FOIL = FML and Using Cell Phones on Tests

FOIL = FML

So my Calculus class made a discovery the other day when they tried to reference the distributive property:  I don't like the term FOIL.

The gutteral reaction here is the same as the one that I have to the non-word "guesstimate"*.  The kid was talking and I couldn't help but interrupt with "that's not a thing." After a bit of confusion, I clarified that FOIL is a trick for one specific case of distribution that doesn't apply to anything else, logically, so why do you call it that?  He tried to counter it, but ultimately I tossed up a binomial x trinomial on the board and told him to apply FOIL to it.  It went something like this:

Kids: Okay, so multiply the first ones.

Me: Sure. (draws a line between terms and labels it as "F")

Kids: Then...uh....the middle?

Me: uh-huh... (draws a line between terms and labels it as "M")

Kids: Then last!

Me: (seeing this coming, drawing the line and labeling it "L") and there. Now you know how math feels about FOIL


They had a good laugh and got the point in a very non-PG way, but oh well.


Cell Phones on Tests

I gave my 7th graders a test a few days ago with a slight caveat: I required that they look stuff up to answer questions.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep doing this, and here's why:

If I'm promoting realistic thinking skills, why not include the one resource that they'll always have?

The thought is that instead of providing the exact conversion statistic necessary, or rate of whatever, why not put it in their hands to think about what it is that they need?  My question on the test was as simple as:  If a star is 3.412 x 10^7 km away, how long will it take until we know that it has burned out?

Part of taking a test has (hopefully) been knowing what information to use... so why not structure the test so that they need to find the information necessary to solve it?  If we want to promote kids wanting to figure things out outside of class, then why not structure test questions in the same light?

Obviously, this has its drawbacks.  Not every math concept has this kind of possibility attached.  There are lots of resources online to solve straight problems for them.  There are lots of places that have answered questions online that we've all asked, so this isn't totally applicable across the board.  I'm not saying that everything should be like that, but it's an interesting possibility.

I'll have to do some more analysis on the matter and run a few more experimental questions, but so far I'm pleased with the results.