Feedback from first 2 weeks

The last couple of days I have been getting some feedback on the videos I am creating for math classes.  One parent walked up to me after school and said, "Thank you for doing the videos.  I am sure it takes a lot more time but I watch my young person stop, rewind, and rewatch the videos on a cell phone and he seems to be less frustrated since what my student needs to know is available when it is needed."  Another parent, "I really like the videos.  I am sure it takes a serious time commitment but I think it helps my young person figure things out."

I also had a note written by a student on a homework assignment.  I think I need to help several of students with this concern - "Don't the teachers talk to each other about the amount of homework they give.  This math assignment has taken me way to long.  I just want to go to bed." I think there are several of my students that leave their math assignments for the very end of the night because it is their tough subject, then it takes them even longer to figure out what is going on because they are tired from other homework they have.

I also talked with my principal yesterday about the quiz that took exceeding long for some students.  In our discussion, we reflected on the fact that with all change students need to adjust to the pace and way of learning.  I also need to overestimate the length of time I think a student will need to complete an assessment.  Timed tests are a way of life, and helping a student develop the skills to complete a timed test well is necessary.

So far so good.

Math Quiz that became a Test - Algebra 2

I just gave a 14 question quiz on graphing parabolas and factoring.  It was mostly multiple choice. 

How can I help these students to be able to attack "novel" math problems without saying "I don 't know how to do this?"

Things that caused student distress:

1. Quiz used fractional rather than whole number coefficients on quadratic equation
2. Quiz didn't have constant added to squared portion of quadratic equation - "What do I do when there isn't a plus one?"
3. "How do I find the middle number we used on the table of values?" aka how do I find the x value for the vertex
4. "What do I do with the x value I just found?" when the student needed to plug the value back into the original equation.
5. "How do I decide if the parabola opens up or down?"
6. "Do I change the sign or don't I?" when given a quadratic in vertex form, usually referring to changing sign of h, but not of the k value.
7. "Do I change the sign or don't I?" when given a quadratic in intercept form and they needed to find the x value of the vertex.
8. "What is a solution of the equation? How do I do that?" when given a quadratic equation that isn't solved for zero.
9. "Aren't both of these answers correct?" when looking at solutions of a quadratic equation that had two positive or two negative values; thinking that the multiplication of them would give positive so it wouldn't make a difference?
10. "How do you factor x^2+20x-96=0? There aren't any factors of -96 that add up to 20." when all that was written down was 2 and -48 for factors; needed to list more factors to find the correct ones.

I have had students check their homework with videos I have done outlining what to do to solve and why.  What ideas would be helpful to help them generalize what they know to a new, similar problem?

Epic Greeting from English Class to Mrs. Belyea

Hail Mrs. Belyea! Educator of many various levels of mathematics. I humbly come to thy class in my noble pursuit of the knowledge that lies in the textbook of pre-calculus that I would most undoubtedly fail to contemplate without thy instruction that thou providest me with. I have been brought here from my home in Climax, where much corn grows, and in the land of the country where many lakes gently lie out night under the stars in their uttermost beauty, to asketh for thy help in the problems of the assignment which though bestoweth upon me. I humbly request that thou grantest me thy divine wisdom in guidance in hopes that I may meet with success in the terrible trials I may face later in this life.

Interruptions of #flipclass videos

Well it is Sunday afternoon.  I spent the last 3 hours recording videos - well after many starts and stops - so today the background noises were the biggest things.  Neighbors are redoing their roof with a power nail gun to attach their shingles - brrrrr, brrrrr, brrrr, goes the nail gun.  Then the saw to cut boards to fix their soffits and fascia - grrrrr, grrrrr, grrrrr goes the saw.  Then since their house is only maybe 8 feet away from mine - the man who is directing all the fixing comes out and is giving loud directions to the men on the roof.  Yeah, don't need yelling in the background of my videos either.  Rerecord.

Then the smoke detector in my house started beeping with its low battery beep.  That one I just recorded right through.

One more section of Algebra 2 completed, even though there were disruptions and the internet upload speed of my computer seems compromised for some reason.  The uploading was so slow today.

Reflections on Wallwisher and google docs as online kwl

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/08/wallwisher-google-docs-as-online-kwl.htm has some great ideas for the first day of school activities using wallwisher

Reflections on Mrs. Kirch's new intro videos

http://flippingwithkirch.blogspot.com/2012/08/3-new-intro-videos.html has Mrs. Kirch's beginning of the year videos to help students be successful in her class.  Great ideas for future reference.

Further Graduate Studies: Postsecondary Planning Specialist Certificate Program

Postsecondary Planning Specialist Certificate Program

I am interested in pursuing this advanced counseling certificate to help my students be better prepared for postsecondary educational options.

This is a similar page but with a link to someone to contact http://ep.emich.edu/programs/postsecondary.aspx

http://ep.emich.edu/uploadedFiles/Degrees_programs/Certificates_endorsements/Cert%20Planning%20Specialists.pdf





I need to call 734-487-3400 to talk to the admissions officer.

Reflections on Digital Storytelling Math? Yes Please!

http://mathcoachblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/digital-storytelling-in-math-yes-please/

This article references several great tools to help young people tell math stories.  I want to look into using these with my students.

Reflections on Social Media to Improve Classroom and School Communications

http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2012/08/08/using-social-media-to-improve-classroom-and-school-communications/

Looks like a great presentation to help others learn how to use Social Media.

Reflections on Mrs. Kirch's "My favorite things from 6 months of blogging"

http://flippingwithkirch.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-favorite-things-from-6-months-of.html?showComment=1344272587081#c5950789912975595282

I am trying to keep myself organized with labels for things I have read.  Here is a response that Mrs. Kirch made to a comment I left her about her reflections.

Reflections on "How to use Cell Phones as Learning Tools"

http://www.teachhub.com/how-use-cell-phones-learning-tools

I liked the idea of students working in groups to eliminate the need for all students to have a cell phone.  I want to try having students audio or video record an explanation to a problem.  I could have two students work together to do this and alternate who does the explaining or have both do part of the explanation, even though one student has the phone in hand.

Reflections on QR Codes Explained and Ideas for Classroom Use

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/qr-codes-explained-and-ideas-for.html

I like the idea of using QR codes now that I have started using my smart phone.  This is a good resource to use with individuals who aren't familiar with what a QR code is and how they could use it.

Connected Educator Month

http://www.stevehargadon.com/2012/07/connected-educator-month-week-ones.html

Ideas and activities for connected educator month.

State of Now live stream

http://edu2012.stateofnow.com/

#140edu

I have had lots of tweets, I will have to see if I can get them sorted on my blog.  Time to learn something new and make something useful for myself.

Reflections on Connectedness as a Standard

Quote from http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2012/08/connectedness-as-standard.html

"Your PLN will provide you with the seeds of change, but is up to you to plant, take care of, and cultivate them in order to witness their growth and development into transformative culture elements."

This makes me think of the key to spending time getting but then having the time making what I just received reality in my classroom.  Having a maker culture within the people that I work with is very important to me.  There are so many things to make - lessons, problem based learning activities, videos, multi-media, blogs, etc.

Reflections on the Collaborative Lecture Hybrid

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/08/the-collaborative-lecture-hybrid.html

Use media to help kids put information into their own words, not just copying what I think is necessary.

Fair Isn't Always Equal - Grading Practices

http://www.stenhouse.com/html/fiae-videos.htm

Great ideas about grading practices - needs to consider how I grade and what it means.