We as math teachers typically give the easiest problems first in our classes. Then the problems get more and more difficult as we move along in the class. Then finally we give the most difficult problem. Sometimes we don't even have time for this problem because we have spent so much time on the easier questions. Our homework assignments are the same. We give 20 problems that get more and more difficult. Then you get to the "Word Problem" which is usually skipped by the student. They are thinking that their teacher will go over it the next day.
I think we should give the most difficult problem FIRST! Then we use the easy questions to help us get to the solution. When we do the most difficult problem first we showing students this is what we expect all to accomplish. We give it PRIORITY! When we go straight to the hardest question we show how vital all of the easy questions are to help us get to the tough question. There is a NEED for the easy questions and not just busy work.
This sounds really easy to implement. But I'm having a hard time doing it. My traditional teacher mind takes over and I can't seem to switch. However, I'm also finding that you must get the right problem(s) to start with so that this can happen effectively.
What are your thoughts? Do you buy in? How can we accomplish this?
I get caught up in the latest technology. It is cool. It is slick. It is a little magical. I remember the first time that I saw an I-Pad in operation. Whew. That was nice. How about the time you saw your first SMART phone in operation. The power they have. AMAZING.
Now, the problem with the latest technology is that we try to translate that to the classroom. There are some major problems with transferring the latest technology to the classroom.
1. MONEY!
2. Professional Development
3. Up front student learning time.
Here is an example of a technology that I'm not ready to buy into.
The TI-NSpire
1. This device commands a lot of money. It would be difficult to work without a classroom set.
2. We had a 2 hour professional development session on the inspire. I'm a techie and I thought the calculator was confusing. I can imagine a teacher that is required to use this and really being frustrated with the amount of learning that has to go into it before they can feel comfortable with it.
3. I thought about my students learning a whole lot of useless technology and receiving a very small amount of curricular value.
Here is an example of a technology that I'm sold on.
The Flip Video Camera (or a similar inexpensive video camera)
1. Under $100 for 1.
2. Teachers can learn the technology in a 15 minute sitting.
3. Students need to know NOTHING before they use it.
DAVID'S BIG THREE for CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY USE
I don't want to avoid technology. But for the most part I won't hop on the technology bandwagon until I can reach these three points of using technology.
1. Students like it and benefit from using it.
2. There is a low up front learning curve for student and teacher.
3. The cost is reasonable.
Our department is looking into writing our own digital textbook. Whenever we adopt a new textbook it seems like we rewrite it anyway. Why not write it ourselves. So we discussed the question: "What would you like to see in a digital textbook?" Please add to the list by giving a comment.
1. Levels of examples
2. Video examples
3. Video lessons
4. Assessment tool
5. Homework problems easily printable
6. Link for students to access SMARTBoard notes
7. Geogebra/sketchpad/fathom activities
8. Wikipedia like edits
9. Accessibility (all browsers, phones, etc)
10. Interactive Practice
11. Homework submission
12. Dynamic charts
13. Exploratory features
14. Tutorials
15. Plenty of practice problems
16. Online quizzes with built in mastery and explanation of correct answer
17. Test generator-choose questions by standards. Alternate questions
18. Students can highlight sections, annotate on-line, and drag and drop main ideas to make a study guide.
19. Targets generator with tutorial
20. Reference to Google tutorial topics
21. Aleks like account
22. Shows only the problems that the teacher wants to give.
23. Dynamic and up to date
24. Immediate feedback on practice
25. Printable Homework
26. Grades and inputs the scores into grade book
27. Interactive links
28. Dynamic Charts (up to date)
29. Easy to view on a Smartphone
30. Links to other help websites like Khan Academy
31. Lessons if they don’t understand a concept
32. Some type of self-assessment where they can see what their mistakes are
33. More practice problems at different levels of difficulty
34. Some sort of explanation or hint for practice problems that a student doesn’t know how to do
I use dropbox everyday. It is a file system that allows you to share your files with your colleagues.
I have a file that I share with other colleagues in my department. You could use it for all the Algebra teachers at in your department so that they all would have access to the files. It is also a back up file system.
If anything happens to a file on my computer, it is backed up on the servers at Dropbox.com. It is also a file system that can be shared with all your own computers. I can download the software so that any computer I own will have the files in my dropbox in them. I can also login to dropbox.com and access my files from any computer that is connected to the Internet.
