My New Addiction ---> Flipgrid

     Like many of us, I was searching for ways to connect with my class during a pandemic. Worried about how I would teach both digital and in person at the same time. Even more, as a person who loves formative assessments as a way to judge where my students are and as someone who wants to genuinely know about their students this pandemic left me scratching my head.     

    I am not one of those teachers who mandate that I see my students faces on camera during zoom sessions. I personally believe that I do not know what is going on in my students home and do not want to make them feel uncomfortable in their own home life and situation. However, because I do want to see them and hear them. That I needed something that allowed them to control the narrative and also deliver to me what I was seeking. 

    And BAM, I found this webinar online featuring Stacey Roshan speaking about Flipgrid! In this webinar she spoke about how Flipgrid allowed her to do three things:

Create a whiteboard style video, with or without your face included

Provide 1:1 attention and support to students with personalized private video feedback

Create mini-lessons with voice and handwriting

So then I was hooked! I could see my students, hear them think and give them feedback! I had to tried it.

Which brings me to this video below, which explains the number one way, I use flipgrid in my class.

If you have any questions, please comment below or reach out to me here. Also let me know if you use Flipgrid and how you use it in your class. 

Working on my ED.S. in Instructional Technology Part One

Here is video on a digital lesson I created for one my classes using internet tools.

The lesson involves students having to create their own lesson.

The internet tools used...

Educreations
Study Stack
Google Forms - Quizzes

Here is the video, I will be back to talk about each tool independently later.

Choice Menus: Give the kids options!

One of my favorite grading assignments to give my support class is my choice menus.

My favorite one is attached, 16 squares of different point levels, the board has 37 possible points, students need 25 points to get a "100". I give my kids options, that can do all 37, you get 25 100, do 25, get 25 correct you get 100. The CHOICE is theirs, which is the beauty of it. Here are 2 versions, I just did in my Algebra 2 support class on radicals, and cube roots..

Choice Menu 1

Choice Menu 2

You don't have to re-invent the wheel: Polynomial Functions

I love the MTBoS community love it; If there is a subject you are teaching and you don't know how to introduce it, teach it, or re mediate it , chances are it's out there!

We are on Fall Break, Midterms aka Benchmarks are coming up and I need to review a subject with my Math Support classes that isn't their favorite. Polynomial Functions, so I searched and looked to see what was out there and BAM! 2 great activities that I have to share!

End Behavior games!

Rebecka Peterson, talks about 3 fun activities to do for remembering End Behavior!

I already do the hand signals with my kids, all those Kinesthetic learners love it.

I took my class to the lab while teaching finding the zeros from graphs and used desmos.com, which is awesome, so kids could show full understand of end behavior if they have to change it..

Also the Simon says type end behavior game, where the last kid is eliminated is great! I will have candy for the kids and kids go crazy for candy; Pre-K through 12.

More End Behavior

While I plan on doing Rebecka's activities as the meat and potatoes of the lesson. Jennifer Cook provides the warm-up and exit ticket.

For the Warm-Up, I plan on having the kids do the sort of the pictures and equations, into the 4 groups of end behavior to see where my kids are in understanding before I refine what they know.

The exit ticket is a great way to see if the lesson has stuck with them.

Can I do all of this in 50 minutes probably not but I am excited to try it!  But more importantly, I was wondering how I could refine my students understanding of polynomial functions and I found 2 fellow bloggers that have given me a great lesson and maybe 2 of them!

Matrix Walk Around activity

This was the 1st full week of school for us. We are in our 1st Unit on Matrices. So I am giving you a good around the world activity for Matrices, no calculator needed if you don't have them. Thanks to help from a former co-worker

Around The World

Math Posters Round 2

I have spoken about Math Posters in the Past.

Math Posters

It's a great activity of review and reflection for the kids and it's one that I believe shows you the depth of their knowledge while at the same time providing MEANINGFUL posters to use in your classroom. Here are a few some students in my Math Support class did for me at the end of the school year.

