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Wang Education in USAToday
posted on November 14, 2006
Dr. Wang comments on a recent Brookings Institution report on math education. From the article:
Frank Wang, former chairman of Saxon, an Oklahoma publisher of popular back-to-basics math textbooks, says you can have both.
"You can have fulfillment. You can have satisfaction and esteem building. But it can't be at the price of the fundamentals."
Wang, who is starting an Internet company to bring advanced math to urban students, says mastery takes years of drill and practice. "Whichever way you cut it, there's a certain amount of tedium to the math."
It's odd that many parents frown upon academic drills, but not athletic drills, he says. "No one questions a football coach when he says we have to have two-a-day practices in 100-degree heat. People don't question it because they feel it's a necessary price to win."
Teaching Calculus to Fifth Graders
posted on November 14, 2006
In September, Dr. Wang visited an inner city school in Chicago to field-test a groundbreaking program to teach calculus concepts to elementary school students. The program is being developed now and should be ready for sale in the first quarter of 2007.
Dr. Frank Wang making headlines
posted on May 16, 2006
A recent NBC News/MSNBC.com special report asks the question "Can America Compete?" Their coverage examines whether the United States will be able to keep up with the exploding economies of Asia, comparing such issues as energy policy, employment trends, and education. Reporter Alex Johnson takes a close look at American textbooks in his article "A Textbook Case of Failure." In the article, Dr. Frank Wang lends his voice to the debate over textbook adoption.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting 2006
posted on April 6, 2006
Stop by our booth at the NCTM Annual Meeting in St. Louis. We will be in Booth #2113. It's just inside the entrance after the registration table. Fill out a registration form for a free "I Love Nerds" Pocket Protector and to be entered in a drawing for Wang Education products.
Thank You Core Knowledge Attendees
posted on February 28, 2006
Many thanks to all who attended my talk Keys to Successful Teaching: Five Simple, Easy-to-Apply, Yet Powerful Techniques to Improve Teaching Effectiveness. For those who turned in a card with your contact information, a summary of the talk will be emailed or mailed to you.
We encourage teachers to visit the Teaching Tips section of our Forums to read some of Dr. Wang's teaching tips. Please share your own teaching tips with us and other teachers.
Also, many thanks to those who came by our exhibit booth. The winners of our drawing are: Eileen Nagle, winner of a Deflexion game; Will Moncrief, winner of a Keys to Successful Teaching DVD; and Donna Bumgartner, winner of a Beauty and Mathematics DVD.
In Search of Calculus
posted on January 27, 2006
This year's Bushiban School for fifth and six graders is attempting something very ambitious -- trying to traverse the journey to calculus in six 50 minute classes!
The goal of In Search of Calculus is to introduce students to the beginning concepts of Calculus by building on the mathematics that they are currently learning in school, proceeding through Algebra concepts such as functions and variables, and finally arriving at basic Calculus concepts. It is an exciting challenge -- one that can demonstrate the fun and potential of mathematics to students.
At their first class, Dr. Wang told the students "Never before have I tried to cover so much in so little time with students so young." Dr. Wang made the analogy to Christopher Columbus searching for a short-cut to Asia. Wang told his students "Christopher Columbus' goal was to find a shortcut to Asia. Instead of finding Asia, Columbus discovered the 'New World.' Similarly, we go in search of a shortcut to calculus, and along the way, I hope each of you students will come upon 'new worlds' that spark your interest and curiosity about mathematics. This class is a grand experiment for me as well as you and this exercise is as much about the journey as it about the destination."
Our hope is that this product will be ready for purchase by schools by Fall 2006. We are currently seeking a limited number of beta-testers who will help us refine and improve the program before its release. If you are interested, please email Dr. Frank Wang.
2006 Lecture Schedule
posted on December 5, 2005
Dr. Frank Wang will be speaking in a city near you. Here's a quick rundown of the locations and schedule:
February 23-25: Core Knowledge Foundation Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX
July 20-22: Conference on the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching, Houston, TX
September 20-22: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Central Regional Meeting, Chicago, IL
October 5-5: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Western Regional Meeting, Phoenix, AZ
October 19-21: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Eastern Regional Meeting, Atlantic City, NJ
More details to follow.
Beauty and Mathematics now shipping!
posted on November 22, 2005
Beauty and Mathematics Lecture on DVD is now shipping with all new and expanded content! There was so much great content in the Beauty and Mathematics DVD that we decided to expand the lecture into a two-DVD set with bonus material - all for the same great price!
