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Resources for Math

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Have you tried using FlipGrid with your students while solving problems? The district provides this through your Office365 account. You can sign in  using district credentials and create interactive video and selfie sessions with students. You can share the links in their Schoology courses or with QR  codes. https://flipgrid.com/0e4b3009

 

Try out these apps for incorporating and engaging in math suggested by Bryan Drost in the NEA article.  You can find instructions in both written and video form for each of these tech resources at the following link: https://goo.gl/UVv3Ta.

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1) EDpuzzle

EDpuzzle is a great tool that allows you to help students process content through video.  Simply find a Youtube video on a topic of your choice; copy and paste the link into the system, and then embed questions on the video that students answer.  The teacher receives responses and then knows where to plan activities to help students improve their mathematical understandings.  Students can complete the video task independently or it can be done simultaneously as a whole class.

Here’s one activity you can try with EDpuzzle: Give students a link to an EDpuzzle you have created and have them complete the video activity for homework.  Then, in class the next day, create several areas where students can work based on the data you have received. One area might be teacher-based direct instruction for students who are really struggling with the concept; another area might an opportunity to work collaboratively with peers on challenging problems, and a third area might require students to create problems that show depth of understanding.  Want to increase the caliber a bit with this tool?  You could even have students create an EDpuzzle to share with their peers.  This not only ensures creativity, but also gives you a great formative assessment: the questions that students embed into the activity really help reinforce their understanding of various topics and help you, as a classroom teacher, figure out what they understand and don’t.

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2) Recap

I shared the Recap tool in my language arts post, but had to re-share it here as it is equally powerful here, as well.  With Recap, teachers provide students with a task and then students record a video response.  The teacher receives responses and can provide feedback to students on their video as well as share exemplar videos with students in the class.  By using this tool, you can really help students talk about their mathematical understanding.

Here’s one activity you can do with this tool: give students various problems and have them record a video explaining how to solve the problem while using diagrams or other manipulatives to show how they solved the problem. Share the responses out with the class.  Have students review them to critique the reasoning of other students as well as determine the most precise ways of solving the problems.

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3) ActivePrompt

ActivePrompt is a website that looks like it came from the late 1990s.  However, its simplicity and its versatility make it a must-use in the math classroom.  Load an image, either a screenshot or one you’ve created, into the system.  Give students the link and poll them to see where their thinking is.  If, for example, you want students to predict where the y-intercept is on a graph, you could upload an image of the graph, have them drag their dots, and then display the information. You’ll know very quickly who understands and who does not.

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4) GeoGebra

No math tech discussion would be complete without mentioning this tool. GeoGebra is an application that helps students understand math concepts by solving problems and checking solutions.  (It can be web-based or app-based.) You can use it for everything from statistics to algebra.  It creates a visual representation for just about anything you can think of.  Use it as a dynamic worksheet where students can complete their own investigation, as a modeling tool to aid in direct instruction, or even as an authoring tool to create interactive materials for students to explore.

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5) QuizletLive

Quizlet is a study tool system designed to practice vocabulary, but it can also be used to help students practice fluency.  Released in April of 2016, the new Quizlet Live upped the ante and has students compete against other teams to show their knowledge of terms.  While it can be used to develop students’ math vocabulary, teachers can also load problems into the system and have students compete to solve them.  (This is a great interactive way to help students work on mathematical fluency at the elementary grades.)

Here’s how it works: you’ll first creates a new Quizlet deck–in one column, type the problem and then, in the second, place the answer. Click Quizlet Live when you are ready to play and give students the game PIN.  Students will be placed on random teams: everybody gets the same question, but amongst the team there is only one correct answer.  The team has to communicate in order to solve the problems appropriately without making a mistake, or be forced to go back to Start on the game board. Great for fluency as well as determining what types of problems students are struggling with as at the end of the game, Quizlet Live allows you to see commonly confused items that you can then review as a class.

These APPS really take learning to the next level—they transform classrooms into student-centered ones where all students can experience success. 

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