X Marks the Spot!

This past week I had the opportunity to attend our district's just in time math workshop.  The focus of the day was quadratics ... primarily factoring.  The goal was to introduce teachers to multiple ways to present factoring.  Since I have been out of the classroom a while, I found the presentation refreshing!

In the next few weeks, we will teach polynomials, and then attributes of quadratics.  I plan to introduce factoring using those attributes ... as we examine the x-intercepts ... demonstrating how those roots are solutions to the equations.  Obviously this limits us to very specific graphs ... ones that integer roots that are easy to see on a graph.

Then as we begin to pursue factoring in earnest, we will use "flashback" to illustrate the inverse relationships between multiplying and factoring.

1. We will use x puzzles to build number sense ... numbers that multiply to equal one number while adding to equal another number.  I found these puzzles online (Sum and Product Pre-Factoring Puzzles) ... I plan to use the x puzzles even before we get to multiplying polynomials ... just as puzzles!  I hope that just exploring them as puzzles before we get to factoring will reduce anxiety in factoring.
2. Algebra Tiles will help to demonstrate the area model of multiplication.  We'll use the tiles for factoring as well.  I plan to use the ones at Illuminations for online practice.
3. From there we will use the "box method" (an array) to multiply and then to work backwards to factor.

One method I don't plan to use that was presented at the workshop is the "Kick It" or "Kick Back" method. It seemed contrived - a bit of math magic.  If you want to read more about it, check out this blog post!

I noticed that Julie at I Speak Math has a template for X-Box Factoring ... I plan to borrow it to slip into our dry-erase sleeves as we practice!

I'm looking forward to our new unit ... first a few Laws of Exponents, and then ... polynomials!

Made4Math Technology Baby Steps

Our school was chosen for a laptop initiative.  Laptops were distributed last week to 9th graders who returned permission slips and had their student IDs. In our first class day with laptops about 50 - 75% of the students had picked theirs up.

Knowing that we have limited amount of math time, but wanting to integrate the new tool right away, I planned just a few short activities with the laptops.  For the next several lessons, the computer activities will not be heavy duty; instead they will be a way for me to observe my students use of the tool, gauge what might work, and give me a foundation for future planning.

The first tool I implemented was Google forms.  I love Google forms ... they are quick, simple, and easy to manage ... awesome for collecting data.  Tomorrow students will check their homework and check the problems they missed on the Google form.  That way I will know which problems were the most difficult for the class.  I can work those problems into our warm-ups and homework.

Great for Ticket Out of the Door

A second tool I am using is Today's Meet.  Today's Meet requires no set up.  I simple go to the site, enter a name for our meeting, and post the link for students to access.  Then at the end of class I can collect qualitative data about the lesson. I ask a question aloud in class, and students respond on the Today's Meet site.  I can keep that record of responses if I need them for future planning.  Last week I asked which step was difficult in solving systems of equations by substitution.

Another tool I'll use tomorrow is Super Teacher Tools: Speed Match.  I plan for students to match words to equations as a warm-up since our lesson is on solving systems in context.  If students don't have their computers, I have a paper copy.  If they do have their computers, they will play the "game" online.

Our school has adopted "Evernote" as its online note-taking system.  A few students have asked if they can take their class notes online ... and so far I've said yes.  Typing math notes is much more difficult than typing notes for other classes but I want students to try it if they think they can take good notes that way.  I do hope to help students build an Evernote notebook ... possibly on vocabulary.  I think it would be a great way to keep track of the math vocabulary they learn in high school ... since Evernote will be an ongoing tool.

The IT folks just pushed out the virtual graphing calculator over the weekend.  We use TI 83+ in class ... now everyone will have one on their laptops as well.  This is a bonus in working problems at home!  Before I couldn't count on students having access to a graphing calculator at home.  Yes, there are online ones, but not everyone has Internet access.  Now the virtual calculator is installed on their laptops ... no Internet required to access it.

If you use an online tool to support formative assessment in particular, or to present math lessons, please share!

