#INspirEDmath
March 2020, Volume 19
The IDOE Office of Curriculum and Instruction is dedicated to providing the best resources for educators and families during this time of extended remote learning.
Educators and families you will find:
- Information about free or low-cost connectivity for those with need.
- Subject area and grade level specific digital learning sites.
- Ideas to extend learning for all students.
- Educational companies offering free services.
- Supports for teachers in delivering remote learning experiences.
If there is a resource or support you would like to see, please contact us so that we can provide you with the best information possible.
Attend to Precision
Problem of the Month
Secondary Problem of the Month
With half of the honey, the total mass is 600 grams.
What is the mass of the empty jar in grams?
While this problem appears different than traditional looking balance scale problem, the same intuition you can use to solve balance scale problems can also be used here!
Explore courses such as logic, mathematical fundamentals, computer science fundamentals, and scientific thinking from brilliant.org for more unique and interesting challenges!
Elementary Problem of the Month Math Yapper
For this task, students describe mystery terms to partners so that their partners can identify the term.
Find out more information about Math Yapper here along with many other routines that will engage students, improve number sense, and practice reasoning.
The Indiana Process Standards for Math
1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Ways to Develop Clarity and Precision
- Use familiar vocabulary to help specify which object(s) are being discussed - which number or symbol, which feature of a geometric object - using specific attributes, if necessary, to clarify meaning. Pointing at a rectangle from far away and saying, "No, no, that line, the long one, there," is less clear than saying "The vertical line on the right side of the rectangle." Or compare "If you add three numbers and you can get even, then all the numbers are even or one of them is even" with "If you add exactly three whole numbers and the sum is even, then either all three of the numbers must be even or exactly one of them must be even."
- Use written symbols correctly. In particular, the equal sign (=) is used only between complete expressions, and it signals the equality of those two expressions. To explain one way to add 34 + 65, we sometimes see it written (incorrectly) this way: 30 + 60 = 90 + 4 = 94 + 5 = 99. This is a correct sequence of calculator buttons for this process, but not a correct written expression: 30 + 60 doesn't equal 90 + 4; only the last equal sign is correctly used. We need the = sign to have a single and specific meaning. Also, the equal sign should not be misused to mean "corresponds to": writing "4 boys = 8 legs" is incorrect.
- Precision often means including units when specifying numerical quantities. But not always. The purpose of precision is never to create work, only to create clarity. Sometimes a number is clear by itself, other times a unit is needed, sometimes a whole sentence is required: the situation determines the need. For the same reason, label graphs and diagrams sufficiently to make their meaning and the meanings of their parts clear.
- As students develop mathematical language, they learn to use algebraic notation to express what they already know and to translate among words, symbols, and diagrams. Possibly the most profound idea is giving names to objects. When we give numbers names, not just values, then we can talk about general cases and not just specific ones. For example, when we see that 4 x 6 is one less than 5 x 5 and that 6 x 8 is one less than 7 x 7, and check that pattern a few more times, we might guess that 29 x 31 is one less than 30 x 30, but saying that pattern in a general way is difficult without using a "name" for the numbers. One doesn't need formal algebra: the idea, not the notation, is the important part, and simply by naming one number "middle" and the other two as "middle + 1" and "middle - 1" will suffice. For any three consecutive numbers, (middle - 1) x (middle + 1) = (middle x middle) - 1. That's complete and precise with no formalisms.
Resources to Support Students in Attending to Precision
Graphing Stories
Dan Meyer and Buzzmath collaborated to create a collection of resources called Graphing Stories. These video tasks compare relationships like distance and time to a dependent variable over time. Click here to check it out!
Math for Love
Math Mistakes
Opportunities for the Field
Desmos One Day Workshop
Click here to register!
Project-Based Learning Math Summer Workshops
You will leave with a draft of a Project-Based Learning (PBL) unit you can use in your own classroom next year, sample PBL units, free NCTM/PBL book, access to free digital manipulatives/simulations, new ideas for your teaching toolbox, and a PGP certificate.
Elementary PBL Workshop
When: Monday, June 8 - 12, 2020, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Lunch provided)
Where: University of Indianapolis
Secondary PBL Workshop
When: Monday, June 15 - 19, 2020, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Lunch provided)
Where: University of Indianapolis
Click here for more information.
Indiana State Math Exam
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Exam Categories
Pre-Algebra
Algebra I/Integrated Math I
Geometry/Integrated Math II
Algebra II/Integrated Math III
Comprehensive
Please register your students for the contest for deserved recognition of their mathematical talents! Registration: February 29, 2020 - March 31, 2020. Registration is $7 per student. Visit http://www.ictm.onefireplace.org/mathcontest for more information.