So go and use this activity, see what your students see and let them create!

I promised I am back :) and why I have been gone...

Where have I been on a life changing journey and I am just now settling into the saddle :)

Spring Football


Newton's New HC

Formative Assessments: How to...

If you missed last Tuesday's Globalmath you need to go watch it here... Formative Assessments for Math Learning

Pam J. Wilson and myself spoke on a lot of good topics..

Here is the link to my part of the presentation so you can see what I used, but listening to the presentation is key as well.  Formative Assessments


I am working on a post that may take me a week because I write slow and have a ton going on about a comment that I made in the presentation that I believe to be true..

"You can't wait for the quiz to learn what your kids know. You need to know today."

This cause quite a discussion on twitter some people agreed with me, one didn't and asked what is the purpose of the quiz then and that my statement means that there is no distinction between kids of different abilities. Which is not true.

Which is not the purpose of a formative assessment, in my opinion  I will speak on that more in my next post on how formative assessments lead to summative grading. Bloom's Taxonomy and Marzano based grading, the use of Level questioning.

So I ask you guys, what is the purpose of a formative assessment to you?

MyFavFriday: Properties of Logarithms Foldable

MyFavFriday: Properties Of Logarithms Foldable

I haven't done a favorite friday in a while so I am back with one.

I use foldables a lot in my Math Support class, I thought I would share one that I created for Preoperties Of Logarithms with you.

We used this in class to help with the product, quotient, and power property while working on condense, expand and change of base with logs.

Here are some pictures of the foldable:

Here is a link to the foldable:
Properties of Log Foldable

Also don't forget to join me and the the wonderful Pam J. Wilson for GlobalMath on Feb 19th, we will be talking about Formative Assessments.

#MSSunFun Favorite Math Practice Website

Middle School Sunday Funday!!

I know I don't teach Middle School, but Julie's topic was to good to pass up today.. (and I like some future topics as well)

Favorite Math Practice Websites!!!

I want to share with teachers a fun website that allows students to play games, you to use differentiated instruction and to check progress..

www.mangahigh.com and Yes, IT'S FREE! All you have to do is register your school, there are some pay parts but they have an amazing amount of free material available.

Here is a link to some resources MangaHigh Resources, to get you started.

When a student logins all they see is the games and they have them from order of operations all the way up to factoring..

But the best part is the Quizzes only teachers can upload for their students, called challenges.

Here is a view of one of the challenges

Also as a teacher you can view what level each student scored on the current challenge. (who is doing great and who needs extra help)

For more information on how to set-up mangahigh and use it visit here: Manga High How 2

I go to the lab every Friday with my math support class and they love it! Check out Manga High, I am sure you will love it 2!

Formative Assessment Probes

Formative Assessments don't have to always involve quizzes. Sometimes a nice simple probe with do and can take 10 minutes or less and they can be done anytime in the lesson. Warm-Up, Middle, or Ticket of the door.


Here is one I create for my Algebra 2 Class on word problems involving exponentials.

Discrete or Continuous

A simple 2 problem probe multiple choice and more importantly getting the kids to explain why they selected an answer and if they understand how to use a calculator properly.

Examview making my own questions...

I love examview.. LOVE IT... Until now I had never created my own examview questions.

Then I ran into an old Megan Golding post on writing dynamic examview questions.

And so I created my own!

Go Here to Find out how.. Converting Word Docs to Examview

Here is the one I created for My Stats Class, we used the CPS response clickers and played Jeopardy..

Word File Examview

Next I am off to mix Moodle with Examview Questions!

Top Blog Posts of the Year (You need to read these!)

This will probably be my last post for 2012, so Happy New Year... I am teaching Stats and Discrete Math next semester so my posts will be a little different, I still have my Algebra II Support class so, I plan on posting things I do for them as well. Anyways, here are the best articles I read on the blogs this year in 2012


1. Best PD Ever, If you missed Twitter Math camp like me, Lisa Henry has a recap of everything they did  and news from it, start here you are sure to find an idea or two or three.