Beauty and Mathematics is the perfect answer to the question "What do mathematicians do?" Inside, Dr. Wang will show you and your students - through humor, riddles, and concrete demonstrations - a higher purpose of mathematicians: To seek and find order and pattern in virtually any situation, no matter how disordered or random it may seem.
Again and again in Beauty and Mathematics, Dr. Wang reveals the power of mathematics and how it can arise unexpectedly in everyday situations. Did you know that in a group of only 23 people, two are likely to share a birthday? See Dr. Wang approximate pi from the randomly shouted numbers of his audience members. Watch as he bravely risks life and limb in a "death-defying" feat of computational skills! Dr. Wang's demonstrations and the subsequent explanations entertain while they teach.
Teachers, Let Dr. Wang put the fun back into mathematics through his thought-provoking riddles and demonstrations of mathemagics. Click here to find out more.
Welcome CMC - South Attendees
posted on November 5, 2005
We want to welcome the CMC - South attendees to wangeducation.com. Click here for Conference notes and special promotions.
Dr. Wang to Speak in Colorado
posted on July 22, 2005
Dr. Wang will deliver his "Keys to Successful Teaching" talk to the entire faculty of the Delta County Schools in Colorado on Friday, August 19, 2005. Delta County Schools is located in Western Colorado. The district covers over 1700 square miles in Delta, Gunnison, Montrose and Mesa counties.
Thank you to CAMT Conference attendees
posted on July 22, 2005
Thank you for attending Dr. Wang's talk at the 2005 Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching (CAMT) Conference in Dallas, Texas. Attendees discovered that they needed to arrive early as the large ballroom filled to capacity well before the talk began. If you submitted your email address on the provided index card, keep an eye on your inbox; notes from the talk will be sent to you shortly. If you did not turn in your email address at the talk (or you were one of the many who were turned away at the door) and you would like to receive an emailed summary of the talk, click here.
Dr. Wang to be featured speaker in Palm Springs
posted on June 13, 2005
Dr. Wang has been invited to be one of 7 featured speakers at the fall meeting of the California Math Council - Southern Section to be held in Palm Springs, California from November 4-6. A specific time for the talk "Keys to Effective Instruction" has not been set yet.
Dr. Wang to speak in Dallas
posted on June 13, 2005
On Tuesday, July 12, 2005, Dr. Wang will deliver two major talks at the CAMT (Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching) in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Wang will deliver the talk "How Mathematics Arises in Everyday Situations" at 11:45 am in Ballroom Lone Star C4 and his talk "Keys to Successful Teaching" at 1:30 pm in Dallas Ballroom C.
Dr. Wang to speak in North Dakota
posted on June 13, 2005
On Monday, August 22, 2005, Dr. Wang will be the keynote speaker in a massive professional development day for teachers from 14 school districts, two special education units, and a vocational school located in northeastern North Dakota.
Dr. Wang spoke at Marriott Hospitality High School in Washington DC
posted on June 13, 2005
On May 12, 2005, Dr. Wang addressed the entire faculty and student body at Marriott Hospitality High School in Washington DC.
Dr. Wang wowed the student body with demonstrations of "mathemagics" and stumped students with riddles that illustrate how mathematicians can find order and pattern in what appear to be completely random situations. After school dismissed, Dr. Wang spoke to the entire faculty and gave concrete tips on how teachers can improve their teaching effectiveness.
Free Pocket Protector!
posted on May 9, 2005
The First 100 people to sign up for our forums will receive a free "I Love Nerds" pocket protector!
We want to encourage our visitors to share their teaching experiences in our forums for the benefit of all. It is you, teachers and parents, who are making a difference everyday in the lives of our children.
To encourage participation, Wang Education will send the first 100 people to sign up for the forums one of our exclusive "I Love Nerds" pocket protectors -- a $4.95 value -- for free!
Take pride in being smart while making a unique fashion statement! Here's how:
Simply create a new account in our forums section by clicking on
the "Register" link and following the directions presented. Be sure to enter a valid email address. We will be
contacting you to get shipping information for your free pocket protector. If you've already signed up for the
forums -- Congratulations! -- we will be contacting you shortly so we can send you your very own pocket protector.
A Thank-You Note to NCTM Conference Attendees
posted on April 12, 2005
Thank you for making the NCTM Conference in Anaheim a wonderful success for me and my newly formed company.
Update for Attendees of "The Five 'Secrets' to Effective Instruction" talk:
Thank you for attending my talk. I was flattered and heartened to see so many show up for a talk that was scheduled for the end of the convention. I had expected a relatively small number to show up given the time of the talk (11:00 am - 12:00 noon on Saturday, April 9, 2005) but was much gratified to find the 700+ room largely full.