University host-site partners will administer exams where local site awards are given. Top state finishers will be recognized at the Indiana Statehouse, June 5, 2020, at 1:00 p.m.
University Host Sites
Ball State University
Indiana State University
Indiana University East
Indiana University Purdue University Columbus
Indiana University Pursue University Indianapolis
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Purdue University West Lafayette
Saint Mary's College
University of Indianapolis
University of Southern Indiana
Nominate a Colleague!
- A certificate signed by the President of the United States;
- A paid trip to Washinton, D.C. to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities;
- A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, and
- An opportunity to build lasting partnerships with colleagues across the nation.
You may nominate through the following link: https://www.paemst.org/
New Experiences for Instructors of Dual Enrollment (NExIDE) Scholarship Program
Click here for more information and access to the application!
Save the Date
Upcoming Chats:
April 1 - Study Skills
Follow #INedchat to be a part of the discussion!
Who to Follow on Twitter
@edutopia
Check out one of the most recent articles here.
@maanow
Read their blog here.
@TechPointYouth
Learn more here!
News from IDOE
The upcoming U.S. Census will determine the federal funds' schools receive. Click here to access IDOE's census resources for superintendents, principals, teachers, and families. #INCensus2020
News From Assessment
The Office of Student Assessment has released a consolidated list of which standards in grades 6, 7, and 8 will be assessed during the non-calculator section of the ILEARN assessment. This designation is based on a determination by educators that calculator usage on items written to these standards would inhibit the ability to assess the focal aspect of the mathematical construct.
https://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/assessment/ilearn-noncalcstandards.pdf
Beginning with the Winter 2019 Retest, the ISTEP+ assessment will be delivered in the same online system that is used for ILEARN and I AM. For online test sessions that allow calculator use, students may use the online Desmos graphing calculator or a handheld calculator. For paper test sessions that allow calculator use, students may use a handheld calculator.
TAs must oversee the use of the handheld calculator to ensure use only during appropriate test segments. Misuse of a calculator may result in a test invalidation for an assessment needed by a student to fulfill graduation requirements. Handheld calculators must meet the functionality requirements, as outlined in the full Calculator Policy:
https://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/assessment/calculator-policy2019-2020-final.pdfNews from Title Grants
When: April 15-16, 2020
Where: Embassy Suites in Plainfield, Indiana
Click here to learn more.
Math Educator Spotlight
Alison Strole
Some projects Alison has worked on with her students:
- School Start Time Flip: Students studied the circadian rhythm and used mathematical evidence to write persuasive letters to the school board asking to either keep or flip school start times.
- Solar Panel Project: Students looked at the cost of solar panels for individual homes, schools, and the city. They talked with the school's energy manager and a city official was brought in to meet the students and discuss the next steps. The students were surprised to know the exact math the students used is the math the official utilizes in his job to tackle city problems!
- Rising Costs of Higher Education: Students looked at the true costs of higher education including lost income from choosing not to go into the workforce. Students listened to an expert and discussed what the future of high education will likely be in the next five years. Students also looked at cost versus earning of two "dream" jobs.
- Data Analysis and Politics: Students analyzed exit poll data from various presidential elections including the 2008 and 2016 elections. Students were tasked with determining states and subgroups that a political party should focus funds to give the best chance of winning the 2020 election.
- The Arlington Dilemma: Students investigated the issues at the Arlington National Cemetary in preparation for the 8th grade Washington D.C. trip. Students spoke with a member of the National Guard about the importance of Arlington to those serving in the military. Students worked through various solutions including limiting those that could be buried and changing the size of the plots. Students also looked at the cost associated with each solution, how many plots it would create, how many extra years they could add to Arlington before running out of room.
- Coronavirus: Students analyzed actual data from the World Health Organization to see if Coronavirus appears to be following any trends. Students came up with various theories about why there was a 20,000 case increase on February 17th and are anticipating the March data to see if it creates any new trends.
Allison always makes sure her students are challenged, confident and engaged.
Your IDOE Mathematics Team
Robin Conti
Email: rconti@doe.in.gov
Website: doe.in.gov
Location: Indiana Department of Education
Phone: (317)-233-6098
Twitter: @RobinLConti
Emily Bruning
Email: ebruning@doe.in.gov
Website: doe.in.gov
Location: Indiana Department of Education, West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: (317)-232-9142
Twitter: @MrsBruning