2. It's going so right, something MUST be wrong. She isn't posting as much as she use to but when she does, they are great. Are you teaching quadratics or want to spice it up for next year start here with Hedge.


3. Regression Instructions on Nspire and 84 I used Kate Nowak's Regression instructions for my kids in Stats Class, ended up being the easiest thing I taught them all year!


4. Calculator Shortcuts! - I didn't know this and I bet you don't either! Do you use a TI-84 in class? You want to know this!

5. Post It Note Answer Key This is how you stop your kids from asking is this the right answer but, where did I go wrong, a much more important question.

6. #Made4math: Exit slip update - Anyone who knows me knows I am huge on Formative assessments and Fouss came up with a way that helps the students feel at ease when doing them.

7. Bulletin Boards - Part 2 - How useful is your bulletin board? Learn from Shelli on how to make it more useful.

8. #made4math Monday! More Kagan, Triangle Center Foldable, Einthoven’s Triangle - Did I mention that Pam is just as big on formative assessments as I am?

9. Stolen Pedagogy -  As Megan says if you aren't using what you learn on these blogs to make yourself a better teacher then what is the purpose?

10. The Best Formative Assessment Tool Ever! - Or so some dumb teacher thinks :)

See you guys next year..

Math Teachers At Play #57

Welcome to the 57th Edition of Math Teachers at Play the Blog Carnival!

 The number 57 has often been used in entertainment. As in Agent 57 from the Hit TV Show Danger Mouse.. Bruce Springsteen once sung about 57 channels (and nothing ' on), and I can't forget one of my favorite movies Passenger 57 staring Wesley Snipes.





Below are this month's entries:

Mathematics Teaching

Jason Dyer tells us why this TED-Ed video on Log Functions isn't what it should be TED-Ed gone awry!

 If Long Division is a problem for your kids or students, Julie has the answer to making it easy in this post. Long Division Made Easy

Sue VanHattem is back to help fix some basic misconceptions about Anti-Dervatives and the Area under the Curve in Calculus. Calculus Anti-Derivatives and Area
 
 Pat Ballew is here to tell us about how to use prior knowledge to enhance and build new knowledge, using what we know about midpoints to help us with Centroids.  Average Points

 Christa Fairbrother picks up on the best way to engage students..CANDY M&M's and Math, but she even gives us a bonus on how a function box can help with addition, subtraction, multiplication..  Engagement using a function box

 Guillermo Bautista talks about the importance of getting your kids to understand the meaning correspondence in math.

Kimberly Moore uses her daughter's love for Paper Dolls to help explain the Concept of Division. 

Content Mathematics

 Colleen Young is back with Christmas Activities for you to use in the Classroom. Christmas Time

 Sue VanHattem brings to us Holiday Logic Puzzles that we all love! Holiday Logic Puzzles

Denise gives us a way to keep up with homeschooling during the holiday season using a Mathematical Advent Calendar. 





Great Advice and Insight

Can you create Mathematical Stars? Malke shows us how she got her daughter further into mathematical stars including the use of ornaments. Mathematical Star Ornaments

Terrance Banks gives all school teachers the best way to give a formative assessment that your students are sure to love and easy for you to use. Sticky Notes.




Technology
Colleen Young gives us Desmos an online graphing calculator is superb. FREE and very easy to use. Desmos Calculator

Cindy uses Number Rack to ask Kindergartners what makes five, learn how this app with help your students grow. Make Five with Number Rack

This concludes the 57th edition of the Math Teachers at Play. You may submit your entries for the 58th edition here. 

Made 4 Monday: What I have done the past few weeks..

Ok, I have been MIA the past 3 weeks. We have one full week left and finals start Friday, Half days next week Monday-Wednesday. Then Christmas Vacation! YES!

But here are some activities I have used in the class the past few weeks.

Our current Algebra II unit is Rational Exponents, so I have done a few activities for this unit.

1st, is a transformation matching activity for square and cube root graphs.

