May/June 2018
Secondary Math
Steve Hiner * Greta Robertson, PhD
Final Exams
1. Use the district final exam
This test can be administered on paper/pencil or through CiMS. Principals will be instructed to ask teachers how many copies of tests to order from the print shop. Make sure you talk with your principal if you want copies. The tests will be available in CiMS by May 18.
2. Create your own final
If you wish to create your own final exam, please make sure it covers the entire school year. You can refer to curriculum documents such as our Timelines, Clear Learning Targets, etc.
3. Edit the district final
You can receive a copy of the district final in a Word document that you can edit and use as you wish. Department chairs will receive the files.
Please contact the math office if you have questions.
Reimagine Me - Call for Presenters
Teacher Appreciation Week
There are several websites out there with some great deals (is it finally time to get that Costco membership, now that there's $60 in coupons?).
Be sure to check out each site carefully, as some have different offers for similar items.
50+ Best Freebies from Bored Teachers.com
52 Teacher Appreciation Week Deals
Middle School Content Experts Meeting #5
This series has been very popular across all content areas. Hopefully we can bring it to you again next year. Watch your emails!
Math 7 Prep Summer School Course
We are very pleased to be able to once again offer our advanced middle school students a Math 7 course over the summer. Here's how that works:
1. This course is only open to students who took the Middle School Accelerated Placement Test in March and scored 60% or higher.
2. Students will work the entire duration of summer school on Math 7 material.
3. During the last week of summer school, students will take a Credit Flex test in ALEKS for Math 7. If they score 75% or higher, they will earn credit for Math 7 during the summer. Then, next year they will only take Math 8 as 7th graders.
Students were given information on their results letter they took home. They can apply online at: http://goo.gl/cK3YnA or by visiting our website at the link below.
Math and Science Design Challenge
ALEKS Summer Contest
DESMOS Workshop
Using DESMOS As An Innovative Instructional Tool (Grades 6-8)
June 1, 2018
9am-3:30pm
$69 registration fee (includes lunch)
Sorry, our office cannot provide payment
Register at: www.faircoesc.org
Location: Fairfield County ESC
955 Liberty Drive
Lancaster, OH 43130
Roman Numeral Fun!
Summer Activities
Steve's new tie - hang in there!
ALEKS Training
SMART Notebook Tip!
Literacy in Math
Here are ten ways to use writing and speaking to help your students develop a deeper understanding of math:
1. Have students present problems to the class. When it comes time to go over homework or classwork, choose students to present their work on the board. Each student does only one problem, and they write their work as well as their answer for the class. Then, the students take turns telling the class how they solved their problem. If anyone has a question, you can choose to answer it yourself or defer it to the presenting student to answer.
2. Ask students to write down how they solved a problem. After students solve a problem, ask them to write down how they solved it. Teach them how to give a great explanation. The best ones include step-by-step instructions, how the steps apply to the problem, and the why behind them.
3. Ask students to explain a mistake they made. After going over a set of problems, ask the students to take one problem they missed and explain why they missed it. The explanation should include what they did wrong as well as what they should’ve done instead.
4. Have students create quizzes for each other. Start by asking the students to write a quiz (and answer key) over the topic you are covering. You can be specific about what types of questions you want or leave it more open. Once the students have written a quiz, they exchange them with a partner and take each other’s quiz. Then, they grade each other’s’ quizzes and discuss any mistakes that were made.
5. Have students write down how they would explain this concept to a friend. Give students 5-10 minutes to write down what they would say if their friend asked them for help.
6. Have students tell each other how they solved a problem. Give students a couple minutes to explain to a partner how they solved a problem. The partner can then ask questions or give feedback on the explanation.
7. Use exit slips. As outlined in Content-Area Writing, exit slips are a great way of gauging understanding at the end of class. Students write an answer to a question and turn it in on their way out the door. You can ask a specific content question such as, “Why do you need a common denominator when adding fractions?” Or, you can ask a reflective question such as “What questions do you have about today’s lesson?” or “What do you need to do to prepare for our upcoming test?”
8. Require students to take notes. Have your students write down formulas, key concepts, and the steps used to solve each type of problem in a math notebook. Not only will writing this down help them concentrate better, but it will also produce a great resource for them to use later when they can’t remember how to solve a problem.
9. Allow students to ask each other for help solving problems. While you probably don’t want to do this all the time as the conversations can quickly digress, allowing students to discuss math problems serves a dual purpose. Not only does it allow more questions to be answered than you have time to answer yourself, but it also helps the student who’s giving the explanation to develop a deeper understanding.
10. Moderate written discussions either online or in the classroom. If you’re able to, use a class website, Facebook page, or Twitter to ask interesting questions and spark discussion among your students. Even if you don’t have this capability, you can post a question on a poster board in your room and allow students to comment below.
From the website:
https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/10-ways-literacy-can-promote-a-deeper-understanding-of-math/