I am in the process of writing a brief summary of my talk to email to all those who left their email addresses at the end of my talk.
In the meantime, please do visit the Forums section of the website. Especially take note of the Teaching Tips forum. I am in the process of posting up detailed explanations of each of my teaching tips discussed in my NCTM talk. Also, please sign up yourself to give feedback on what I have written or describe teaching techniques and tips that you use in your classroom that you have found to be particularly effective.
Sincerely,
Dr. Frank Wang
BREAKING NEWS!! One of the World's Largest Prime Triplets Discovered!
posted on March 17, 2005
Caleb Li, a senior at the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, and a student of Dr. Frank Wang, was able to locate one of the largest known prime triplets.
A prime triplet is a set of 3 primes in a 7-number stretch. For example, 11, 13, & 17 and 13, 17, & 19 are two such examples. (Note: It is impossible to have 3 odd numbers in succession be prime because one of the three numbers would be divisible by 3.)
A list of the largest known triplets is maintained at: http://www.ltkz.demon.co.uk/ktuplets.htm#largest3 and at http://www.ltkz.demon.co.uk/kt03.txt.
The triplet of primes found by Caleb are 1530 digits long:
p = 4 2 3 2 1 6 8 8 8 1 0 7 1 9 8 0 0 5 6 2 3 0 0 7 8 2 7 0 1 0 2 5 7 0 5 0 7 4 7 0 3 6 9 7 3 9 3 1 9 2 4 3 3 8 2 0 7 2 5 6 9 2 4 8 6 4 7 5 0 2 6 7 2 2 0 8 4 6 1 2 0 2 4 2 9 5 7 3 8 3 1 7 8 1 2 6 3 0 9 2 5 9 0 6 7 5 4 3 2 3 2 3 1 8 8 6 0 4 1 8 6 8 9 2 9 4 8 2 5 0 4 0 8 2 8 3 7 2 3 9 3 5 2 3 1 4 5 0 8 1 0 5 0 5 8 4 4 9 5 5 2 7 9 1 2 5 5 4 7 6 0 7 0 0 3 6 0 8 9 8 8 2 8 9 3 7 2 2 8 2 3 6 4 1 8 5 3 5 6 8 4 2 0 3 1 4 2 9 8 7 4 6 9 9 0 4 7 7 0 8 7 1 1 0 2 7 4 7 1 1 2 3 4 1 3 6 0 4 4 2 3 7 4 7 3 2 4 6 1 6 7 3 7 9 0 2 8 1 5 4 1 0 7 1 0 8 2 5 0 8 5 5 0 6 8 9 7 4 9 1 0 5 1 8 9 0 5 9 8 7 4 7 5 6 8 9 8 3 3 1 4 8 3 1 7 0 9 1 1 2 8 5 2 2 1 8 4 7 5 3 4 2 7 3 4 6 0 5 4 9 5 0 4 1 9 0 7 5 1 1 5 7 6 8 0 0 9 6 2 1 5 8 7 4 3 4 4 6 8 1 5 7 8 2 9 9 6 2 4 1 0 6 2 2 5 8 7 4 5 4 7 5 0 3 0 4 8 0 2 0 5 2 8 9 6 4 6 5 5 3 5 1 5 5 7 8 6 8 4 7 5 1 1 7 9 0 9 2 6 0 1 1 4 7 3 1 5 1 9 2 6 9 4 1 7 5 1 1 3 6 0 6 7 6 3 6 1 9 5 3 0 8 7 6 4 6 0 3 7 8 6 3 2 1 3 7 6 4 0 3 2 4 3 9 1 2 5 6 2 5 8 5 5 5 4 5 6 1 4 5 1 1 5 8 1 9 6 4 2 0 5 1 7 5 2 9 0 8 6 3 0 5 7 0 5 3 0 9 