Best of all, you get 2 GB free of storage. That is a lot of storage.
Here is a short video that I made showing it's highlights.
I learned a tip yesterday that most certainly will help my students. It is that I should use a wireless mouse in class. Here is what I mean. You just have your mouse with you while you are in the back of the room and then when you need to do anything on your computer you can just scroll your mouse on any available surface. The mouse I have works from any location in my room. The mouse I have works from any location in my room. So while still in the back of the room you can scroll your mouse on a free desk or even your pant leg and it will work.
Here is how I see it best used.
1. Helping students without "rescuing" them.
Sometimes I have to go up to the SMART Board to actually help a student out of a jam. This will help me to be able to guide them out of that jam without too much interference by staying in the back of the room and guiding them with the mouse in my hand. I will only have to move my mouse wherever I'm at to help them. If I'm at a desk in the back of the room, I can just scroll the mouse on the desk, or you could just scroll the mouse on the side of your leg. It is a snap.
2. Giving the mouse to a student to work on a problem directly from their desk. There are times and occasions that I want a student to show how to do something. This will be an excellent opportunity to simply give the student the mouse and have them work out and explain to everyone what they are doing.
Besides a direct help to the students I can advance a slide from anywhere in the room or I can point to something at the board without having to be at the front of the room. What a beautiful thing!
My daughter gave me the Logitech M215 wireless mouse for Christmas. I think it costs about $30. Although I just searched and found it at TARGET for $15. Someone else told me that it was on Woot.com for $5 at one time. As you can see in the picture the USB insert is very small. I really like that. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Thanks goes out to my Naperville Central Colleagues Flint Collier and Dan Olandese for sharing this tip with me. I love it!
Conics are EVERYWHERE. I just took a flip video and taped of a few clips of some conic sections around town and then put them in a 1 minute video. I asked the students to remember as many of the images that they could. They were to try to identify the shape (parabola, ellipse, hyperbola, or circle) and what the object was. It was very interesting to hear the discussion.
Some observations the students made.
The Taco-Bell clip looks like the bottom of the bell is an ellipse, whereas the top part looked like a parabola. There were some arches that looked like a semi-ellipse.
Someone pointed out the circle that is the steering wheel and the tires on cars.
The tower was a parabolic dish.
McDonald's had two parabolas.
The gas station had an elliptical sign.
There was a big argument about the wires on the sidewalk. The only thing it was not called was circular.
The stone arrangement looked like a semi-circle. Since the video is from an angle it almost looks like an semi-ellipse.
The bridge had some discussion as well between a hyperbola and a parabola.
The last clip was simply a nuclear plant shaped like a hyperbola.
Most of all, it created some great MATH discussions. Give it a try.
Dave
Here are some reasons why I'm THANKFUL for being a teacher!
1. Every Day is Different
Actually every class is different, every student is different, every parent is different... and so on. I love the fact that the activities are always varied, and thus always fresh.
2. I get to answer questions.
There is a certain amount of pride in answering questions. If students ask questions, I know that they want to know something more.
3. My Students.
I love the energy of young people. I thrive working with students and the fresh ideas they bring. Spending time with young people keeps me young.
4. I get to use new technology daily.
SMARTBoard, Flip Videos, Laptops, Tablet Laptops, Computer Lab, and of course MY CALCULATOR.
5. Problem Solving.
Teaching gives me a chance to problem solve on a daily basis. I find the challenges engaging. They give me a sense of accomplishment. How do students best learn? How can I make the material engaging?
6. My Colleagues
I love working with the people in my department and my school. They are so supportive and downright fun to be with.
7. Coaching
Coaching gives me a chance to work with my students in a different way. I love working with a team to try to accomplish something you can't alone.
8. Our new facility
Our school finished the renovation project this year. It is gorgeous. Check out my room in this video.
9. Math
I love math. I love numbers. I get to work with numbers everyday.
10. Stories
First of all, I get to tell my family stories about my adventures in teaching. Secondly, I realize that I need to find out each student's story.
11. Former Students
It is so rewarding to have former students stay in touch with me. I recently saw a former student of mine and she is currently a teacher herself. It was terrific to see her passion for her students and for her profession.
12. I get PAID for doing something I love!
13. I'm also very thankful for vacations. Thanksgiving, Holiday Break, Spring Break, and SUMMER!
