AHHHHHHHH!
Today was a crazy day. Some groups were in a state of disaster and others did a great job. I wish I would've gotten them started on the posters yesterday or at LEAST made them show me everything they were planning to put on the poster.
Some groups didn't finish because they wanted to print everything out in a computer lab but hadn't printed in advance and it took too long. Some groups didn't finish because team members were absent and they hadn't shared information sufficiently well enough to work around that.
At the end of the day all but one poster hung in the hall and about half of them are good (Bs and Cs), 25% poor (Ds) and the rest are not complete. I and the co-teacher I work with will be scoring the posters while the students gallery walk so they can get some grade feedback before deciding what to do for their final poster.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Conics Project - Uprate #4: Cutting, Stamping, Surgeons and Interpreters
Cutting and stamping went well!
One team was allowed to cut at a time which felt very manageable. Circle and ellipse groups had an easier time of actually cutting through the cone but they also often had to cut twice because their first circle was too small or their ellipse looked too much like a circle.
The cutting and stamping only took about 20-25 minutes so I plan to update the project calendar for next year by having the students start the poster making sooner.
The cones are Styrofoam and purchased from a craft store. I found them in the section with the fake flowers. Students marked them with markers to show where they planned to cut and then sawed through the Styrofoam with a serrated steak knife. The material sheds a bit and we had to clean up some Styrofoam dust. The paint is water soluble poster paint. Some groups got fancy and mixed colors!
I was absent (at a workshop) for the Surgeon and Math Interpreter meetings but my co-teacher felt that the group meetings went well but the rest of the class (with my substitute) was prone to getting off task.
One team was allowed to cut at a time which felt very manageable. Circle and ellipse groups had an easier time of actually cutting through the cone but they also often had to cut twice because their first circle was too small or their ellipse looked too much like a circle.
The cutting and stamping only took about 20-25 minutes so I plan to update the project calendar for next year by having the students start the poster making sooner.
 |
| Hyperbola |
 |
| Parabola |
The cones are Styrofoam and purchased from a craft store. I found them in the section with the fake flowers. Students marked them with markers to show where they planned to cut and then sawed through the Styrofoam with a serrated steak knife. The material sheds a bit and we had to clean up some Styrofoam dust. The paint is water soluble poster paint. Some groups got fancy and mixed colors!I was absent (at a workshop) for the Surgeon and Math Interpreter meetings but my co-teacher felt that the group meetings went well but the rest of the class (with my substitute) was prone to getting off task.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Conics Project - Update #3: Day 2 - Manager and Photo Journalist Meetings
Tuesday: project day 2
Today I held job meetings with the team managers and with the photo journalists (in that order). While these went on, the other students began information gathering to prepare for their meetings to be held the next day.
Team Manager Meeting
My agenda: These students were shown a sample poster (I made it about cubic functions so I could show all the components without giving any answers away) and provided with a handout listing the minimum requirements for the poster. I also went through the calendar with them in more detail clarifying dates and timing more specifically than the events already printed on the calendar. Lastly, we discussed what to do if other team members are absent, having difficulty, or being resistant to completing their tasks.
How it went: Great! I am so impressed with these students! They demonstrated great maturity, thoroughness and really took their managerial roles seriously. When the meeting ended they went back to their groups and shared out about the poster requirements and went through the calendar with their team members.
Photo Journalist Meeting
My agenda: I showed the Journalists the same sample poster the managers saw but this time we used it as a sample to critique. I asked students to identify ways it could be improved and how those improvements could be made. I provided a copy of Chip Kidd's design book so students could browse ideas about visual design. We also started Google Photo album creation and talked about how to add photos with captions and guidelines for how many photos should be taken. Lastly, we talked about available technology for QR code creation and other related issues.
How it went: These meetings went well but there were some inconsistencies across my classes. The differences were largely in the section of the meeting for critiquing the sample poster. Some classes, the Journalists did a great job discussing and participating, other classes needed a good amount of prompting to cover the content I had hoped they would discuss, and one class really struggled.