3 8 9 0 3 6 0 0 5 0 5 4 8 9 7 8 0 5 7 1 6 6 1 0 5 3 5 7 8 4 2 9 9 7 6 5 5 3 7 8 7 8 3 6 6 1 1 2 4 0 2 9 8 6 9 1 4 8 0 0 1 8 0 0 8 6 3 8 8 5 5 2 3 2 4 4 2 4 6 6 5 4 6 9 1 7 4 6 7 2 5 7 8 9 5 9 7 8 4 5 3 4 5 6 5 1 2 2 8 2 8 8 1 8 4 0 2 3 4 3 6 6 0 8 8 3 0 4 1 2 8 7 6 6 7 2 1 6 9 1 0 4 6 8 6 2 4 8 5 9 6 3 9 5 0 8 7 7 0 3 2 5 7 7 2 0 3 5 2 8 9 5 4 8 5 8 0 7 1 3 6 0 7 4 4 5 2 9 5 2 8 6 4 6 0 6 1 8 1 5 4 0 3 0 7 7 1 8 4 6 5 0 3 7 4 3 1 7 0 9 6 3 3 1 4 2 4 2 8 8 6 6 0 3 1 5 5 6 5 2 1 4 3 7 8 3 7 3 5 3 6 8 1 2 8 5 7 2 8 2 6 4 2 6 6 7 0 2 8 8 5 1 7 7 1 2 7 2 0 2 9 4 5 5 1 0 3 1 4 5 2 1 7 5 4 3 2 4 5 8 9 1 2 6 1 7 0 2 8 7 8 8 9 2 9 3 8 5 8 6 6 3 2 5 9 3 3 7 1 0 8 4 0 3 4 5 2 3 9 4 0 1 4 9 9 9 3 2 3 4 6 6 3 5 5 7 4 3 9 7 0 5 6 7 5 9 9 1 3 2 3 5 8 9 1 8 9 1 4 6 3 4 1 2 6 5 3 7 3 1 1 2 3 6 4 7 9 4 6 1 7 9 7 6 3 3 6 1 2 2 8 4 7 7 6 9 8 9 0 6 2 9 6 6 8 1 8 8 5 4 7 4 7 0 9 4 1 8 7 1 4 0 6 5 9 1 7 3 0 5 3 4 6 9 3 4 0 7 0 5 8 5 2 5 9 5 5 2 6 5 5 5 8 5 6 8 7 2 6 2 1 3 2 4 3 6 3 5 6 4 8 1 3 2 2 5 9 6 1 1 7 2 0 8 4 4 2 7 2 0 8 4 9 9 3 8 8 2 2 5 5 0 6 3 3 6 3 4 3 9 6 3 1 7 5 9 2 5 3 1 5 5 7 8 3 5 3 9 8 8 6 5 6 8 6 4 8 7 2 7 5 9 5 5 5 5 6 8 8 2 9 8 2 4 8 4 8 7 4 9 3 4 8 8 6 2 0 4 1 2 3 5 3 1 8 8 9 3 4 1 0 7 4 8 1 9 3 9 5 2 8 2 4 5 8 7 5 6 7 6 2 3 2 4 3 6 8 0 0 1 2 2 2 8 6 2 8 1 9 1 8 8 5 6 6 8 6 9 1 6 0 0 2 0 0 7 1 8 6 4 1 1 8 0 1 6 5 5 1 1 9 3 1 6 8 6 0 1 8 9 9 9 2 3 4 9 2 8 3 1 6 0 4 5 6 7 7 4 3 2 1 7 3 2 2 7 5 1 4 5 2 1 0 7 4 1 5 0 6 2 6 0 2 6 1 6 6 1 8 4 3 9 9 2 4 0 9 5 0 5 8 6 6 9 0 2 4 6 4 2 5 5 1 7 5 8 1 2 1 3 0 3 0 4 0 0 1 1 3 7 7 1 9 4 4 4 0 3 3 2 3 1 4 7 2 6 7 3 1 6 6 5 4 9 0 7 9 4 7 7 9 3 6 7 1 6 3 1 1 9 0 8 7 2 0 7 1 2 5 8 3 8 9 0 3 0 8 6 1 9 3 1 3 6 7 2 1 7 7 8 9 3 3 9 9 1 1 0 1 8 9 2 1 1 7 3 3 6 4 4 0 2 2 6 4 0 5 2 5 4 1 3 8 6 0 2 1 3 0 2 7 2 4 9 8 5 7 1 2 5 1 4 6 2 7 2 7 7 6 5 5 1 1 1 2 2 4 1 9 3 0 9 7 7 1 8 2 0 3 7 2 4 1 4 9 9 8 6 9 7 4 1 4 2 7 7 8 2 9 3 6 6 9 9 9 0 8 7 7 1 4 0 7 9 1 1 2 5 8 7 6 7 9 0 9 3 4 1 7 9 4 6 1 3 4 1 7 1 1 6 2 1 0 7 3 3 4 4 7 2 0 3 1 6 8 6 8 7 5 9 6 3 7 7 5 0 1 9 6 6 2 3
p + 4
p + 6
The previously most recent large triplet was found in 2004 and is 1000 digits long. Caleb's triplet is the 25th largest known prime triplet. Right now, Caleb, working under Dr. Wang's direction, is trying to break into the top 10 list of largest known prime triplets by finding a triplet of primes 2860 digits long!
