David K Butler
@davidkbutler.bsky.social
Lecturer at Maths Learning Centre, Uni Adelaide (my views here). Grad Dip Ed & PhD Finite Geom. Love maths and helping people learn. he/him
Pinned
David K Butler
@davidkbutler.bsky.social
· Oct 20
Hello those drifing through BlueSky.
I mostly post about these:
* My experiences with students in the Maths Learning Centre
* Maths and maths teaching thoughts I have, including live problem-solving
* Books I read (mainly childrens fiction)
* Observations and photos of things I see in the world
I mostly post about these:
* My experiences with students in the Maths Learning Centre
* Maths and maths teaching thoughts I have, including live problem-solving
* Books I read (mainly childrens fiction)
* Observations and photos of things I see in the world
This is how we organised the Prime Climb board at One Hundred Factorial today. (cc @mathforlove.bsky.social ).
November 26, 2025 at 1:54 PM
This is how we organised the Prime Climb board at One Hundred Factorial today. (cc @mathforlove.bsky.social ).
Reposted by David K Butler
A little black water bird stands awkwardly because in one foot it is carefully holding an orange dorito, which it daintily pecks out little pieces from its edge.
November 25, 2025 at 4:56 AM
A little black water bird stands awkwardly because in one foot it is carefully holding an orange dorito, which it daintily pecks out little pieces from its edge.
Reposted by David K Butler
A girl dressed entirely in black from head to toe sits on the grass in the shade, steadily munching her way through a whole continental cucumber.
November 25, 2025 at 4:54 AM
A girl dressed entirely in black from head to toe sits on the grass in the shade, steadily munching her way through a whole continental cucumber.
Reposted by David K Butler
Two young women sit next to each other at a desk in the university study space. Each leans back in her chair, silently reading her own novel.
November 25, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Two young women sit next to each other at a desk in the university study space. Each leans back in her chair, silently reading her own novel.
Reposted by David K Butler
A young man talks to his mate on the train: “Next year I’ll be making all the chocolate myself, without anyone fucking watching me.”
November 25, 2025 at 5:10 AM
A young man talks to his mate on the train: “Next year I’ll be making all the chocolate myself, without anyone fucking watching me.”
Reposted by David K Butler
It really is that fucking simple, friends.
November 25, 2025 at 3:54 AM
It really is that fucking simple, friends.
On this note, in case anyone needs it, I am sharing again my little book “What I Noticed Along the Way” of 196 observations across one year: drive.google.com/file/d/1w0zL...
November 25, 2025 at 3:57 AM
On this note, in case anyone needs it, I am sharing again my little book “What I Noticed Along the Way” of 196 observations across one year: drive.google.com/file/d/1w0zL...
Reposted by David K Butler
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 23, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
Reposted by David K Butler
i’m not crying you’re crying
xkcd: Fifteen Years
xkcd: Fifteen Years
Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:58 AM
i’m not crying you’re crying
xkcd: Fifteen Years
xkcd: Fifteen Years
Reposted by David K Butler
It had indeed been an error.
November 25, 2025 at 3:34 AM
It had indeed been an error.
Reposted by David K Butler
I love bookstores.
November 23, 2025 at 10:22 PM
I love bookstores.
Reposted by David K Butler
A huge piece of graffiti spray-painted on the road cries in red block letters, “Sorry!”
November 24, 2025 at 8:46 PM
A huge piece of graffiti spray-painted on the road cries in red block letters, “Sorry!”
Phew feeling a bit overwhelmed today. I had to come in late and also travel between campuses and talk to some people, and so I haven't really seen my emails, and a heap of things came in that will take a fair bit of energy to process.
November 24, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Phew feeling a bit overwhelmed today. I had to come in late and also travel between campuses and talk to some people, and so I haven't really seen my emails, and a heap of things came in that will take a fair bit of energy to process.
OMG yes! Whether someone is drinking or not is none of your business.
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
November 23, 2025 at 8:13 PM
OMG yes! Whether someone is drinking or not is none of your business.
