MTBoS challenge #2

I've been on twitter since April, I think.

I teach in a small urban high school.   Of the 6 math teachers at the school, only I am really online with regard to anything at all relating to math.

The MTBoS is the math department I could never have imagined belonging to.  I find the relationships I have formed in twitter to be just as fulfilling and enriching as many of my off-line friendships.

WHO would i like to meet:  TheJLV. If I met you in real life I'd hug you and invite you to meet my students.  I hoped you see the promise in the future of this country and its citizens.   I recognize that we're not there yet, but the next generation is very accepting and non-prejudicial in a way no previous generation ever was.  He understands that equality in education, mathematics especially is key.  If you've not followed him, you should be.

WHY twitter ROCKS:  If you don't know about twitter chats, please let me inform you.   This is the most valuable thing about twitter to me.  On Mondays I participate in #alg2chat a forum in which topics, standards or whatever you want relating to alg2 , by alg2 teachers is discussed.  On Thursdays I participate in #statschat and #precalcchat, at the same time and haven't left a chat without something valuable each time I've participated.  The #msmathchat on Monday nights has trended on twitter overall a number of times recently.  Props to you guys!!

Then again there is my MTBoS crush... Fawn Nguyen...but that's another post...

For my students...

This week I found out that 2 of my classes were being changed.  I was asked not to reveal any of this to my students, that an administrator would come in and make the announcement.  For me the stress involved taking on another new class.  One which I haven't taught before.  I knew a new curriculum map was created and I did proof read it, but I wasn't considering the possibility that I might be teaching it so I really didn't study it.  This post, however really isn't about me.

This shift affected my second hour and fourth hour classes.   They are very different groups.   One is a little slower, but more easily drawn into the material.  They struggle well with the math, and tenaciously figure it out.  They love the puzzles and discuss them amongst themselves, with little prompting.  The interruption occurred after our warm-up and there were tears and yet we did return to and continue working on the math.   Three of these students came by at the end of the day, with a couple of Freshmen in tow telling them, "he's my favorite teacher".

The second group is comprised of students for whom math requires less struggle.   They need a bit, read "a lot", more coaxing to get talking about the math (though this isn't true about talking in general). They enjoy the warm-ups we're doing (Thanks Fawn and Mr_Stadel).  They also were the group I was hoping to show the greatest growth.  Our goodbye was less teary, but no less difficult.

I welcome my new Precalculus students, and I'm sure we'll have fun, but this posting is for the students who I will miss, who still smile when they see me in the hall and who are so excited when I stop by their new classroom and see how they're doing.

We're looking for a new math teacher, if anyone is searching for a position in the southeastern Michigan area..

Exploring the #MTBoS - favorite rich lesson

In Algebra 2 and Statistics we discuss Normal Distributions.  This interesting topic sometimes has difficulty really sinking into the students' minds.

The students, however, have no problem recognizing that I am not a very tall math teacher.  I top out at just over 5 feet 5 inches tall.  As I teach high school, many of my students are taller than me, particularly the male students.  given that height is a topic applicable to Normal distributions, I decided that this would make a good way of engaging the students with regard to something they are already interested in .

My lesson is : "Is Mr Hills Normal??"

Given that I'm the "fun" and less conventional math teacher around here their immediate response is "no" (or maybe they're just commenting on my height).

We decide during the course of the discussion that I am probably "normal" if my height is within 1 standard deviation of the mean.  Data collection is always fun and I usually get measured 2-3 times to make sure I'm not cheating.

When all the results are tallied and z-scores are computed, the results are always surprising to the students.  At this point a discussion always ensues, because the result isn't what they expect.

Cause the thing which I know that they don't is that when you factor in both genders I do fall within a normal (in both senses of the word) height. On the first day I don't concern myself with such trivialities. On the second day of the lesson I do have them divide the data up to look at samples of the data, and the natural division is by gender.  On this day I generally, though not always, end up losing the title of "normal".

I have data from the past 2 years of students saved, I really should use it in class next time I do this lesson.

Made For Math Bonus *Standard Deviation using Table*

I was in #Statschat last Thursday and we were discussing the usage of technology to simplify Statistics calculations and when it is appropriate to still make the students go through the motions of learning methods which might not be the best ways to find solutions given the complexity of some of the calculations.

The conversation started over discussing whether or not students still needed to learn the Empirical Rule, or how to use Normal Distribution tables or find standard deviation with the traditional equation.

I show my students the equation, we talk about what each of the variables mean, ahem, represent and then I tell them I love them too much to make them memorize and use that equation.

What I have my students do is use a table which seems to simplify the process.

  I write in "n = " under "n is the number of numbers in the data set"

We complete the table just to find the sum of "deviation squared" and then use that number in the equation below.

The first one we do together, then I throw another one at them to work on and then compare with their partners.

We do some homework on these (and other measures of central tendency) but only a few of them (and most students get a good portion of it done before leaving class and then the next day I review the two methods before sharing the method for finding standard deviation (and most of the other measures of central tendency) on the Nspire (which I had planned to add here, but don't seem to have with me at the moment)

Made For Math Monday *Visual Fraction plates*

I taught 5th & 6th grades for a number of years.  During that time I found that fractions, decimals and other associated concepts were particularly difficult for students because they were frequently not very comfortable seeing what the concepts would mean.

