Sorting Change

As I have been looking at Pinterest, my newest hobby, I have come across so many wonderful ideas that I just have to share.  Not too long ago, I decided to go back into the classroom.  You know how you can't go into any store without seeing ideas you can use in your classroom?  Anyhow, I came across the beautiful blue appetizer tray (on the outdoor summer aisle).  The kind with a circle in the center with areas for carrots, celery, etc. around the center.  I thought I don't know what I can use this for yet, but I bet something will come to me.  Anyhow, back to the idea.  As I was looking at Pinterest I came across this cool idea for young students for sorting change.


 

Now I know one way I can use that appetizer tray I bought.  What a great way for students to not only sort change but then to figure out the total amount of money that was in the center.  The tray cost me a whole $2.00 and I could just use sticky notes or stickers to make the compartment labels.  For more information and a great website for ideas visit http://www.growinginprek.com/mathcenter.htm




I'm looking for other ways to use my appetizer tray, so please let me know of other ideas at michelleflaming143@gmail.com

Olympic Theme - Sports and Games

As I was searching for ideas to use next year with my students, I came across this website - Math and Sport: Countdown to the Games.  I think this site could be very useful since our theme this year is the Olympics. 

Two Steps For Developing Communication in the Classroom

This week I have been thinking more and more about how to get the message of the importance of communication between student to student and students to teacher is critical if we want to create great problem solvers who have great reasoning skills.   I just read an article in a NCTM journal by a fourth grade teacher and I love her quote: "Communication is not a passing fad!  It belongs in the very heart of every math classroom."  So how do we make it the heart of every classroom? 

Top 8 Ideas For Teaching One-to-One Correspondence

"Rote memorization of a set of numbers is meaningless" (Moore, 1973, p. 67) and counting is a skill, which should not be stressed until the child has shown understanding of the quantity level (general amounts in groups or sets).  Although one-to-one correspondence sounds like such a simple skill, may young children have problems with this developmental concept.  These eight ideas are designed to support young children in their efforts.

Three Ways to Represent Fractions Three Ways to Represent Fractions Three Ways To Represent Fractions

 Why are fractions so hard?  Many children work well with whole number concepts, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, but struggle when it comes to working with fractions. 

Four Activities for Comparing and Ordering Numbers

Comparing and ordering numbers is an important skill for students at any grade level.  But there is more to comparing and ordering numbers than comparing the individual digits in each of the placeholders. 

We designed our first lesson to talk about the difference between an inch and a cm, and then were going to have them measure various items in both to make sure they did know the difference.  As the lesson began, each teacher watched his or her designated child diligently.  Then, all of a sudden, as many children came to the document camera to show how they measured an item, a light bulb came on for us educators.  See we thought the reason the students were missing the test items had to do with them just reading the last number on the ruler.  In Kansas students have to read a broken ruler.  So if they show a pencil starting at the 4

" line and ending at the 10" line, then students have to state it is 6".  We all thoughts many students would say the pencil is 10".  Boy were we surprised when they stated "seven inches".  Seven inches, really, show us how.  One by one students would come to the document camera and measure each object. This is when we had the ahha!  Students did not understand the concept of an inch.  They were counting the lines on the ruler, not the space in between the lines.  All the teachers in the room, including myself, couldn't wait to get out of the room.  Now we know how to fix this misconception.

Our second lesson, after being revised, made us realize we need to clarify students' concept of an inch.  I believe this is what happens when we move to a procedure or skill before a concept is deepened and understood completely.  This time we started with the one-inch square tiles.  Making sure students understood, by measuring with their ruler that yes it is an inch.  Measuring objects with the square tiles, then laying a broken ruler on the object, made students question their own understanding. 

True learning took place that day, not just with students but with also many great educators. 

Rote Counting - Foundational Skill of Number Sense

Rote counting is a foundational skill of number sense.  Unfortunately most kids only learn how to skip count by 2's, 5's, and 10's starting with the first multiple. 

Modeling Improper Fractions

Why do students who may have succeeded in mathematics in the lower grades struggle when they get into third grade or above?  Students may do quite well with whole number mathematics, but once we start working with fractions, often tend to struggle. This struggle, I believe is due to the lack of understanding of fractions we teachers have ourselves.  Most textbooks never go deeper than the understanding that a fraction as a part of a whole.

Abstract Math to Representational For Understanding

One of the most difficult tasks as a math teacher is how to bring abstract math down into a more concrete, representational conceptual understanding. 

Creating Dialogue and Discussion

One goal in every effective math classroom is to get students to talk about mathematics.  We want our students to analyze, question, and critique other students thinking.  One way to encourage this type of discussion to take place is to force students to choose sides. 

Unitizing - The Foundation of Place Value

As I have worked with fourth and fifth grade students recently it has become extremely painful to me to realize how many of our students do not have place value and base ten understanding.  I see students who still solve problems by counting by one. 

Top 10 Anchor Charts to Support Student Engagement

Anchor charts are posters created with students to help them remember thoughts and ideas.  They are used often in language arts, for example:

• What does "real" reading look like vs. "fake" reading as a Comprehension anchor chart is developed.
• What could I write about an anchor chart to list writing ideas.

 This same concept can be used in mathematics.  Below are a several ideas of how anchor charts can enhance mathematical engagement in classrooms.

Teacher Questioning the Key to Success

The Common Core Standards are sweeping across the nation. As states are gearing up to apply these new standards, I deeply hope they give due diligence not only to "what" students should learn, but also to "how" it should be learned.

Dan Meyer Discusses Real World Math

I first heard of Dan Meyer from his TED video regarding real-world math where he outlines the problems with today's math textbooks and the lack of engagement of our students.  Dan has the desire to continue his work in changing math education in the United States.  Through his blogs and videos he discusses four signs of how we should know that we are doing math-reasoning wrong in our classrooms:

1.    Lack of initiative in our students.

2.    Lack of retention from our students.

3.    Aversion to word problems.

4.    Student eagerness for a formula. 

5 Steps to Use Math Tools Successfully

The very first sentence from CCSS - Mathematical Practice #5 - Use Appropriate Tools Strategically is "Mathematically proficient students consider the available tools when solving a mathematical problem."  So how does one go about accomplishing this goal in the classroom? 

Math Vocabulary Ideas

As educators, English as a second language learners are always a concern.  In the world of mathematics we must understand that we have 100% of our students who will have language issues in mathematics.  Math is essential a second language for all of our students.  Math vocabulary and symbolism is critical in the understanding of mathematical concepts.  In order to communicate mathematically precisely students must be able to "use clear definitions in discussion with others and in their own reasoning."  -- CCSS (Mathematical Practice #6 - Attend to Precision)

Tiered Math Lesson

When designing a tiered math lesson, the teacher must first think about what is the learning goal for the class, but then adapt the difficulty of the task up and down based upon individual student needs.  Tiering is often confused with tracking.

Teaching the "Teen" Numbers are tough

Teaching teenagers can be a tough job, although this week's blog is about teaching another set of teens, the numbers between ten and twenty.

Writing in Mathematics

Is your district working on writing across the curriculum, and your not sure how to use that initiative in mathematics?  Writing in mathematics can be used for the below purposes.