Reposted by David K Butler
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
November 23, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
It's weird that the shorter a note is, the more ink it takes to draw.
November 23, 2025 at 7:02 AM
It's weird that the shorter a note is, the more ink it takes to draw.
Reposted by David K Butler
New Blog Post:
Culture & Identity in the Math Classroom
How do elements of the culture students bring into the classroom interact with the classroom culture we create? What does it mean to shift or honor them?
Culture & Identity in the Math Classroom
How do elements of the culture students bring into the classroom interact with the classroom culture we create? What does it mean to shift or honor them?
Culture & Identity in the Math Classroom
How do elements of the culture students bring into the classroom interact with the classroom culture we create? What does it mean to shift or honor them? Earlier this week, I watched the first session in TERC's Forum for Equity in Elementary Mathematics series '25-'26. Dr. Pam Seda spoke about "Culturally Relevant Math Tasks: When What You Teach Connects to Who They Are."
jennalaib.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:20 PM
New Blog Post:
Culture & Identity in the Math Classroom
How do elements of the culture students bring into the classroom interact with the classroom culture we create? What does it mean to shift or honor them?
Culture & Identity in the Math Classroom
How do elements of the culture students bring into the classroom interact with the classroom culture we create? What does it mean to shift or honor them?
Reposted by David K Butler
A woman takes washing down from the clothes line and stuffs it into a granny trolley, except for a double bed mattress protector, which she holds up in one hand awkwardly to stop it trailing in the dirt.
November 22, 2025 at 5:22 AM
A woman takes washing down from the clothes line and stuffs it into a granny trolley, except for a double bed mattress protector, which she holds up in one hand awkwardly to stop it trailing in the dirt.
Reposted by David K Butler
Several yellow corflute signs on the fence of a building site have the shape of a human silhouette in a hardhat with one hand pointing up and have the words "Look up and live" written on the torso. One is torn in half top to bottom and its message reads "Lo u a li".
November 22, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Several yellow corflute signs on the fence of a building site have the shape of a human silhouette in a hardhat with one hand pointing up and have the words "Look up and live" written on the torso. One is torn in half top to bottom and its message reads "Lo u a li".
Reposted by David K Butler
In related news, the word “subtract” literally means “pull out”. “Tract” means pull as in tractor, a machine designed to pull. “Sub” means under or within, as in suburb, a city within a city.
November 22, 2025 at 4:44 AM
In related news, the word “subtract” literally means “pull out”. “Tract” means pull as in tractor, a machine designed to pull. “Sub” means under or within, as in suburb, a city within a city.
Honestly people need to chill out about words – not everything is a precise mathematical terminology.
People were arguing in my mentions today about whether the Earth is "round" when it's technically an irregular oblate spheroid and look "round" doesn't mean "absolutely perfect sphere" it means round. A soccer ball is round, a cantaloupe is round, a fluffy borb in winter is round, just go with it.
November 22, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Honestly people need to chill out about words – not everything is a precise mathematical terminology.
Reposted by David K Butler
I'm going to stop before I get more annoyed. This short thread brought to you by proscriptive skeets in my timeline. You have to write, that's it. When, how often, how much, what about, *everything* else is open for your way. And your way is the way that works for you. If it's working, it's right.
November 22, 2025 at 12:08 AM
I'm going to stop before I get more annoyed. This short thread brought to you by proscriptive skeets in my timeline. You have to write, that's it. When, how often, how much, what about, *everything* else is open for your way. And your way is the way that works for you. If it's working, it's right.
*sigh* As usual the form to request support doesn't cover my work situation and there's no way to submit it without choosing something. Sometimes it's really tough to work as a teacher without having a course of my own.
November 21, 2025 at 1:23 AM
*sigh* As usual the form to request support doesn't cover my work situation and there's no way to submit it without choosing something. Sometimes it's really tough to work as a teacher without having a course of my own.
Reposted by David K Butler
At the end of the day, don’t we all just want a bookshelf with a rolling ladder?
November 20, 2025 at 6:14 PM
At the end of the day, don’t we all just want a bookshelf with a rolling ladder?