Blogosphere ... Good Ideas Round 4

I haven't had as much time as I'd like for reading around the blogosphere in the past week.  But even short visits reveal such awesome ideas!

Mary Doom shares ideas for the first days of school.  I had created a few stations that I want to use early on, but Mary's ideas are so very creative.  She has 5 days of seating ideas in order to watch students interact with one another.  She also has nonroutine problems that she has adapted from her travels around the blogosphere!  I look forward to reading more about the various plans for the first days of school!

Rationalizing Denominators isn't the most engaging of topics. Pam's intro to this lesson caught my eye, "It gives students opportunities to notice patterns on their own, a chance to share and discuss those ideas as well as consider ideas from their classmates."  I love the idea of an open sort, inviting students to justify their groupings, and building from there.  And she finishes with a super idea for routine practice ... she requires a few specific problems and then asks students to choose a few more on their own.  Both the open sort and choices for routine practice are great strategies for differentiating instruction.  I'm thinking about our first two units ... characteristics of functions and systems of equations ... I'm sure there are applications to those units!

Last, I've been reading Teach Like a Pirate ... a very popular book right now.  I decided to read it when I read Finding Joy in 6th Grade's post.  Then I discovered that quite a few elementary teachers have been reading the book and linking their posts at this site.  Even though I teach high school, I find reading the elementary posts very inspiring.  (By the way, as I read the book, one of the concepts jumped out at me ... immersion!  When the students are in the room, be engaged with them 100%.  I know that I am most of the time ... but I can think back to days last year when I had other tasks to do, and I just wanted the students to work on their own.  It would be much better to stay engaged with them and save the "other stuff" for later!)

Much thanks to all the teachers who share their journeys online!

What treasures have you discovered online in the past week or two?

Positive results from stomach bug

 I wasn't feeling well today.  My students were especially well-behaved when I shared that I didn't feel good and needed their help!  I love that about them!  One student was out of his seat - I called his name - reminded him that moving about the room was not one of the choices I gave.  He said, "I won't argue with you this time since you don't feel good."  I laughed.  I said, "I really wish you would demonstrate respect just because I'm your teacher - not just because I don't feel good."  It's a good-natured, high energy class.

So ... today I was supposed to teach the Laws of Exponents.  Since I didn't have my usual energy, and my stomach hurt ... I told students that I would give them a quick run-down on 5 Laws.  Then I would give them several choices.  I did just that ... I went through the 5 Laws of Exponents with just an example or two of each.  Students listened, and followed along.  Then they completed the required practice.

Their choices after the quick lesson and practice included ...

• Watching videos from our textbook publisher to go over the laws again
• Playing Manga High games that provide practice with exponents
• Playing a Monomial War game in partners 
• Reviewing the skill using their workbook

It was fascinating to watch which students chose specific activities.  I was surprised at the number of students who asked for their workbooks.  I had a few students choose the videos.  And many students chose either the monomial war game or the Manga High games.  All students worked 30 - 40 minutes independently and with partners on practice!  It was a positive day!

Since I teach on an A/B day schedule, I plan to use the same set-up tomorrow ... even though right now my stomach is better and I'm feeling like the bug has departed!

I'd love to structure lessons with less of my direct instruction and more choices for student practice!

Here is the Monomial War Activity and Answers used by several teachers in our school.  I don't know the original author of the activity:

Monomial War Problems by Beth Ferguson

Monomial War Answers by Beth Ferguson

file folder mini projects

I haven't done any projects this year ... many reasons why ... but it's time now to offer my students an opportunity to show me what they know in some other way than our usual tests.

My students need choices!  I'm hoping they will get excited about these four mini-projects!  Students need to choose only one.  One project is a review of graphing; a second project combines problem solving with graphing; a third combines art design with graphing; and the fourth invites students to write creatively.

Students will complete their work (maximum 2 pages) and affix their work inside file folders.  (I might choose to use 12 x 18 construction paper instead of file folders).

If you are interested in seeing the projects, post a comment.  I'll email them.  I created two of them; one I found online and made a few revisions.  The fourth one I borrowed from Amy.