Sunday, October 25, 2009

Math Tutorials

I just found a great website with math videos. It's got everything!
Check it out!

Do you have a website for math videos that your students really like?

We use Brain Pop Videos (http://www.brainpop.com/) a lot in our school, but they don't have all of the concepts I'm looking for.
How about you? What do you use?
--Lauren

Math Games!

I just found an exciting site which features online math games. Games are a great way to practice skills: they are engaging; repetitive; and fun!

Check it out!

I also heard about a software program that allows you to create your own games:
http://www.quia.com/web. Unfortunately, there is a small fee (about $40-$50 a year).

Do you have a favorite website for math games? Which games do your students most enjoy?

--Lauren
I've been working with my sixth graders on reading and ordering decimals. This can be tricky as a number like 7.521 seems to be much larger than the number 7.6 because, in our previous experience the more digits a number has, the greater the number.

I always relate decimals to money. When we relate a math concept and skill to real life and place it into a context that the students encounter on a regular basis than it makes more sense to them.

Today I did a google search for teacher blogs that commented upon ordering decimals. I found this great powerpoint/ video. Check it out.


Comparing and Ordering Decimals
View http://www.authorstream.com/presentation/afabbro-68217-comparing-ordering-decimals-compare-order-entertainment-ppt-powerpoint/

Presentation Description
Learn how to compare and order decimals
By afabbro
Presentation URL
http://www.authorstream.com/presentation/afabbro-68217-comparing-ordering-decimals-compare-order-entertainment-ppt-powerpoint/
Presentation Description
Learn how to compare and order decimals
By afabbro

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Rate * Time = Distance Problems

I have long wondered why our textbook teaches rate*time= distance problems in chapter 2. It's only October, the students are still fairly new to algebra. We have just reviewed integers, 1-step equations and the distributive property. They have recently been introduced to 2-step; multi-step; clearing fractions and decimals; "identity" and "no solution" equations. Are they really ready for what arguably are the most challenging problems in all of algebra?

These are the problems that frequently are quoted as being representative of algebra; often in regards to how much someone hated or failed at Math. Are we setting up our students to experience defeat? Are we asking too much of them?

For the first time one of my students truly surprised me: He Got It! He truly Got It! Is this my star student? Is he gifted? Perhaps-- but as soon as a week ago he was struggling to remember what he had learned about adding integers; who had forgotten what he had learned about solving 1-step equations. This is a student whose teacher and parent have been concerned about. I had spoken to him the previous day about the possibility of coming to the Math Specialist program more often, or seeing me after school.

He not only understood the rate*time= distance problems; he came in excited and eager to share. He was able to help the other students to do and understand the problems as well! These are the times when we are amazed and impressed by our students. These are the times when we bow to the wisdom of our textbook writers. These are the times that we know why we are teachers!

Perhaps we ask the students to do these difficult problems so early in the year so that they might understand the power that is algebra. Perhaps we ask the students to do these problems so early in the year so that they might come to see themselves as capable, able to meet challenges and overcome them. Perhaps we ask the students to do these problems so early in the year so that they might shine-- as this student did.

What do you think: should we save these challenging problems for later in the year? How do you help/ scaffold/ guide your students to succeed at these difficult problems?

What exciting times have you had as a teacher?

Answering Questions via Circle Graphs

I tried something new with my 6th graders this week. I encouraged them to generate questions that might be answered through our sports survey data.

At first all of the questions posed were of the type: "How many students...?" I wanted to go more in depth; so I suggested that the questions we ask might start with the phrases, "Do more...?"; "Which sport do more ___?"; etc. The questions that we asked had to make a comparison of some sort in order for the circle graph to give us any information.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been so explicit. Would they have understood the power of circle graphs more if I had allowed them to continue as they were, asking questions that would net only one quantity, then making circle graphs that were always completely shaded in?

How have you enabled your students to ask data questions? How much guidance is needed and how much is too much?

Sunday, October 11, 2009

My sixth graders came to me confused this week about finding the median from numbers in a table. I determined that they must have been talking about a frequency table.

First, I helped them to understand what each number represented: in our case, the number of houses that had the given number of dogs.

Then we tried to visualize what all of the numbers would look like if they were written on index cards and hung from a rope with clothespins. I drew a few of the cards: we said that there were 13 houses with 0 dogs, so I drew five cards and wrote "0" on them.

Then I asked one of the students to help me to demonstrate what that might mean on a rope. We each held an end then I folded it in the middle, and asked the students, "What number would be here?"

It worked! They could visualize the process and seemed to have a clear understanding that the median is actually the middle of something: in this case a rope. They understood that half of the responses, in this case the numbers of dogs each household had, would be on one half of the rope and the other half would be on the other half, with the median right in the middle!

If you have other ideas for teaching the meaning of frequency tables or how to find the median, without writing out 73 numbers in order, please send in your ideas and suggestions. --Lauren