Maybe I'm expecting too much.
Most students did take notes from videos or a powerpoint that I provided before coming to class. But then in class today, they struggled quite a bit understanding how to use the Laws of Exponents. Some students persevered but others were so ready to give up!
Their classwork involved progressively more difficult practice.
They started with Manga High to engage them in the basics about rational exponents. With a little work, most students mastered the work on Manga High.
Then I created a card sort - here is a copy. After students got over the shock of having to add/subtract fractions with different denominators, they were able to sort the cards into groups. My advanced students really stress over the concept of fractions!
Last, we made a huge leap to more difficult problems - requiring multiple simplifying steps. I used Kuta to develop a practice worksheet, transferred those problems to a "search and shade" activity that I found online. The shading/coloring is optional but offered for those who like that sort of thing. It was at this point that students were ready to give up. Did I go too deep too soon?
I am not satisfied that students can do this work on their own. We get one more class day before the test. On that day I have to be sure they can solve equations with rational exponents. It's a lot for such a short teaching time.
I plan to use these error analysis activities to reinforce solving skills ... here, here, and also Regents Prep which seems to be down today!
Hopefully in our next class I'll see more growth.
I am often at odds with our curriculum calendar that expects students to master challenging concepts in short amounts of time!
Showing posts with label rational exponents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rational exponents. Show all posts
Monday, January 27, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Rational Exponent Unit - preparation for observation
I am going to be observed on this short skills unit that I have chosen to flip. I asked for the observation - our administrators let us choose the day and time.
The videos I created are OK ... they aren't perfect. I need to work on that skill some.
This notes booklet should be helpful to students.
Rational Exponents Booklet Notes Pages 1 and 8 by Beth Ferguson
In each of these lessons I am highlighting three initiatives at our school, formative assessment, technology, and writing.
The writing we will do is short ... to the point. We have done some lengthier explanatory writing. But the reflection and short explanations in this booklet fit the expectation ... and of course are worthwhile to student learning.
The use of technology is not transformative. I am using technology in its simplest forms ... for taking notes, for routine online practice, and for quizzing.
The formative assessments I have planned now are the individual stations and a wrap up activity at the end of each lesson. I'm looking back through the book on formative assessment for a strategy I might like to employ other than ticket out of the door or show me your whiteboard work.
The videos I created are OK ... they aren't perfect. I need to work on that skill some.
This notes booklet should be helpful to students.
Rational Exponents Booklet Notes Pages 1 and 8 by Beth Ferguson
In each of these lessons I am highlighting three initiatives at our school, formative assessment, technology, and writing.
The writing we will do is short ... to the point. We have done some lengthier explanatory writing. But the reflection and short explanations in this booklet fit the expectation ... and of course are worthwhile to student learning.
The use of technology is not transformative. I am using technology in its simplest forms ... for taking notes, for routine online practice, and for quizzing.
The formative assessments I have planned now are the individual stations and a wrap up activity at the end of each lesson. I'm looking back through the book on formative assessment for a strategy I might like to employ other than ticket out of the door or show me your whiteboard work.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
The "boring" bit
I read Dan Meyer's post on Teaching the Boring Bits this week. Our topic beginning Friday is rational exponents. We will spend just 2 class days on the skills of simplifying and solving with fraction exponents. This is in preparation for delving into the exponential and logarithmic functions.
The focus on manipulating algebraic expressions - skill only - has the potential to fall under that category some call the boring bits. I decided to flip the two lessons ... partly because of the non-interesting factor ... a way to shake up the classroom. That alone of course isn't enough necessarily to make the task any more interesting. (I also work in a 1:1 environment and look for ideas and structure to use the technology we have more fully).
So I re-read Dan's post. I have a couple of thoughts.
I can engineer an argumentative discussion around the question, "Is 0 to the 0 power equal to 1?"
And/Or ... in the stations I am setting up, I can structure my feedback to be just enough at just the right time so that they "grapple" with challenging problems.
I'm looking for a few challenging problems that will stretch my students' thinking in this skill-based unit. Unit starts tomorrow ... still working out the kinks!
The focus on manipulating algebraic expressions - skill only - has the potential to fall under that category some call the boring bits. I decided to flip the two lessons ... partly because of the non-interesting factor ... a way to shake up the classroom. That alone of course isn't enough necessarily to make the task any more interesting. (I also work in a 1:1 environment and look for ideas and structure to use the technology we have more fully).
So I re-read Dan's post. I have a couple of thoughts.
I can engineer an argumentative discussion around the question, "Is 0 to the 0 power equal to 1?"
And/Or ... in the stations I am setting up, I can structure my feedback to be just enough at just the right time so that they "grapple" with challenging problems.
I'm looking for a few challenging problems that will stretch my students' thinking in this skill-based unit. Unit starts tomorrow ... still working out the kinks!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Flipping the classroom
In the midst of our study of functions we will take a two-day detour to learn how to manipulate rational exponents.
I decided that this 2-day unit would be the perfect time to try flipping the classroom. The unit is skill-based, and I want students to have as much class time to practice as possible. The notes are simple to give via video.
The preparation for the unit is huge. I'm spending a lot of time preparing the stations we will use in class as well as planning the examples I want to put in the videos.
The outline of the stations looks like this:
Day 1 ... simplifying expressions with rational exponents
I'll share the bits and pieces soon. I left most of the work today on my school computer. The unit starts Friday ... so I need to step up the preparation!
I decided that this 2-day unit would be the perfect time to try flipping the classroom. The unit is skill-based, and I want students to have as much class time to practice as possible. The notes are simple to give via video.
The preparation for the unit is huge. I'm spending a lot of time preparing the stations we will use in class as well as planning the examples I want to put in the videos.
The outline of the stations looks like this:
Day 1 ... simplifying expressions with rational exponents
- Manga High
- Card Sort
- Search 'n Shade practice
Day 2 ... solving equations with rational exponents
- Edmodo challenge problems (EOC style)
- Error Analysis
- Solving Practice
I'll share the bits and pieces soon. I left most of the work today on my school computer. The unit starts Friday ... so I need to step up the preparation!
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