Cacey Wells

The main image in the upper left corner shows a radial design created with 21st Century Pattern Blocks. The design begins with six heptagons (rotated sideways) arranged around a central hexagon. Each heptagon uses the same block arrangement in the first layer. Surrounding this, a second layer consists of 12 additional heptagons, constructed using a different block arrangement. The first two images along the bottom show the two distinct heptagons used in the design. The first heptagon is made up of 1 blue rhombus, 2 gray darts, and 4 purple rhombuses. The second heptagon is made up of 2 blue rhombuses, 2 purple hexagons, 2 gray darts, and 6 green triangles. The three images on the right show the progression of the design.

Pattern block play with heptagons! #21CenturyPB #iTeachMath

The Art of Teaching with Cacey Wells The Real Boone Podcast · Episode

I got to be on a podcast this week! Check it out! #edusky #mathchat

open.spotify.com/episode/0eOi...

Kid: This ham tastes like pig ham
Me: Well, all ham is pig ham
Kid: Right, because pigs make ham
Me: 😬
Kid: Right?
Me: 😁

My math isn't mathing

Hey math folks! I am going to my daughter's first grade class in the next month or two to engage kids with cool math ideas that aren't your typical number crunchin' ways of doing math. One idea is to explore the idea of infinity. Another is to make Möbius bands. What would you do? #mathchat #edusky

I have enjoyed implementing njmber talks in my classes for pre-service teachers the past few years. What's your go-to number talk? Are there any you modify to enrich conversations?
#mathchat ##edusky #mathed

Thinking today about students' experiences in mathematics. The majority of my preservice teachers have negative experiences growing up. I have thoughts, but would live to hear others' ideas. How does this change for future generations? How do we make math more accessible and enjoyable? #Mathed

I was asked to pilot Canvas for my university next semester. Any tips or tricks going from Moodle to Canvas? #edusky

Evidence is key, right? I think ungrading my classes has made me much more explicit in what I expect from students.

Same! I typically have to kindly disagree with them and bump up their grade.

Cool Kaleidoscope at the Hickory Science Museum. Even Harper enjoyed geometry-fying herself! #mathchat #mathinthewild

But also considering making this my bio...

How has it worked for you?

Hahahaha!

One class finished their final self assessments for me. Grades range from B- to A. Some harder on themselves than they ought to be. No one tried to beat the system and give a grade higher than they should have! Reconciling the A-F system is the biggest hurdle in ungrading. #ungrading #edusky

There's no curiosity. Keep-change-flip is magic (math magic, but still magic). What if I student wants to know why this works? Also, where's the context? Dividing rational numbers is difficult to conceptualize for many folks.

Each semester, for the past several semesters, I have tried to give myself a dumb challenge to complete in my classes that's of no consequence to anyone, and that doesn't really mean anything. This semester, I successfully taught in shirts with snaps. Taking suggestions for Spring 2025.
#edusky

Ha! "Have you considered ungrading?" I might start tacking this to the end of everything.

What would you like to drink? Would you like ice or no ice? Have you considered ungrading?

I know what I'm showing my students next week!

Taking one for the team

Zoom time. This is giving me serious flashbacks to teaching during covid.
#edusky

Appalachian Snow Day
#appstate

Rectangles Galore
#mathinthewild

Math in the wild. A student who preferred the lattice method for multiplying multi-digit problems. They do exist! #Mathematics #edusky

Super conversation today about going more analog in class. I am wondering what it might look like to teach one class fully embedded in our LMS and the other fully outside the LMS. More community? More connections? Maybe? Thanks for getting me thinking today @lindsaymasland.bsky.social #SoTL #edusky

Guy Who Sucks At Being A Person Sees Huge Potential In AI SAN MATEO, CA—After spending the past three decades of his life being totally unable and unwilling to engage in any meaningful way with the world around him, James Parker, a local guy who sucks at bei...

I am having some issues with AI this semester. I'm interested in learning more and may someday change my tune. Maybe this could be a future research project? In the meantime, this post from The Onion sort of sums up my feelings on AI and made me laugh:

theonion.com/guy-who-suck...

I am currently using an ungrading model in my classes. Mid-semester self-assessments have been really helpful to this being successful for me.

Right triangles found in Knoxville
#mathed #math #edusky