Saturday, November 14, 2009

S.T.E.M.

Wendy Cleaves, the Math Coordinator at the Regional Science Resource Center @ UMMS
222 Maple Ave., Shrewsbury, MA 01545, wrote, "
The Central MA STEM Network has created a STEM Career Awareness video that focuses on middle school students. The intent of the video is to highlight opportunities for middle school students to connect with the world of STEM. Local STEM activities are highlighted in the video. The link is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOhFEf_Q0Dc

You can also go to You Tube and search for Central MA STEM Network.
Charter Cable will be airing a half hour TV show ( STEM Career Awareness) in December with expanded footage of these activities and a panel. Please share as you see fit."

It's a very well done video about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math applications as they relate to the middle school student. Several students were interviewed. They are well spoken, enthusiastic, and interesting. I think that you and your students will enjoy this video.

--Lauren


Friday, November 13, 2009

Multiplying Decimals

A teacher asked me today for help in explaining/ instructing/ illustrating multiplication of decimals. While decimals tend to be easier for students to handle than fractions, they might still get confused by the rules/ algorithms: when to line up the decimals; when to count them; and what do you do when you divide??! 


I shared some worksheets that I have that highlight the pattern involved, as every problem on the sheet has to do with multiplying or dividing by multiples of ten. I then ask the students to tell me what happened to the decimal? It moved to the right because you were multiplying; to the left because you were dividing... 

Some students catch on to this. They learn well when presented with number patterns. Others still look confused. For some it's the medium: the paper's too busy, so fold it in half. For one boy I worked with recently, this was still too difficult for him to see. So I wrote each digit on a separate piece of paper and I took out a counter to be used as the decimal. Then I had him physically move the counter to show me what his answer looked like. 

He got it! He now saw what I meant by the decimal point moving. 

Others still might look confused. I had one student represent the decimal. The students had to tell him/her how to move and how far to move. (Because decimals can't think for themselves.) This worked very well for some of the students. I combine this with my own 'decimal dance': where every time I mention the decimal moving to the right, I move to the right that number of spaces. And every time I mention the decimal moving to the left, I move to the left that number of spaces. This usually gets some weird looks and laughter from the students and helps them to remember what to do and why. 

How do you help your students to multiply/ divide decimals? Please send me your ideas as what I'm doing is surely not going to reach every one and there will be a day soon when I  need to do something new. Together we can teach the world: one child at a time. --Lauren   

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Game Playing

Nrich is a great website. It has a lot of great online games involving strategy and critical thinking: including Sudoku and many types of discrete math topics (such as nets, NIM games, etc.).

It also has 3 articles worth checking out:
Check them out then let me know what you think.
--Lauren

Saturday, November 7, 2009

No Child Left Behind

I had a great week! My students were motivated, hard working, and --best of all--successful!

This is even better than it sounds, because I work with students who need a little extra support in order to succeed at Math.

It's easy for these students, (who are now in middle school, and may have had difficulties with Math for 6 or more years already) to give up: on their teachers; on Math; and, worst of all, on themselves.

When they come to me I refuse to let them give up. There is no "I can't." in my room. There is no giving up. Not trying is not an option.

That said, they sometimes still just go through the motions: doing as little work while with me as possible, and counting the minutes until class ends.

That is why this week was so special: not just for me, but for them. Because this week 2 of my students, who have been struggling mightily lately, had some success! And it makes all the difference!

Once a student who has been struggling succeeds, they begin to believe that they CAN DO IT! Their focus is better. They work harder. They continue to succeed. It really is a cycle.

We talk about this phenomenon in sports all of the time: winners' momentum. It's real. It's out there. And it can make a difference.

So-- in order for our students to begin to succeed, they need to begin to succeed. Or-- in order to believe in themselves, they have to see proof that they can do it.

So, how to begin this process?

Please send me your ideas.

--Lauren