All posts by Werner Garciano

Werner Garciano no longer works with Key Curriculum Press. His posts and biography have been preserved for the archives. I started out my teaching career at La Salle High School in Pasadena, CA with a teachers' text, worksheets, and a lot of enthusiasm and passion to help kids be successful in math. After eleven years in the classroom and 8 years in the education technology arena, my energy and passion have not diminished. As the Mathematics Curriculum Specialist for Key Curriculum Press, I make math fun for teachers, students and those who fear math. If you want to muse about how to use technology in the math classroom, send an email to me at wgarciano@keypress.com.
Real-World Math

How the Common Core Can Save Your Life (Or At Least Help You Graduate, Get Into College, and Win the Girl of Your Dreams)

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I recently discovered a book called How Math Can Save Your Life: (And Make You Rich, Help You Find The One, and Avert Catastrophes) by James D. Stein, who shares his thoughts on problems and scenarios that confront us and how we can use math (or simple arithmetic) to solve those problems. He … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology

The Ancient Abacus: Does it have a place in the classroom?

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In a recent post, I shared a video of Conrad Wolfram’s TED talk that explores how the use of computers in the teaching of mathematics leads student to a richer math learning experience. But lately, I've been wondering: Could students find a similarly rich math learning experience through the abacus, a far less expensive … Continue Reading ››
Educational Technology

Mathematics > Computation

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I enjoy browsing the TED video collection, which includes a series of talks by “thinkers and doers” in the areas of technology, entertainment, and design (hence the acronym “TED”). Similar to the five-minute Ignite talks that Key Curriculum Press hosts at various math conferences, TED presentations challenge their speakers to give the “talk … Continue Reading ››
Common Core

Back to the Future: Finding Traces of the Common Core in an 1893 Textbook

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I was taken aback when I saw that a theater was showing the Michael J. Fox movie, Back to the Future, in celebration of its 25th anniversary. My first thought was, “Darn, am I that old?” After taking my Gingko Biloba, my memory was successfully jogged … Continue Reading ››