I really liked the order and length of the meetings. Holding the manager meeting first gave the other team members more clear goals without me needing to talk to the whole class at once. The only disadvantage of not talking to the photo journalists sooner is that some didn't start taking pictures until after the meeting. That would be easy to address by making a point to have them start photographing their team day one.
If you noticed but I skipped day one, you're right. The day of the kickoff and introduction was so hectic for me that I forgot to update and didn't realize until this post was already written. The kick off went well. Students received jobs and groups smoothly. I'm glad about that and think the large amount of time spent on assigning jobs and groups really paid off. Teams saw an overview of a wooden cone with pull-apart cross sections and eventually drew conic names at random. The calendar overview and all the activities on day one used the class period effectively (48 min).
Today I held job meetings with the team managers and with the photo journalists (in that order). While these went on, the other students began information gathering to prepare for their meetings to be held the next day.
Team Manager Meeting
My agenda: These students were shown a sample poster (I made it about cubic functions so I could show all the components without giving any answers away) and provided with a handout listing the minimum requirements for the poster. I also went through the calendar with them in more detail clarifying dates and timing more specifically than the events already printed on the calendar. Lastly, we discussed what to do if other team members are absent, having difficulty, or being resistant to completing their tasks.
How it went: Great! I am so impressed with these students! They demonstrated great maturity, thoroughness and really took their managerial roles seriously. When the meeting ended they went back to their groups and shared out about the poster requirements and went through the calendar with their team members.
Photo Journalist Meeting
My agenda: I showed the Journalists the same sample poster the managers saw but this time we used it as a sample to critique. I asked students to identify ways it could be improved and how those improvements could be made. I provided a copy of Chip Kidd's design book so students could browse ideas about visual design. We also started Google Photo album creation and talked about how to add photos with captions and guidelines for how many photos should be taken. Lastly, we talked about available technology for QR code creation and other related issues.
How it went: These meetings went well but there were some inconsistencies across my classes. The differences were largely in the section of the meeting for critiquing the sample poster. Some classes, the Journalists did a great job discussing and participating, other classes needed a good amount of prompting to cover the content I had hoped they would discuss, and one class really struggled.
I really liked the order and length of the meetings. Holding the manager meeting first gave the other team members more clear goals without me needing to talk to the whole class at once. The only disadvantage of not talking to the photo journalists sooner is that some didn't start taking pictures until after the meeting. That would be easy to address by making a point to have them start photographing their team day one.
If you noticed but I skipped day one, you're right. The day of the kickoff and introduction was so hectic for me that I forgot to update and didn't realize until this post was already written. The kick off went well. Students received jobs and groups smoothly. I'm glad about that and think the large amount of time spent on assigning jobs and groups really paid off. Teams saw an overview of a wooden cone with pull-apart cross sections and eventually drew conic names at random. The calendar overview and all the activities on day one used the class period effectively (48 min).
GCCTM Awards Banquet - Ideas to Share form the Keynote
On Monday, I had the honors of presenting two of the 2015-2016 Outstanding Educator Awards from the Greater Cleveland Council of Teachers of Mathematics (GCCTM). There are so many talented teachers doing great work in mathematics in Northeastern Ohio so I'm incredibly glad we have the organization in place to give teachers much deserved recognition.
The GCCTM is also a special evening because the key note speakers are excellent. This year I had the pleasure of seeing Steve Leinwand give (most of) his Discussion with 3 Titles. I think he is a very energetic and entertaining speaker and he shared lots of great and achievable ideas.
He shared with us, some lessons and strategies he has observed in his travels of coaching and team teaching across the country. He also shared some easily digestible ideas. Please read his presentation if you want all the details but here's the biggest takeaways I plan to incorporate into my teaching and planning:
2-4-2 Homework Policy I love this idea SOOOO much I put it first on my list in case you don't get through this entire post. I have been trying to think of a consistent way to limit my assignments to a reasonable load but also incorporate spiral review more than I have been. The 2-4-2 HW policy essentially says that for each lesson, you assign two problems to practice new material, four problems from last week, last unit, last month, last year. The last two questions are writing questions; another area of assignment I strive to be more consistent in implementing. I felt validated in wanting to do more focused assignments. I often feel like teachers who give longer homework may secretly judge me for giving less.
