KenCaryl

Good News for All Chocoholics

A study at the Northumbria University in England has determined that large amounts of Flavanol, a component of chocolate helps people with math. You read that right, chocolate helps you do math better. The study which involved having 30 people count backwards from various points between 800 and 999 showed that their performance increased after drinking a chocolate drink with about 500 mg of Flavanol.  

What's the catch you ask, well the amount of Flavonol that was given was equivalent to about five bars of chocolate.  Also, while the dose of chocolate helped with counting backwards by 3's, it had no apparent effect when the subjects were asked to count backwards by 7's.

Imagine what YOU could do with MATH

Scientists have come up with a formula that will allow them to predict the severity of tsunamis based upon the initial wave amplitude in the open ocean.  The scientist are able to predict the evolution of the wave and how it will interact close in to the shore and cause tsunamis.  This is just one of the many ways scientists all over the world use advance mathmatics to improve peoples lives and protect people from dangerous phenomenon.

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/04/01/New_math_formula_might_predict_tsunamis/UPI-54311238623305/

April 1, 2009 is a Square Date

April 1, 2009 this year brings a special mathmatic treat.  The date 04/01/2009 or 04012009 has a perfect square root of 2003.  This special feat happens very infrequently, yet 2009 has 2 of these dates with the second one being 03/15/2009.

More can be found in the USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2009-03-28-square-dates_N.htm

Newly Appointed Secretary of Education

Newly appointed Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated  "preparing young people for success in life is not just a moral obligation of society", but also an "economic imperative".

You can read more about the new Secretary of Education here:

http://www.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/duncan.html

Girl's Measure Up to Boy's in Math

A recent study published in the journal Science concluded that the long lived stereotype that boy's are better that girls in math is simply not supported by the facts.

The study, the largest of it's kind, using data required by the No Child Left Behind act, showed that girls and boys showed the same aptitude in math for all grades 2 through 11. 

The complete story can be found at the link below:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25836419/from/ET/

Who's Who at Math Monkey

Many people ask about our teachers and Staff at Math Monkey, so we are going to feature one teacher at a time and give you a more formal introduction.

This week we will start with Gina Hebb, one of our Lead Instructors who has been with us since we opened:

Gina Hebb is a Colorado native who graduated from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 2003 with a Bachelor's Degree and an Early Childhood Education License.  She spent a year teaching Kindergarten in the Englewood School District.

Gina has spent the past 4 years raising a family and has continued teaching a few hours per week in various positions.  Prior to Math Monkey, Gina taught preschool summer camps for the Ken Caryl Rec Center, developed a preschool curriculum for the rec center, and tutored elementary aged students at a tutoring center. 

Gina and her husband Ryan have two children, 4 year old Michael and 19 month old Kaitlin.  They live in the Ken Caryl area.  Gina and her family are looking forward to the summer when they plan to spend time hiking, camping, and playing outside with their neighbors, friends, and family; and of course teaching at Math Monkey.

Best Places for Families

Math Monkey of Ken Caryl just received this honor:

And the winner is . . .
 
Math Monkey in the Best Tutoring Classes Category   

More than 200,000+ votes were cast in “Kids' Pages Best Places for Families 2008” competition, and Math Monkey has been chosen by our readers as one of the top three winners in the Best Tutoring Classes Category.

Look for the Summer issue of Kid's Pages, which you can pick up at Math Monkey of Ken Caryl for a complete list of all the "Best Places for Families 2008"

Welcome to Math Monkey of Ken Caryl

Hello and welcome to the Math Monkey of Caryl Blog.  My name is Derek Troy and I am the Owner and Center Director.  This blog will be updated regularly with news and interesting math facts that affect your childrens education in Colorado.  We started this Math Monkey location to help children excel in math and to make a difference in our community.  Please check back often for more stories and interesting articles about Ken Caryl, Littleton and Colorado. 

Derek