I was excited to receive the most recent edition of The Henry Ford Magazine, published by the newly renamed Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, because bold letters the cover declared it to be “The Math Issue.” Like many of you, I suspect, I have a harder time generating flexible and creative thinking ideas around … Continue reading
As a girl, I was both amused and inspired by Abigail Adams’ 1776 letter to her husband John, in which she urged him and other members of the Continental Congress to “remember the ladies” when considering the laws for the newly formed country. Today I admire her even more, and find it fitting that in … Continue reading
I readily admit I’m not a big hip hop fan—probably because I’m of the generation that watched in awe as the Beatles sang on our black and white TVs. Yes, older than dirt. And yet I can’t get enough of the score of Hamilton. The lyrics are brilliant, the beat enticing, and the characters of … Continue reading
These are stressful times. At least around me, teachers report students levels of anxiety and conflict that seem to mirror those of adults they see on the news. Perhaps that is happening in your area as well. So, what do we do? One thought I had this week was that when things around me feel … Continue reading
Every significant creative project comes with struggles—at least mine certainly do. I’m in the midst of a large mosaic project, or, to be more accurate, I’m stalled. I only have one evening a week in the mosaic studio, and those have been rare lately. Other life circumstances have made even one day a week difficult … Continue reading
I’ve found the last week pretty hard. In this climate of anger and fear, it is hard to imagine when things will feel calm and safe again. I wish I knew. I do know that I feel surprisingly happy to think that there is a holiday all about love just a few weeks away. I’ve … Continue reading
Sometimes common phrases can lead us astray. This can be due to misunderstanding, for example, the friend who heard the server ask if she wanted “soup or salad” and thought she was being asked if she wanted a super salad! (Super salad sounds pretty good, don’t you think?) Grammatical misunderstandings are so common they end … Continue reading
It’s a new year and a new time for thinking creatively about our world. And just in time to get us started, the Imagination Foundation has teamed with AT&T Aspire to sponsor the 2017 Inventor’s Challenge. This is not a long term project, but a good way to get the new year off to a … Continue reading
Why, in the midst of end-of-term grading, holiday preparations, and even (I can’t believe it) preparing for new courses that start January 4, why take the time to write about creativity? And since your lives are probably just as crazy, why take time to read about it? I thought about that today, as I dashed … Continue reading
When I think of things that are rich, I’m more likely to think of hot chocolate or creamy cheese sauce than mathematics, but clearly I’ve been missing out. One of my students sent me the website for NRICH—the home of rich mathematics and I was hooked. NRICH is associated with the University of Cambridge and … Continue reading
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