Mobile Devices OK in Class?

Yes, I think mobile devices are ok in class IF they don't become a distraction.

I created a video last year to show my class that I mean business when it comes to texting in my class.  I wanted to convey this message in a fun/funny but clear way.  Feel free to use this video in your class if you like it.  Contact me if you would like a better quality version of it.  I think Blogger decreases the quality.

How can mobile devices be used in class without being a distraction?

They have to be part of the attraction! At Twitter Math Camp 2012, @colinmac10 demonstrated Socrative and how he uses it in his classes.

Socrative is a feature rich tool that enables teachers to interact with their students in a way that allows use of mobile devices in a positive way.   Colin sets up the interface so students can reply to questions presented through the web with their devices.   There are some cool built in templates that make the interactions more fun, like the rocket races.  Oh! you can even have the results emailed to you in a report that you can use for review of the activity (this is one of the best parts)

I use Poll Everywhere in my classes.  This tool is similar to Socrative but has less features. Most of these tools don't allow you to be very "mathy" in the questions you write using the interface.  Roots, exponents, graphs etc... are all usually impossible to convey clearly unless you use calculator entries (x^2 = "x squared").  I usually write a question on the whiteboard or hand out a printed question and use the interface to field the answers.

This is what the students see (using Poll Everywhere)

The interface is also easy to use.  I have a page set up on my class blog that has the Poll Everywhere page pre-loaded with my page. 

Socrative vs. Poll Everywhere?  Well Colin sold me on Socrative.  Now I just need to go and investigate a bit more and set it up.  Thanks Colin!

If you have any experience with either of these tools or something else even better, please share.  :-)

Crappy White Board (Part 2)

So I'm still looking for white board solutions.  I've come up with these:

1. Mark-R Board

I found Mark-R Board at Lowes.  It seems like the best option (other than a REAL white board of course).  This stuff come is smaller sheets but appears to be higher quality than the other stuff that I have in my room now which is white painted board.

Georgia Pacific makes this stuff and has a brochure that includes it.  Check it out here.



















2. Con-Tact brand dry erase memo surface

This is what it looks like I will actually use on my wall this year.  It's Contact paper specifically made to be used as a dry erase surface.  The clear Contact paper I tried didn't work out in a real test.  I mounted it on the useless whiteboard I have now, but it didn't work.

This stuff works!  Video of it in action coming soon.
 


3. Plastic film

I found this stuff in A.C. Moore (or Michael's).  Its a clear sturdy film that if mounted on a flat surfce, makes a great dry erase surface.

Crappy Whiteboard

I am very lucky that I even have a room this coming year, and I don't want to look a gift room in the mouth, but the whiteboard in my room is really crappy.  In fact, it is basically unusable.

writing on the white board

this is it erased

It's not easy finding a solution to this problem.  In addition to the board itself, there is the issue that I don't want to make too many facilities requests in this, my third year, because it could piss someone off.

click to enlarge

There are already several work requests for this room.  Putting a request now for the whiteboard?  Especially when I have a SMART Board! I really should be counting my lucky stars.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this, but I realized I could most likely use clear contact paper to cover the old board!  See my experiment with the material in the video below.


I still need to try this out on the actual board. 

 

The best part about this is that if it works, the paper can be easily removed.  The facilities management in our building is very tight.  You can't just walk in and put up a new whiteboard, or paint, or even use a fan for that matter.

The contact paper gives me an escape hatch.  If they don' like it then as Ralph Kramden (Chef of the Future) would say, "zip zip zip!" and it's all done.

Trying out "Showbie"

So I saw someone post about SHOWBIE on Twitter and decided to try it out.  This tool allows teachers to assign projects online and collect them digitally.

Saw the recommendation at the "apps in education" blog.  Was pointed to that blog by @MyWeb4Ed (Thanks Carol).

I set up a sample Algebra 1 class at the site and also a student account (aanthonya) so I can try this thing out.

Here is the code for the class that I set up TQK3G.  If you are interested, please join the class and help me try this thing out.


I assigned myself one HW assignment so far.

As a student (aanthonya) I submitted two submissions.  One is a photo and one a file.  I now await feedback from my teacher (me).

Please join my class and submit anything as your assignment.  This could be a really good tool, but needs a good trial.

Go to showbie.com, make a free account and join my class.

class code = TQK3G

Also available for Free in the Apple App Store.  I also have it loaded on my iPhone.

Setting up my new room!

After two years traveling from room to room, finally I have a dedicated room!  Starting in September, my new home will be room 159.  I'm so excited that I don't know where to start.  I posted my plight on twitter and @approx_normal had a similar dilemma and even made a great blog post:

I'll show you mine if you show me yours... CLASSROOM EDITION

Other helpful tweeps offered some experienced ideas for me too...thanks @druinok, @fawnpnguyen, @crstn85, @approx_normal!