Math Games

Last night I listened in to the Global Math conference on games for the classroom.  I was intrigued and admittedly a bit intimidated.  Games are not my forte ... especially not online games.  I realize in this area I am behind the times!  I am a digital immigrant ... and doing fairly well with various productivity tools.  But I haven't spent much time with gaming.  Last night someone mentioned the Factor Game ... I have played that but had forgotten about it.  In going to the site today, I see that Illuminations has added a number of games at their Calculation Nation site.  Since all of our students are being issued laptops this week, I'm thinking about giving students the opportunity to earn a little extra credit if they will play these games and write a review of them for me.  

I am exploring Manga High as another option for online game playing.  I'm not familiar with the games there enough to comment on them yet.  But I am hoping they can serve as a tool for review of basic algebra skills. 

I am familiar with a few math games that are not computerized like Set and Equate.   I used to play Set with students often.  (The students I worked with didn't enjoy the Equate game!)  I am in a different environment now and there is so little down time so I haven't explored Set with my current students.  In reviewing the game today, I discovered there is a daily Set puzzle online ... might have to strain my brain a bit with this!

An interesting coincident today ... checked my email for my daily news from NCTM ... and yes, there is an article about games!  (Do you subscribe to the NCTM Smartbrief news service??  I highly recommend it).  The article today is about Girls and Games: What's the Attraction!

“When we asked them about springs and levers, they had no understanding of why they were important in the real world,” Van Voorhis said. “But when we were able to situate those kinds of tools in a real-world context, where they were solving a problem that was directed towards social good, we saw the engagement numbers pop.”  girls were talking about physics or game play 76 percent of the time and were only off topic 5 percent of the time."

Embedded in the article about girls and games is a link from April 2012 entitled, What’s the Secret Sauce to a Great Educational Game?  The article highlights the game, Zombie Division.  Their research is summarized in this sentence, "The results were clear: The children who had played the intrinsically-rewarding game learned more math."

It's time for me to catch up!  Looks like there is some gaming in my future!

Solving systems concretely

We have learned to graph systems ... and we learned to build tables to solve them!  Before delving into substitution and elimination full force, we took a day to explore ... Lizards and Beetles, Motorcycles, Cars, and Wheels, Circles, Triangles, Squares ... with marshmallows, toothpicks, and Algebra Tiles!

Our exploration of puzzles ... systems of equations embedded ... concrete materials excites some students, frustrates others.  It is interesting to watch ninth graders reaction to puzzles.  It's clear that I have not presented enough of them throughout the year.  Their lack of confidence and hesitation were obvious.  And tiles, oh my!  I don't know if it is the way I present them ... or just the fact that we don't practice with them enough ... but students don't enjoy working with them!  One young lady ... a conscientious A student .... shook her head ... "I just don't get algebra tiles.  Can I please just do the math??"

Across the room the attention to math dissolves in guffaws and giggles as one boy swipes his marshmallow-y finger through a girl's hair.  She shrieks.  Sad to say, in those few minutes (maybe just seconds) of silliness, students recommended she cut the marshmallow out of her hair!  YIKES ... we had a quick lesson in melting sugar.  

I digress ... 

How are legs on beetles, wheels on cars, shapes, tiles relevant to students ... they are not.  But interestingly enough, students participated in solving the puzzles with enthusiasm albeit a lack of confidence.  And hopefully the illustration of concrete visuals with symbolic explanation will help lay the foundation for our next steps in solving with substitution and elimination.

Favorites from 2012

Well - 2012 was a big year for me!

1.  I completed 30 years in education - the last 12 in administration.
2.  I moved across states to live close to my sons, their wives, and their children.
3.  I decided to continue teaching ... went back into a high school classroom ... teaching 9th grade algebra!

The retiring, the leaving dear teachers, students and parents, the selling of a house, the buying of another, the move ... and then oh my ... putting together a resume for 30 years of experience, finding work records from the 70s ... well these were challenging tasks!  All along the way, the excitement of a new adventure, a twist in my life journey fueled my energy ... enthusiasm has been high!

Adapting to the culture shift in high school has been interesting to say the least.