The students have to match the graph, equation, and the transformation description. Transformations are a huge part of our old Integrated curriculum here in Georgia.  (Currently being phased out with Common Core)

Rational Exponent Transformation Cards

2nd, is a Tarsia activity puzzle.. Students have to cut out the pieces and put them together in a puzzle that forms a Standard Parquet (It's 12 pieces). The questions are on simplifying rational exponents. I guess I will need to do a post on Tarsia for those who don't have it or have used it.

Here is the pdf file for you to print and have your students match up Rational Exponent Tarsia PDF
Those of you that have downloaded and use Tarsia here is the Tarsia file Tarsia File

And finally here is a different version of Tic Tac Toe review game that I love.

The Rules:

                1)  Choose any row or column and complete the problems on your own paper or on the back of this sheet.  Work independently!

                2)  Once you are convinced that your answers are perfect, record them in the squares, and take them to the teacher to play the game.

                3)  If you are correct, your square gets a circle.  If you are wrong, the square gets an X and you are blocked!

                4)  If you are blocked, you must start over with another row or column.

                5)  Keep playing until you “win”!

Here it is it covers the full unit! Tic Tac Toe Review

ENJOY!!!! 

Made4Math: Homework Help - Smartboard...

Homework Help Smartboard.

If you have read my post the Homework/Classwork Dilemma You know exactly how I feel about Homework, however after talking with a colleague, I thought of a neat way to help my students with their homework.

I give around 2 problems per night, Level 1 and Level 2/3 type questions usually. If you have a smartboard, you need to be using this feature. I record myself at the end of each day, solving my homework problems, the file then says as a .wmv. I then upload it to youtube or vimeo and I post to my website. My students know that around 6pm, they can go on and check their answers or get help with the homework problems. I will be looking at expanding this to review lessons and review before the test. Here is a sample video..

My Fav Friday: Waterfall Trivia

My Fav Friday: Waterfall Trivia

It is not easy to always come up with a review activity for every unit. However, sometimes you just got to keep searching.. I came across Waterfall Trivia, which I STOLE, and shamelessly from none other than super-blogger Megan Golding.

How To: Waterfall Trivia

I used this review activity for my Algebra II students over Polynomial Functions, Rational Root Thr. and Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, etc....

The only change I made from Megan is 4 minutes per question because of the type of problems and for my kids, I have a custom pandora station of Corrine Bailey Rae, Adele, Sara Bareilles, Carly Rae Jespen.

Waterfall Trivia

My Fav Friday: Best Group Work Activity

My Favorite Friday: Placemats

Best Group Work Activity...

All you need is Butcher paper, Art Drawing Paper or the Large Post-ID Paper. I prefer the Butcher Paper because it's cheaper and you should be a full roll for the department if I have any department chair's reading this :). Without further ado here is the video...

Yes, I love this video thing now

Placemats from Terrance Banks on Vimeo.

Made4MathMonday:The Best FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT EVER!

Here is a rough video.  My 1st one on my iPhone as, I forgot my flip camera.

But here it is, this is the easiest best way to use a formative assessment with your students, IMO.

Thanks to Lisa Henry, for making me do this even though she doesn't know it yet, and Kristen Fouss, for giving me the courage to, though I don't show my face :), she doesn't know that either.

All You Need is Sticky Notes! Without further ado....









Formative Assesments Sticky Notes from Terrance Banks on Vimeo.

Fav Friday: Favorite Place To B on Friday's at 7:30

Fav Fridays!!!

I don't have anything of great mathematical use for us today.

But I would like to talk about my favorite place to be on a Friday night at 7:30.

I was born and raised in the south and we care about two things down here in the Bible Belt. Church and FOOTBALL!

So on Friday night's at 7:30 the greatest place on earth to be is at a HS Football Game and for me as a Coach is to be with my students coaching them, win or lose. It's the best scene ever!

Here are a few pics.

Also if you teach Alg II or PreCalc, Please sign up and join us on these 2 wikis.

Pre Cal Teachers and Alg 2 Teachers