Here are some pictures I took of my room while I was bringing all the stuff  I left around in other peoples' rooms.

When I was traveling, pretty much every class period, I worked very much like a squirrel does.  Collecting nuts and storing them around for when I need them.  Paper, pencils, folders, notebooks, dry erase markers, you name it and I have a stash in the building somewhere.

So now I need to recover all the goodies, consolidate, and organize.  I actually have like 5 or 6 of those plastic drawer sets since I had one in every room.  Not sure what to do with yet exactly yet.

In terms of furniture, the previous resident left me: two large tables (one round and one rectangular), 26 student desks, 5 single chairs, one 3 foot shelf unit (two shelves), and a rolling cart. You can see the round table in the pictures above. I might just ditch that round one.  It seems to take up more room that it could offer in useful benefit, but i hate to get rid of it.




Decor? I have some posters I want to put up...what do you think?

Baseball Stats

Using History/Math

I used this example in my Algebra I class this past week.  My students were very into the whole warm-up.

The exercise is a warm-up using Powerpoint.  I try to introduce the topic without math being involved at all so they pay extra attention to see where I'm going... reveal each point one at a time creating a word problem.

So now we have a problem to solve that everyone has wondered at some point.  What the heck is a "score"? as in Four score and seven years ago.

Some of the Social Studies teachers liked this exercise too.  I try to incorporate what they're doing into my lessons.  This particular one helped me to answer "Mr. R., why do we need this?" and also reinforce what they learned in another subject.

Sometimes we just use math to figure stuff out like "what is a score anyway?"


  :-)

Algebra and Marbles

A couple of days ago I bought 6 bags of marbles.  There are 50 marbles in each bag.  I would like to make at least 3 Algebra activities using these marbles.

Here's one I think is cool:

1. Start with 2 jars, one filled with marbles and the other empty. Give students the weight of the filled jar and also of the empty jar.

2. Then give students a supply of marbles and an empty jar.  I imagine doing this in small groups.

3. Students use algebra to determine approx. weight of 1 marble, 2 marbles etc....

4. The challenge is to find the weight of one marble without weighing anything or opening the first jar.

5. Let them play and problem solve.

6. [y=mx+b] They should discover that the full jar weight = (# of marbles) (weight of one marble) + weight of empty jar. They need to reason it out to get to this point.

7. In order to know how many marbles are in the full jar, they can use the empty jar and fill it with marbles, then count approximately how many marbles are in the first jar. So it's important to use "approximately".

8. Students can solve for weight of one marble using algebra.

I like this activity because they won't feel like they are using algebra until then end.  At that point the algebra should make sense.  What do you think?  Can you come up with any more activities?

Why Mark Twain Was an Analytics Guru

Some really cool quotes about analytics in this article. :-)

Why Mark Twain Was an Analytics Guru | ClickZ

New York Regents Exams vs ADP Achieve Exams (Sample tests with answers here)

I wish that New Jersey used the NY Regents Exams instead of the ADP Algebra End-of-Course Exams. 

I remember taking the Regents when I was in HS (in the 1980's).  The exams seem to be pretty good.  They've been around for decades and change very little over the years.

There are plenty of review guides available and it is very clear to teachers and students which material and types of questions they need to master to do well on the test.

Info and Sample tests with answers here:

New York Regents Exams

NY Regents (Integrated Algebra)
http://www.nysedregents.org/IntegratedAlgebra/

NY Regents (Geometry)
http://www.nysedregents.org/Geometry/

NY Regents (Algebra II/Trig)
http://www.nysedregents.org/a2trig/

NY Regents (Mathematics B)
http://www.nysedregents.org/MathematicsB/

New Jersey used these for the past two years and ended up not counting them.

ADP Algebra I End-of-Course Exam
http://www.achieve.org/AlgebraITestOverview

ADP Algebra II End-of-Course Exam
http://www.achieve.org/AlgebraIITestOverview

Cell phones should not be allowed in school

I really think that cell phones are one of the main reasons some students don't do well in school.  I was way too nice this year in dealing with texting in class.  As a first year teacher I was a bit anxious dealing with this problem.

My plan for year two is to start out very strict.  I will keep this image that I manipulated in Photoshop in mind every time I even see a cell phone.  I need a bit of Darth Vader in me.  :-) (think Captain Morgan ads)

How do you deal with texting in class?

24 pencils at Walmart for $1

Great deal on these pencils at WalMart. 

Only $1.00 (actually $0.94)

I bought 8 packs.  :-)