“Why do we need to learn this?”
“You might want to build something someday.”
Tag Archives: Math
Data Collecting
This picture looks funny to me – like the two kids staring out the window on a rainy day at the start of the book The Cat in the Hat. What is actually happening is two math students are collecting data about the types of vehicles that drive past our school in the morning. It’s amazing the involvement, concentration and analyzing that happens in this type of activity – despite being self proclaimed ‘math haters’. I laugh (on the inside of course so that it doesn’t show) when they ask if they can quickly finish their math work so that they can do more data collecting !
More Interactive Math
One day with this activity and my student declared, “I get it!”
There is a brad with a piece of elastic, some packing tape across the top and the bottom, and sticky notes. Just an effort to be more kinesthetic.
A Useful Math Interactive Notebook Page
Place Value Chart
We put packing tape overtop of the chart so it can be used again and again. Here we answered #11 on the worksheet with the notebook’s help.
Teach Off The Wall
I love the idea of teaching off the wall. This bulletin board serves several purposes:
1. It illustrates to students that math is many different things (I point that out when a student says, “I am no good at math!” I can show them that there are areas that they find difficult and areas they are good at.)
2. It provides review (I make flaps to hide and then show answers. The chart on the right uses paper clips to hold cards in place so they can be added with different lessons.)
3. It is an anchor chart.
4. It reminds ME of things we’ve done so I can point out connections and do regular review.
I maybe use this bulletin board too much. I keep adding things. Every time I find something cool I want to add it. Fibinocci is pictured on the left – my students can’t believe someone would spend all his time thinking about math!
Making the Worksheet the Anchor
This week I tried something. I put an abbreviated version of my anchor chart onto a template for fraction operations. It was quite successful. One more step towards independent work for my students.
Talking App
I love this app!
It’s a talking calculator and it has improved student accuracy on a calculator! So many of my students were not accurate with a calculator – pressing the wrong buttons. With this app they hear their mistake. When they do make a mistake they can backspace rather than starting all over. Love the multi-sensory approach.
I love using this app. It has improved my speed, accuracy, and confidence in my calculations.
The app is free but adding the voice costs a bit. Also, be sure to have headphones if others are around.
Math Anchor Chart
Not sure where I got this idea but I have used it for different posters and charts – place paperclips through the poster. The paperclips allow information to be added or taken down and practiced. This anchor chart is used to highlight important terms in story problems. I added cards as my students came across them in their math work.
The Resourceful Resource Teacher 