10% Change
More that 10% is overwhelming, less than 10% is probably not enough considering how much new, great material is out there. From his slides:
It could be a simple exit slip each day, a change in HW policy, or revamping one unit.
For me, this change will likely be with my HW policy as per the 2-4-2 approach above. My school is also incorporating more project based learning so I'll probably be changing more than 10%!
Exciting Times
Seriously, these are exciting times to be a math teacher. So much technology is starting to be available and focused for math ed so that it adds to the instruction rather than just being "because we can" technology. NCTM Illuminations and tool kit, GeoGebra, Desmos, and others. There's so much to explore and draw from!
Working with One Another
Steven Leinwand also talked about the immense value of observing and coteaching with one another (actually, it was more like a scolding that not enough of us do this) because the feedback and experience is mutually beneficial and results in more useful reflections that what often results from administrator observations.
And as is often the case with attending these events, you leave partly invigorated and partly feeling bad about yourself. But mostly invigorated. :) This summer I will definitely be spending some time on Stevens Leinwand's website watching and reading through these materials. I hope you find this source as intriguing as I did!
The GCCTM is also a special evening because the key note speakers are excellent. This year I had the pleasure of seeing Steve Leinwand give (most of) his Discussion with 3 Titles. I think he is a very energetic and entertaining speaker and he shared lots of great and achievable ideas.
He shared with us, some lessons and strategies he has observed in his travels of coaching and team teaching across the country. He also shared some easily digestible ideas. Please read his presentation if you want all the details but here's the biggest takeaways I plan to incorporate into my teaching and planning:
2-4-2 Homework Policy I love this idea SOOOO much I put it first on my list in case you don't get through this entire post. I have been trying to think of a consistent way to limit my assignments to a reasonable load but also incorporate spiral review more than I have been. The 2-4-2 HW policy essentially says that for each lesson, you assign two problems to practice new material, four problems from last week, last unit, last month, last year. The last two questions are writing questions; another area of assignment I strive to be more consistent in implementing. I felt validated in wanting to do more focused assignments. I often feel like teachers who give longer homework may secretly judge me for giving less.
10% Change
More that 10% is overwhelming, less than 10% is probably not enough considering how much new, great material is out there. From his slides:
Consider 10%:
-
6 minutes in every lesson
-
18 days
-
one unit
-
and 50% in 5 years!
It could be a simple exit slip each day, a change in HW policy, or revamping one unit.
For me, this change will likely be with my HW policy as per the 2-4-2 approach above. My school is also incorporating more project based learning so I'll probably be changing more than 10%!
Exciting Times
Seriously, these are exciting times to be a math teacher. So much technology is starting to be available and focused for math ed so that it adds to the instruction rather than just being "because we can" technology. NCTM Illuminations and tool kit, GeoGebra, Desmos, and others. There's so much to explore and draw from!
Working with One Another
Steven Leinwand also talked about the immense value of observing and coteaching with one another (actually, it was more like a scolding that not enough of us do this) because the feedback and experience is mutually beneficial and results in more useful reflections that what often results from administrator observations.
And as is often the case with attending these events, you leave partly invigorated and partly feeling bad about yourself. But mostly invigorated. :) This summer I will definitely be spending some time on Stevens Leinwand's website watching and reading through these materials. I hope you find this source as intriguing as I did!
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Conics Project - Update #2: Role Assignment & Group Building Struggles
The Conics project introduced in my last post starts Monday! Today after school I worked on assigning the job roles to the students in my classes. There are four job roles and each team will have one of each: Team Manager, Photo Journalist, Math Fact Interpreter, and Surgeon. The role assignment process had a few snags I want to share with you. But first, here's the three main questions on the survey that are being used to assign jobs:
Some students never filled out the survey. It was actually about one-third per class period. I had posted it as an assignment in Schoology, our districts online classroom platform, and verbally reminded them. Some students who didn't fill it out were absent several days during the window it was available but even-so, next time I use this method, I will need to do better follow up with students. For this year, I ended up doing job assignments for the students who completed the survey and then filling in the gaps with students who didn't complete the survey.