What I have so thoroughly enjoyed in this teaching adventure is finding an amazing community of math teachers online that share the good, bad, and ugly ... I am learning so much from them!  I have always considered myself a leader in education and not a novice with technology.  I facilitate university classes online and enjoy working with teachers across our  nation.  But I had no idea of the networking available among bloggers!  I have been blogging for a while - reflective posts, inspirational writing.  I had a few followers.  Quite definitely, my math blogs have been read much more than any of my previous writings!  I am so excited to share my thoughts and work ... and benefit greatly from the posts of others.  The teaching of Algebra has changed some in the last 15 years!  The emphasis is different.  The expectations a bit different.  The changes keep me searching, thinking and planning!  The online math community has been my primary source for professional learning!

I have a long list of math blogs in my Google Reader.  And I appreciate every author!  Early in the summer, when I learned I would teach Algebra, I found Dan Meyer's site first.  Just amazing!  And then I participated in the Math Blogging Initiative as a way to get started in writing about my work.  I find that I return over and over again to a specific few blogs ... especially these compilations ... these are rich with humor, passion, and ideas!

• MS Sunday Fundays
• Made 4 Math Mondays
• My Favorite Friday

These sites inspire me to keep learning and growing!

In the future I hope to participate more in the Global Math conferences.  I listened in on one ... it was great!  Hopefully I can arrange my schedule to catch up with the next ones!

Whew!  Can't imagine what 2013 will hold!

laptop initiative - need your help!

Our laptop initiative gets underway this coming week.  Our 9th graders are being issued laptops on Tuesday and Wednesday.

• Our students will have gmail accounts
• Because they have gmail accounts, we will use the Google Drive
• I believe Chrome will be the browser we will use ... 
• Our school has chosen Evernote as one of its common software applications

My evaluation observation will be one week later ... our lesson that day is solving systems in context (word problems) using substitution.

I have a lesson outline in mind ... but now I realize it would be helpful if we use our laptops that day.  We will have had them only a week ... 

If you have ideas, suggestions, I'd love to hear from those of you that use laptops in the classroom daily.

kudos to period 2

We completed our first week back ... the first week of our second semester.  

On Wednesday, we were working on solving systems of equations by graphing ... and our problems were word problems.  Our team chose problems that compared costs of various services or products.

My second period class rocked that day!  They participated in our guided notes and when we broke up into groups to practice word problems the room hummed with math talk!  I was blown away by their engagement.

So that afternoon, I sent a simple message to their parents via email.  I bragged on their participation and engagement.

A parent wrote back ... He even helped his little brother with his math last night.  What ever you did...THANK YOU!

I don't know what I did ... don't know that I did anything differently!  But I'm happy glad for that one precious hour this week!

For more inspiration check out ... 

Julie's Math Club and Quadratic Formula Song
Inspirational blog for teachers ... one good thing

Systems Puzzle Problems!

I'm working on my systems unit tonight ...

I love the list of systems problems that are posted at Finding Ways to Nguyen Students Over.

I also like the puzzles problems posted at I Hope This Old Train Breaks Down.

I am compiling a list of animals, heads, legs problems ... as well as a set of wheels (cars, bikes, trikes) problems for systems.

I have a few real-world problems - cell phones, etc.

If you know of a great source ... or have a favorite problem to share, please comment!  I'll post my compilation in a few days!

lobbying for double block!

Second semester starts Monday.  We have reviewed data.  There are several students who were not successful - more than I thought should fail.

I am unhappy with this fact.

I have always believed that as teachers we must own our data.

I don't know what more I can do.

By that I don't mean that I think I'm a perfect teacher ... I can keep working on my planning and presentation skills.  I can keep working on the relationships I am building with students.  I can keep chipping away at the lack of interest in math, the thought that math isn't important, and/or the idea that students can't do math!

There is one thing that I think would make a huge difference.

Our school is set up on an A/B day schedule.  Most students receive algebra instruction every other day for 90 minutes.  There are a few select classes of "double block" algebra.  

My thought ... more, many more 9th graders need, must have double block algebra!  Algebra is the foundation of high school math.  Just barely getting by isn't going to work!  Every year, these students who lack prerequisite skills and interest in math are going to fall further and further behind!

Yes, it's costly to set up "double block" classes.  But it is worth it!!!

I saw this picture on an opinion piece in the NY Times online ... entitled "Is Algebra Necessary."  My answer - yes!  But let's don't let our students drown!

A Double Dose of Algebra is a must read for those organizing and scheduling early high school math classes!

How many minutes of algebra instruction is available for your students?