Core Knowledge a Success!
posted on March 16, 2005
Thank you for visiting our booth at the Core Knowledge Conference. Our products are in the final phases of production. If you are interested in purchasing, send your contact information (i.e., physical or email address where you can be reached this summer) to mailinglist@wangeducation.com and we will ensure that you will be able to order first! Include the conference discount code found on the Wang Education brochure for the 10% conference discount and free shipping!
NOTE: Specific ordering instructions will be sent to you via email or snail mail. DO NOT send checks or credit card information, yet. We will ask for such information when the products are ready to ship. Your credit card will not be charged until the product has been shipped to you.
New Articles and Essays!
posted on March 16, 2005
Be sure to read Dr. Wang's comments about the textbook adoption process in the March 2005 District Administration's cover story "The Big Fix: What are Education Experts Saying about the Broken Textbook Adoption Process." This lengthy, carefully researched, and comprehensive piece by Melissa Ezarik exposes the flaws of the textbook adoption process. Ezarik uses Dr. Wang's experience with this process as the launching point for her article.
Phi Delta Kappan is an academic publication providing coverage and analysis of higher education. "Textbooks, School Reform, and the Silver Lining" was an article published in their October 2004 issue. This article talks about the role of textbooks in the classroom and how restrictive textbook selection processes can adversely impact American education. Writer Bobby Ann Starnes quotes heavily from Dr. Wang's essay "A Textbook Solution to Curing our Country's Education Woes" which is posted on EducationNews.org.
Also, look for Dr. Wang's essay "Reflections on 10 Years in Educational Publishing" on the back page of a future issue of Education Week magazine. Dr. Wang has recently been informed that his 1500-word essay has been accepted for publication by Education Week as the Commentary piece that occupies the back page of the paper. The piece will likely come out in the March 23, 2005 issue of the paper.
NCTM 2005 Annual Meeting -- Anaheim, California
posted on February 11, 2005
Dr. Wang will be giving his talk "The Five Keys to Successful Teaching" at the NCTM 2005 Annual Meeting in Anaheim.
In this humorous and anecdote-filled talk, Dr. Wang draws on his experience as a student who was once diagnosed as having "no academic potential." He defied the experts by earning a PhD in Mathematics from MIT. Now, he uses those experiences to improve the effectiveness of his teaching in the classroom, and he'll share his keys to success with you.
If you are planning on attending the 2005 NCTM annual meeting, be sure to catch his talk on Saturday, April 9 in the Hilton Anaheim - California Pavilion D. Be sure to get there early! In 2003, there was standing-room only with a line of people winding out the door.
After the talk, stop by the Wang Education booth -- booth number 409 -- to register for a drawing for a free DVD player.
CAMT 2005 -- Dallas, Texas
posted on February 11, 2005
Dr. Wang is scheduled to speak multiple times during Texas' Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching (CAMT).
More details will be posted as we get them.
Exhibit Schedule
posted on February 11, 2005
Wang Education will exhibit at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Regional Conferences in 2005 at Hartford, Connecticut on October 6-8, Birmingham, Alabama on October 20-22, and at Denver, Colorado on November 10-12.
More details to come as we receive them.
Wang Education will also exhibit at the three major conferences listed above -- Philadelphia, Anaheim, and Dallas.
2005 Core Knowledge Conference -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
posted on February 11, 2005
Dr. Wang returns as a Featured Speaker to the Core Knowledge Foundation's National Conference in Philadelphia to deliver his talks "The Five Keys to Successful Teaching" and "Beauty and Mathematics."
Dr. Wang presents his talk "Beauty and Mathematics" on Friday, March 4 at 8:30am in Salon D. This lecture provides numerous examples of how mathematicians can find structure and order, often unexpectedly in everyday, seemingly-random situations.
Later, at 3:15pm, Dr. Wang will deliver his talk "The Five Keys to Successful Teaching" also in Salon D. In this humorous and anecdote-filled talk, Dr. Wang draws on his experience as a student who was once diagnosed as having "no academic potential." He defied the experts by earning a PhD in Mathematics from MIT. Now, he uses those experiences to improve the effectiveness of his teaching in the classroom, and he'll share his keys to success with you.
After you attend a lecture, be sure to look us up in the Exhibit Hall -- booth number 109 -- to register for a drawing for a free DVD player.