I got creative one weekend and made a cheap and easy to manipulate way of visualizing these concepts.  I have used them in the classroom and with my own children, so I know they have worked for me.

One day on twitter a question was asked about how one could help students with these concepts and I recalled my plates.  I knew I had them still (in my cabinet at work, though I'm sure there are a couple in my garage too) and I wanted to share them and how to make them.  (here ya go, Mr_Stadel)

First I take 2 plastic plates  (foam ones don't hold up and paper ones don't slide as well and they also don't hold up.  The plates should be different colors, and I chose the 6 inch plates.

 Next you will cut a radius into each of the plates.  Be careful not to go too far when cutting (with younger students this is definitely best done ahead of time)

Here I have made my cuts and slipped a piece of paper between the plates to allow you to see how they were cut.

slide the plates together at the radii.

Once together the plates slide easily allowing you to quickly create fractional representations, percentages, etc.  if you prefer, sliding the plates easily allows you to change the front color as well.

One the back I would mark particular angles on my own manipulative.  This allowed me to quickly generate fractions (etc) that I wanted students to be able to identify by visual inspection

I would have students keep their plates in their desks and when I had time left in a lesson I would have them take them out and show me 25% red, or approximate 3/4ths blue or show me what 90% red would look like.

Reassessments...

I'm not yet able to go SBG, but I'm on my way.  I told students they could reassess standards for 2 weeks after the original assessment, if they have the original questions signed and they complete a remediation assignment.   1 week after quiz and NO ONE has asked for the reassessment assignment.

I'm a bit bothered.   I WANT my students practicing and reassessing, but I want them ready once they reassess ( unlike when they first took the assessment).

My options are not great.

1. Nag the student.  (I don't respond we'll to nagging, personally)
2. Call home and tell on the student. ( goodbye relationship )
3.  Ummm... You'd think Harry Wong would have covered this

I don't want to extend my deadline.  I think I might have to bend on this one, but I believe when I say something it should be as true as I can make it.  ( especially with so many students having little stability at home)
       
I want students to reassess.  I want to only deal with reassessments for a limited amount of time.  I want students reassessing to have worked on the material ahead of time.  I want the parents aware that reassessing is taking place and that their student is struggling with a concept.  I want my students LEARNING.  What a concept.

I'm thinking for this first quiz I am going to conference with students.  It will cost me class time, something I jealously hate losing.  I will make a student conference form, to document the discussion.  I want the students to understand my goals in offering reassessment and requiring something from them to be able to reassess.

I'm not sure how my student conferences will go.  I will start on Tuesday (as I will be on a field trip this Monday).  I figure if I keep myself to between 3-5 minutes that I should get most of them done by Thursday. Given that I cannot speak to all of the students before Thursday, I will need to extend the deadline for this quiz to reassess.  I am thinking that adding an additional week is appropriate.  This also has the added benefit of opening the window until just before my grades are due for progress reports.

I started on this post and accidentally published it before I had a chance to go back through it and review my thoughts.  I have another thought regarding doing a similar conference with both the parent(s) and the student.  I'm not sure that, upon reflection, it is the direction I wish to take this idea at this time.

Under the Influence

First off, the title of this blog refers to a play that was performed in front of our students today.  I've been to dozens of assemblies over the years and generally speaking I tolerate the disruption to my classes.  I politely stand with my students and police their behavior and generally am bored out of my mind.

This assembly was different.  Over the course of 2+ hours I spoke to 1 student about their phone.  I didn't once have to speak to a student about their behavior.  This is a first.

The play is based upon the book (*The Pact*) in which 3 boys (Marcus, Cameron and Shawn) make a pact to keep each other focused on their way to becoming doctors.  Before you decide that the subject matter is pretty dull, understand that these are inner-city boys who are dealing with many different pressures as well as their own goals.

The characters are easily identifiable among my own students.  As a teacher we see many students whose potential is squandered because they lack focus.  The characters interact with each other and their environments in realistic ways which my students found refreshing.  There was no preaching, just lots of dialogue sharing the characters' perspectives and feelings.

I don't want this blog piece to be filled with spoilers, but there are all couple things I will share.  A acronym is given early in the assembly for D.R.E.A.M. that I wish they had elaborated upon in the play.  During the second act, Shawn gives a speech about how "doing what (he) wanted" ended up leading him astray.  Also, Marcus' father has a heart to heart with two of the boys which as a parent myself left me content that the boys' families weren't just a source of conflict.

I'm not sure if the troupe performs just locally or nationally. I can say that if your school serves a similar demographic to mine (inner-city students primarily) then this play would certainly give the students something to think about and perhaps help some of them to reevaluate their lives and goals.  From what I've heard in many of the schools where this play is performed, students seek out and read the book from which the play was written.  For many of our students that might just be the first book they've read which wasn't assigned.

#undertheinfluenceplay2013