MATH NEWS
August 2018
Welcome Back!
A special welcome goes out to our new teachers! If there is anything we can do to assist you as you become a valued member of the CCS family, please do not hesitate to ask. If you received this newsletter at your personal email address and you now have a CCS email address, please let me know.
Enjoy your year!
Steve Hiner
Teaching & Learning Specialist: Secondary Math
(614) 365-5727
ALEKS Bulk Upload
We will be performing the ALEKS bulk upload on the morning of August 22, 2018.
What is the bulk upload?
We wait till August 22nd because the upload can only be done one time. If a school's schedule has not been entered into Infinite Campus by the time we do the upload, teachers will have to manually create all their classes and enroll all their students.
How are ALEKS courses created?
Once classes have been created, you can change the course product. If a Math I teacher decides she would like to have students work in Prealgebra first to find out "where they are at", she can change her course product to Prealgebra. Middle school teachers often use RTI6, 7, or 8 to start the year off with a review of the basics. It's up to you! You can always create more classes later and move kids into that as the year progresses.
A good rule of thumb is: if a student scores less than 15% on the initial assessment, you can consider moving them into a different class. Then, let them work until you feel comfortable moving them back into the "regular" class.
You can create as many classes as you need. You can rename courses as you wish. Please be careful not to use terms such as "low students", etc.
What if I moved to a new building this year?
Can I put all students in one class?
As long as each class is going to use the same course product. Let's say you have 5 periods of Math 7. You can move all students into one class and create different groups within that class. You can create as many groups as you want. You can have an "IEP group", an "advanced group", etc. Students do not see the titles of these different groups.
How do we handle changes?
Does ALEKS replace ME?
ALEKS is a very important part of the mathematics program in Columbus City Schools. Every student in grades 3-12 has an account. Data shows that students tend to perform better on AIR and MAP tests as their mastery of ALEKS courses increases.
ALEKS determines what each student knows (and does not know!) and creates an individual pathway for each student to follow to ensure success. However, it is not intended to be the primary source of knowledge. That's you! Encourage students to use a notebook while they work in ALEKS. Walk around and provide support as they work.
Even if you do not use ALEKS much in your class, all students need to be given their login information so they can work at home if they choose.
Where can I find more information?
This guide is made specifically for CCS. It contains helpful ways to use ALEKS in your classroom, as suggested by teachers actually using ALEKS every day. It is frequently updated and can be found on the CCS math website under Teacher PD.
Website Changes
To go directly to the Math department website, you can simply type:
http://www.ccsoh.us/mathematics
Click below to go directly to the teacher binder. You will need to log into your CCS Google account.
MS Accelerated Summer School
Department Chairs
Test Support
Plan and Present - Complete Lesson Plans at Your Fingertips!
Here are the simple steps to follow to explore this helpful feature:
1. Log into your ConnectED account at their new link: http://my.mheducation.com
2. Click on a textbook
3. Click on the "hamburger menu" near the top left of the screen
4. Select "Plan and Present"
5. Choose a chapter and lesson
6. Explore!
PD: ALEKS for beginners
Location: Linmoor Education Center, room 25B
Date: September 4, 2018
Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm
PD: ConnectED for beginners
Location: Linmoor Education Center, room 25B
Date: September 6, 2018
Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm