The problem:
Our math program is supplemental at best, is based on too much experiential learning, and not enough variety. Grade 5 students are looking at a transition that can be very difficult with the perceived simplicity of the lesson we currently teach when they start to use the 6th grade curriculum which is much more problem driven.
The solution:
Explore technology, specifically online programs that can assist in the differentiation of math. The programs should be teacher friendly, interesting for students and easy to monitor. For this I explored: Mathletics, Khan Academy and Gizmo.
What are the major interactions with TPACK that make my solution so promising?
The content in these online math programs is presented in a variety of ways. The students can start with a problem, move to a lesson (in a variety of formats), watch a video, learn from a tutorial or even play a game to enhance any concept. Through these online videos, lessons, tutorials, inter-actives and games the students are able to manipulate and visualize mathematics in a way that enhances their understanding a specific content.
Here is the presentation of my Wicked Problem Project. I very much enjoyed this project and am still able to implement these changes on a daily basis in my classroom.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Part D-Findings and implications
Findings and Implications....
Here I will sum up what I found while researching and experimenting on 18 very willing fifth graders with various online math programs. My implementation varied. For each program I assigned it as a component of homework. On the Friday when the homework is due we discussed the program during snack time. Some groups of students were put on more focused activities, whether it be for the advanced students to push them forward, or the students who needed an intervention with a specific skill. I am extremely luck y to work in a forward thinking school with a 1 to 1 laptop program for grade 5, it makes this research much easier and the students are skilled enough to easily move from one program to another.
1. Variety is KEY to keep the fifth grade mind. The program with the best amount of variety is by FAR-Mathletics. This program hold the students interest with several components including: avatars (which can be changed with rewards from lessons and activities and games), interactive lessons, helpful videos, avatar tutors and Challenge Days.
2. Unfortunately price plays a part in these programs, with the exception of Khan Academy. Luckily our school has an underused full school account with Mathletics, of which now I have become the local expert, especially as today is World math Day- they are SO into this! I applied for funding for Gizmo's but the quote came back far too much, even for a single teacher license. We did get to experience the Gizmo's on a free trial and they are seriously great. It is not a full program, more of a supplement, but I still sue it for science demo's (I have 4 more days left!!).
3. Novelty plays a huge part in this. Mr. Nussbaum (used mostly as a supplement) and Mathletics both have a good amount of novelty, Khan academy is very basic, although the map used to chart a students progress is very impressive, even to the fifth grade mind.
4. Teacher usability makes buy in for an entire program much more successful. Mathletics is a bit fussy when you first start working with it, once you have assigned lessons, checked the lesson, resassigned if not done well and played with the results package it becomes quite intuitive. Khan's Academy still baffles me with the goal setting. I have seen in places (blogs or help guides) that teachers (called coaches) can assign goals for students, but I have yet to have done it. I tried to guide my own students thorough goal setting, but half of them could not do it. I ended up assigning specific homework (ie: Do lessons on Khan's Academy for 40 minutes during the week, 4 of the lessons must contain the word decimal"). There is no way to check up on Mr. Nussbaum, so this remained an in class activity.
5. There are a plethora of excellent programs out there. I further explored iXL.com which is a great resource. I specifically recommend this to parents with students who need extra skills based learning for math. Lure of the Labyrinth is an excellent game to introduce pre-algebra skills. I already have one student who has mastered almost all the levels (he is in the hospital with a burst appendix, so he reports in on a daily basis with new mastered levels and how to's!). I will definitely be using this at the end of the year so perhaps some motivated students will play into summer (we also have a competitive advanced program that the kids need to test into for 6th grade, so math is a big thing here!).
Here I will sum up what I found while researching and experimenting on 18 very willing fifth graders with various online math programs. My implementation varied. For each program I assigned it as a component of homework. On the Friday when the homework is due we discussed the program during snack time. Some groups of students were put on more focused activities, whether it be for the advanced students to push them forward, or the students who needed an intervention with a specific skill. I am extremely luck y to work in a forward thinking school with a 1 to 1 laptop program for grade 5, it makes this research much easier and the students are skilled enough to easily move from one program to another.
1. Variety is KEY to keep the fifth grade mind. The program with the best amount of variety is by FAR-Mathletics. This program hold the students interest with several components including: avatars (which can be changed with rewards from lessons and activities and games), interactive lessons, helpful videos, avatar tutors and Challenge Days.
2. Unfortunately price plays a part in these programs, with the exception of Khan Academy. Luckily our school has an underused full school account with Mathletics, of which now I have become the local expert, especially as today is World math Day- they are SO into this! I applied for funding for Gizmo's but the quote came back far too much, even for a single teacher license. We did get to experience the Gizmo's on a free trial and they are seriously great. It is not a full program, more of a supplement, but I still sue it for science demo's (I have 4 more days left!!).
3. Novelty plays a huge part in this. Mr. Nussbaum (used mostly as a supplement) and Mathletics both have a good amount of novelty, Khan academy is very basic, although the map used to chart a students progress is very impressive, even to the fifth grade mind.
4. Teacher usability makes buy in for an entire program much more successful. Mathletics is a bit fussy when you first start working with it, once you have assigned lessons, checked the lesson, resassigned if not done well and played with the results package it becomes quite intuitive. Khan's Academy still baffles me with the goal setting. I have seen in places (blogs or help guides) that teachers (called coaches) can assign goals for students, but I have yet to have done it. I tried to guide my own students thorough goal setting, but half of them could not do it. I ended up assigning specific homework (ie: Do lessons on Khan's Academy for 40 minutes during the week, 4 of the lessons must contain the word decimal"). There is no way to check up on Mr. Nussbaum, so this remained an in class activity.
5. There are a plethora of excellent programs out there. I further explored iXL.com which is a great resource. I specifically recommend this to parents with students who need extra skills based learning for math. Lure of the Labyrinth is an excellent game to introduce pre-algebra skills. I already have one student who has mastered almost all the levels (he is in the hospital with a burst appendix, so he reports in on a daily basis with new mastered levels and how to's!). I will definitely be using this at the end of the year so perhaps some motivated students will play into summer (we also have a competitive advanced program that the kids need to test into for 6th grade, so math is a big thing here!).
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Group Leadership Project
Here it is!
And here are the three questions:
What tool did your group use to deliver the PD tutorial? Why?
We used Camtasia. We figured that showing the exact process of the basics of Toondoo was better if it was animated and talked through thoroughly while it was happening.
What did you learn during the development process of the final product?
I learned that a good script/storyboard can get you through the final project much easier then "winging it". Camtasia is a tricky product, I was lucky to have had experience from it as I used it for my STAIR project. I learned that recording in chunks makes it much easier to edit when you need to at the end.
What would you do differently if you had to develop a similar product again?
I think I would have left more time for editing. Because of a few mishaps with a group member I picked up the slack and had to run with it. Our group was clear on expectations and times that we wanted/needed rough drafts produced but when group members do not meet the expectations I think it is much better to have a back up plan. I would definitely have a back up plan just in case. I love working with groups, but it also has its downfalls..
And here are the three questions:
What tool did your group use to deliver the PD tutorial? Why?
We used Camtasia. We figured that showing the exact process of the basics of Toondoo was better if it was animated and talked through thoroughly while it was happening.
What did you learn during the development process of the final product?
I learned that a good script/storyboard can get you through the final project much easier then "winging it". Camtasia is a tricky product, I was lucky to have had experience from it as I used it for my STAIR project. I learned that recording in chunks makes it much easier to edit when you need to at the end.
What would you do differently if you had to develop a similar product again?
I think I would have left more time for editing. Because of a few mishaps with a group member I picked up the slack and had to run with it. Our group was clear on expectations and times that we wanted/needed rough drafts produced but when group members do not meet the expectations I think it is much better to have a back up plan. I would definitely have a back up plan just in case. I love working with groups, but it also has its downfalls..
Friday, March 2, 2012
Miscellaneous Math Encounters
While researching I came upon some wonderful resources that are useful for all sorts of reasons.The first one I came across was Lure of Labyrinth. This is a great game (what kid does not like a game?) that is based on Pre-Algebra principles.
Students play a variety of games that have to do with patterns, proportions, fractions, ratios...it is endless.As the students become more involved the games get harder and levels higher. Not to mention that the whole game has a plot (to free imprisoned pets). I gave this to my high flying group and they were stuck to it like glue, one of my students went home and played all weekend desperate to solve the many puzzles.
IXL is another math site that I have introduced to parents who have needed a digital tutor for basic math skills. It is easy and fairly inexpensive to sign up a child and the parents can easily monitor their progress and time spent. I spoke with some of the lower grade teachers who use it more often and they really like the way it moves through the basics. I had a few students play it but they were bored by it fairly quickly. I do still recommend it to parents for the basics, it has helped some of my students catch up on some skills they should have had before entering fifth grade.
And last but not least, one of my very favorites... Mr. Nussbaum!
I use this a lot for reinforcing skills. It is very easy to find both games and tools on Mr. Nussbaum's site. He has so many different ways of teaching skills and concepts, he is really like an old friend....
Professional Learning Plan
Thursday at Noon.
So.... This is due in four days and I made this really COOL looking Glogster on my Glogster EDU account and logged in after spending a few hours on it and BAM-it was gone. So here I am at my desk contemplating angry emails sent towards the Glogster people....
This here is a lesson in technology. A nasty lesson that we sometimes learn. I remember pressing the save button, I remember choosing save as a draft, but it is gone.... SO, I start again. Hold this space for the next draft. I think I am not going to use Glogster.
On to Prezi....
So.... This is due in four days and I made this really COOL looking Glogster on my Glogster EDU account and logged in after spending a few hours on it and BAM-it was gone. So here I am at my desk contemplating angry emails sent towards the Glogster people....
This here is a lesson in technology. A nasty lesson that we sometimes learn. I remember pressing the save button, I remember choosing save as a draft, but it is gone.... SO, I start again. Hold this space for the next draft. I think I am not going to use Glogster.
On to Prezi....
Professional Learning Plan CEP 812 Catie Barber on Prezi
Here are some Guiding Questions about what I have learned.
What were some online resources that you found helpful?
I absolutely ADORE Cool Tools for Schools! This website I constantly go back to in order to find specific online resources for my class. My students use it to and I have incorporated lots of them into my constantly updated Literature Circle Blog...And from this class: Free Visual Tools... pure awesomeness...
What online communities were helpful?
I find it really hard to keep up with online communities. i enjoyed getting to know MERLOT, but during 811 when submitting I found the whole process really laborious.. So I can't say I will be all over that. I do keep up with Edutopia a lot, I enjoy the writing and the articles there. For awhile I am going to be really happy to go back to reading the nytimes.com on a daily basis and catching up with new apps for my four year old...
What strategies do I find helpful for trying a new technology?
I find it very helpful to just play. I like to play with things, find out how they work, I rarely look towards a tutorial at first, rather I play and then find answers to my specific problems. I tend to dive right into technology, sometimes this is not good and I have learned not to jump in with my students, I need to be proficient first, although a lot of times it is my students who come in a say "Mrs. B., have you ever seen THIS??"
How does working with others support you in your own learning?
I enjoyed working with my group. it was fun to actually get to know a few people rather than just know them as "posts". I have found too that even though our project is over we are now still emailing each other to check our work, or just to be funny! That said, if people do not participate in groups then it is really a burden on everyone else. If it is required stuff then get it done! Ranting and Raving over with...
How will you use this experience to support your own life long learning of technology?
It never stops, does it? I will sue all these things and more, to be honest I am going to miss all this good learning time, I won't miss the stress much, but I loved the lesson, I will try and keep up on different communities. Teaching in such a technology rich school does keep me on my toes and (fingers crossed) I may just be the next technology integrator... who knows? Anything is possible!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Part C-Implementation
Below you will find my podcast about how I am feeling with the project I accomplished. I feel like this project has been a great exploration and it has proved to me that the resources out there are not scary or overwhelming an htat the enthusiasm it being the students are well worth the little bumps....
I am going to record some of my students and how they feel about Mathletics and Khans Academy.
Here is the Poll Everywhere about which one they like the best:
I am going to record some of my students and how they feel about Mathletics and Khans Academy.
Here is the Poll Everywhere about which one they like the best:
As you can see Mr. Nussbaum is in first (probably because the games are so enchanting!!) and Mathletics is number 2. I don't think we used Gizmo enough, to be fair. Khan Academy is great, but it is not as flexible as Mathletics.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
WWP Part C- Mathletics
The third installment for my Wicked Problem project is..... Mathletics!
This tool has been purchased by our school for every student in it. I have used parts of it but I had not delved deeper into it until this project and I was completely surprised at the versatility it brought.
First of all there is a live Mathletics game that my students adore. When they play it it has several levels, level 1 starts out very easy (but I discovered I can turn off levels and push the kids beyond addition and subtraction!).
How does it work?
You can sign up your class, or school or as a family or individual. Then you get access as a teacher and can assign different lessons. The assignments always appear first on the students board. you can also create your own courses, so you can find all the lessons to begin your fractions unit so when you assign the students all the lessons are in one area. These courses are saved under a name of your choice so you can continue using them over the years.
What do I like about Mathletics:
- You can create groups for your students if you want to level them which is perfect for my class because I have some real high flyers.
- You can choose courses from all over the world, one day you might choose the Japanese curriculum and the next California which exposes the students to many different styles of teaching. I think the more styles and methods the students get, the more likely they are to find a way they understand.
- The students create their avatar and get points to purchase outfits, backgrounds, etc. This is great novelty for them and they really enjoy it.
- The Live Matheltics game is great, when the kids start playing there is a world map that moves around pointing to different countries, they are then paired with one or several students from anywhere in the world and they play against them. you should hear the shouts "I have a guy from South Africa!" I have a guy from Qatar!".
- There are a variety of reports that you can print for your students as well as certificates when they have high achievements.
- For each lesson the students do there are a variety of ways they can access help and there is always a movie with demonstration problems if they are stuck.
- They have lots of workbooks that can be printed out in pdf for extra work or reinforcement.
Some of the odd things:
- It is hard to get to know this program, there are tutorials but one has to mess around and play with it before you really get (and I am not exactly sure I am there yet!).
- The search engine for finding lessons can be clumsy.
- A few more standardized tests would be great for practice, i hate to teach to the test but getting kids used to testing is important.
In summation:
This is a wonderful program, the best I have seen so far. it has just about everything you need as a teacher and the positives are far more than the negatives. The students very much enjoyed their homework and I have very little accessing their results. This is an excellent tool to help reinforce mathematics,especially if the curriculum you are using is sparse.
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