ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 09/10/2026However, I observed that "The references you give seem to be about other work, not about the development of THIS item". AI: "You are completely right to point this out, and I apologize". Gulp! 4/4 100
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 09/10/2026Very nice. I also had something similar, if not quite so rich... 121
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 08/10/2026@drrosena.bsky.social This is from my dissembling Labour MP. The Tory council wants to near-double our council tax. Yes, technically this is an increase OF 190% (but not BY), but that is not how we normally express % increase. When prices 'increase by 3%' they are not 3/100 of what they were before. 000
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 06/10/2026A gentle trapezium excursion. How are the areas related? 030
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Is it the geometry or the algebra that tells us that (a + b)/2 = a + (b – a)/2 ? [Or is this the wrong question?!] 041
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 28/09/2026That's nicely grounded. I use similar triangles, which gives a paired down version. The areas of the three similar triangles are proportional to 17², d² and 7². 110
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 24/09/2026@royal-mail.bsky.social What is the point of this from Royal Mail if the parcel doesn't actually arrive? 101
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Image of a Grammar School classroom, courtesy of the New Statesman. I wouldn't want one of those things to land on my head.... 100
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 21/09/2026You will obviously want to read this, on insect flight, by my father and godfather... 000
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 17/09/2026The author (Frank Swetz) claims the ancient Chinese would have used the fact that the areas of R1 and R2 are equal. 110
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 17/09/2026The article contains this, based on a 2000 year old Chinese problem. We would solve it using similar triangles. 200
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 17/09/2026In the light of your comment I found this paper. Do you know it? 200
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Fraction as measurement.... [Is it 32ths or 32nds?] 021
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 07/09/2026I don't understand the price reduction. Mensa is clearly not for me. 030
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 06/09/2026I'd love to know whether this item was ever pre-tested. From the 2nd NAEP maths assessment (1977-78) and probably the most quoted and worst fraction item in the world. 110
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 06/09/2026What were these strange arcs at 6:15 this morning? 210
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 16/08/2026An interesting example of responses to a set of fraction comparison tasks using eye-tracking. What implications might it have for helping students to develop fraction sense? [Schwarzmeier et al, 2024] 031
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 16/08/2026Introducing The Plough If you've not had enough About issues and stuff. 000
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 06/08/2026And I quite liked this [it's always good to put work up on the wall] 100
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 02/08/2026I've just read the paper more closely. It seems they did reverse the number line for half their subjects. They also varied the way they expressed the quantities, as here. In general children did better than adults (not because they understand fractions better!). 100
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 01/08/2026Here's an interesting task! [based on Opfer & DeVries, 2008] 241
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 30/07/2026I pride myself on my bread-slicing skills, except I so often create an overhang. 110
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 30/07/2026Many thanks, Matt. I wonder whether you remember your similar nice scaling response (below) to a fraction task that I posted a couple of years ago? I discussed it at the recent BSRLM conference. 100
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 09/07/2026In #MathsToday (Y5) tried to use the standard algorithm to subtract 11:05 hours from 15:00 hours. [We'd already solved it informally.] What happens when we have to 'borrow' 1 from the hours column? Does this give us 10 lots of 10-minutes or 6? 010
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 05/07/2026Variation on a theme (the task probably already exists...) 131
ProfSmudge @profsmudge.bsky.social · 05/07/2026A quite lengthy proof. (Not sure how it connects to the hexagons!) 200