worst ways I know to help them establish that framework is to print an illustration of a real-world scene in a textbook, write in only the relevant measurements, and tell the students in the text of the problem which formula or strategy to apply. This leaves a student helpless and unprepared (in the mathematical, analytical sense) should she ever encounter the world that exists outside the pages of her textbook. So we instead bring digital media from the world into the classroom, simulations of the world as students experience it, artifacts which students can discuss and to which they can apply frameworks of their choice. In order to leave students capable and prepared for their encounters with the world, this media must be captured and presented very intentionally.