Some survey responses were either contradictory or too limited.
Contradictory: I had intended the "graphic design" and "journaling and documenting" to steer towards the same job role, photo journalist, but many students chose graphic design as their "most" and journaling as their "least." Most students in this situation. Were assigned a job role based on their "check all that apply" answers. As the project continues, maybe I'll find that job responsibilities need to be tweaked thus resolving this problem. I also wonder whether the wording of "journaling and documenting" makes it sound like more work than it really will be in this project.
Too limited: One of the survey options was "I am good at using Google search." For several students, this was the only option chosen for both questions "Which best describes you" and "Check all that describe you". This is the obstacle I don't really know how to address. I feel badly for the students who don't think they're good at or interested in any of the other options. What are other qualities I could've included? Maybe add an "other" option so students can write in their personal strengths?
My last job role assignment struggle as to do with the actual group formation. With only two weeks let this school year before final exams, how heterogeneous should the groups be? It's funny how differently group formation looks at the end of the year compared to the start!
Next post I will let you know how the kick-off goes!
Some students never filled out the survey. It was actually about one-third per class period. I had posted it as an assignment in Schoology, our districts online classroom platform, and verbally reminded them. Some students who didn't fill it out were absent several days during the window it was available but even-so, next time I use this method, I will need to do better follow up with students. For this year, I ended up doing job assignments for the students who completed the survey and then filling in the gaps with students who didn't complete the survey.
Some survey responses were either contradictory or too limited.
Contradictory: I had intended the "graphic design" and "journaling and documenting" to steer towards the same job role, photo journalist, but many students chose graphic design as their "most" and journaling as their "least." Most students in this situation. Were assigned a job role based on their "check all that apply" answers. As the project continues, maybe I'll find that job responsibilities need to be tweaked thus resolving this problem. I also wonder whether the wording of "journaling and documenting" makes it sound like more work than it really will be in this project.
Too limited: One of the survey options was "I am good at using Google search." For several students, this was the only option chosen for both questions "Which best describes you" and "Check all that describe you". This is the obstacle I don't really know how to address. I feel badly for the students who don't think they're good at or interested in any of the other options. What are other qualities I could've included? Maybe add an "other" option so students can write in their personal strengths?
My last job role assignment struggle as to do with the actual group formation. With only two weeks let this school year before final exams, how heterogeneous should the groups be? It's funny how differently group formation looks at the end of the year compared to the start!
Next post I will let you know how the kick-off goes!
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Conics Project - Update #1: Introduction
My geometry students are about to begin a sort-of project based learning (PBL) unit centered on the conic sections. This will be my first attempt implementing any sort of PBL in my classes and I'm really excited about it. Here's what I've prepared so far:
The Task
Students will be placed in groups of four with each member assigned a role. The teams will have a "Photo Journalist" who will document the project progress, a "Surgeon" who will be responsible for cutting the cone and stamping its cross section onto the graph paper, a "Manager" who will monitor time, delegate responsibilities, and lastly a "Math Interpreter" who will focus on seeking out the math facts, rewording to every day language, and choosing what's most important. Roles are being assigned based on individual responses to this Google Form survey.
Teams will ultimately create a poster for their conic. Individuals will have an assessment at the end of the unit. More details are clarified in these materials.
Materials
I know this is not the ideal PBL task but I am feeling very good about the project. I am hoping students will learn a lot and thrive in their job roles.
Please watch for updates as I plan to blog about this project as it progresses. Also, please leave comments about any suggestions you have about this project or about other PBL experiences in Geometry. Thanks for reading!
The Task
Students will be placed in groups of four with each member assigned a role. The teams will have a "Photo Journalist" who will document the project progress, a "Surgeon" who will be responsible for cutting the cone and stamping its cross section onto the graph paper, a "Manager" who will monitor time, delegate responsibilities, and lastly a "Math Interpreter" who will focus on seeking out the math facts, rewording to every day language, and choosing what's most important. Roles are being assigned based on individual responses to this Google Form survey.
Teams will ultimately create a poster for their conic. Individuals will have an assessment at the end of the unit. More details are clarified in these materials.
Materials
- One of these Styrofoam cones
- graph paper
- poster paper
- markers, paint, etc.
- Job descriptions for all group members including a list of class responsibilities, team responsibilities, and individual responsibilities.
- Calendar
- Study guide
- Poster requirements summary
- Gallery Walk Feedback Analysis
- Daily Log Sheet
I know this is not the ideal PBL task but I am feeling very good about the project. I am hoping students will learn a lot and thrive in their job roles.
Please watch for updates as I plan to blog about this project as it progresses. Also, please leave comments about any suggestions you have about this project or about other PBL experiences in Geometry. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Best Geometry Compass for High School Students
Students have purchased a wide variety of compasses for my geometry classes across the years; some good, some terrible, and one that is really excellent. I've put together a summary of the pros and cons of each type of compass but please focus on my favorite: the Circle Master Compass from Academic Industries Mathtools Inc. It's the greatest I recommend you try it out.
Before I go on and on about why I love the Circle Master, here's a summary of what I think's good and bad about the other common compasses:
Plastic Pencil Locking Wheel
This is probably the least durable compass, in my experience.
Pros
Pencil with Metal Flap
Only slightly preferable to the above model.
Pros
Pencil with Plastic Flap
I want to love this one but it just wears out.
Pros
Compass with Locking Wheel
Great accuracy but...
Pros
Circle Master Compass
Get this one!!!
Pros
My school bookstore will only be stocking these compasses next year. Well over 100 students used them throughout this school year and we had no problems with accuracy or breakage.
If you go to www.aimathtools.com to check these out, I also recommend the Geometer and Press-On Graph labels. They're awesome too!
Thank you for reading and in case anyone is wondering, no, I have no affiliation with Academic Industries Mathtools Inc aside from the fact that I love some of their products.
Before I go on and on about why I love the Circle Master, here's a summary of what I think's good and bad about the other common compasses:
Plastic Pencil Locking Wheel
This is probably the least durable compass, in my experience.
Pros- inexpensive - often around $1
- golf pencil can be replaced
Cons
- plastic wheel holding the pencil steady breaks quickly
- hinge at the top cannot be tightened and it gets loose easily
- barely survives one lesson let alone a school year
- point is unprotected so you may get poked
Pencil with Metal Flap
Only slightly preferable to the above model.
Pros- inexpensive - often less than $1
- golf pencil can be replaced
- metal pencil flap only fits some golf pencils
- hinge at the top cannot be tightened and it gets loose easily
- metal tends to be brittle so parts sometimes snap
- often only survives a few lessons
- point is unprotected so you may get poked
Pencil with Plastic Flap
I want to love this one but it just wears out.
- Inexpensive - often less than $3
- golf pencil can be replaces
- many models can be tightened at the top hinge (if you have a tiny screwdriver)
- plastic flap is breakable and cannot be tightened
- not all golf pencils fit snugly
- often survives the whole year but accuracy steadily declines
- point is unprotected so you may get poked
Compass with Locking Wheel
Great accuracy but...
Pros
- locking wheel ensures accuracy isn't lost during use
- durable
- relatively expensive - ranges from $8 to over $20
- the graphite is a chunk that is held in place by a tiny wheel - the graphite gets lost
- locking wheel may make use more time consuming
- point is unprotected so you may get poked
Circle Master CompassGet this one!!!
Pros
- inexpensive - $2 - $2.50 each depending on quantity
- durable - no plastic parts - My students used them for the first time this year and we had ZERO breakages.
- accurate - the adjustable thumb wheel in the center is easy to tighten and loosen as needed
- retractable - the second photo shows how you can retract the points to make it safer
- uses a full size pencil - They all fit, you can even use a pencil with an eraser!
Cons
- Students may not understand how to use it on the first try
- On first use, the thumb wheel may be too tight to turn by hand
- Must be ordered online - or stocked in your school bookstore
If you go to www.aimathtools.com to check these out, I also recommend the Geometer and Press-On Graph labels. They're awesome too!
Thank you for reading and in case anyone is wondering, no, I have no affiliation with Academic Industries Mathtools Inc aside from the fact that I love some of their products.
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